CLEARING THE PACIFIC

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 3 November 1914, Page 4

CLEARING THE PACIFIC

ALLIES' WARSHIPS BUSY. BOMBARDMENT OF YAP. AYIRELESS DESTROYED. Further news has been received regarding the bombardment by warships of tho lilies of the German wireless station at Yap, in the Caroline Islands* Thirteen shells were dropped, the German wireless station was destroyed, and the cable cut. Yap was left in flames. Returning, one warship made a detour in search of tho third-class German cruiser Geier, but failed to locate her. While at Yap, a warship grazed a rock and injured her stern-post. Some plates also were loosened. She made all haste to port, but just outside there, she fell-in with the collier Ellspoth, owned- by Jebsen and Company. The Elspeth was loaded with coal consigned to Tsing-tau. The collier was stopped, and the captain, his wife, and child, and 23 memuers ;.l the crew were taken off. , ■ The warship, in her injured condition, "was unable to tow in her prize, and fired five shots into the collier, whion sank in deep -watei\ Upon arrival in port, the warship's bunkers were emptied; ■into, scows, which hurried alongside, the work proceeding until she went im,o '.ivydock. 'As soon as she had been repaired she left, her destination not being staled. ' VISIT TO ANGUAR ISLAND. One; of the warships of the allies visited -Aiigtiar Island some time ago and destroyed the German wireless station there. On arriving off the islaud < the Avarship despatched ,two boats containing armed crews. One' of the boat's crews effected a landing on the beach early in the morning, and, making a sudden rush, succeeded in surprising and arresting the I German officials. ! The second boat party followed' quick-jly-on the heels of the firsthand rushed the wireless station, which they succeeded in capturing without meeting with any resistance from the Germans. The new arrivals set to work on the wireless station and soon had it dismantled. The aerials -were pulled down and the dynamo and machinery put out of action. After satisfying themselves that the Germans on the island could send or receive no further messages', the men • returned to their vessel and the warship steamed ; away. , \ (CAPTURE OF THE KOMET.

Further details of the capture of the Komet at, Now Guinea have been received. Tt was well known that this vessel was in hiding at one ofv the many bays around the'coast of New Guinea, but though searches had failed to reveal her hiding place. Ono warship had. steamed round the island without seeing any sign of the vessel. Later on a party -was despatched to tho north coast of New-Guinea, and a.search was made in a small bay where the trees and tropical growth overhung to the water's edge. As the searchers were peering, amongst the trees one. of tho men grasped an overhanging branch, which ■ came away in his hand, leaying. a gap, which revealed a small lagoon. .Inside this lagoon the Komet was snugly hidden. Hei- hiding place was largely screened by the natural growth on the shore, but gaps in tin's screen had been filled up by branches of foliage cut from other trees.

IvIYSTERY OF THE AEI. The capture of the Komet gave rise to several surmises on the part of the men, at* Habaul regarding the cause of the mysterious disappearance of the submarine AEI. As far as is known, .nothing definite'was learned from those of the'lvomet regarding, any attack having been made on a submarine by the German vessel, and officially 4,he loss of t<he submarine still remains a- mystery. Itwas pointed out,, however, that the Komet was armed with a quick-firer, and was capable of sinking a vessel similar to the missing submarine. On the other hand, it is contended that the AEI might have been sunk by the German steamer Planet, which was captured two days after the AEI was reported missing.

NAURU ISLAND. The cargo steamer Canadian Transport j has arrived at Brisbane, and from informtion received- on board it would appear that the steamer Messina- saved the situation as far as the island of Nauru was' concerned. The steamers Wonganella and Promise, both from Australia, had arrived at Ocean Island with provisions for Nauru, but tho Messina brought definite news of the outbreak of war. and the' resident commissioner (Mr Elliot) seized the shipment, "which- was loaded in Australia from German steamers from Bremen, long before hostilities began. The ammunition was dumped l , and it was learned afterwards that some, of the cartridges had wooden bullets. Some were washed up on reefs on Ocean Is*, land. The Germans wore aware of. tho declaration of war, as they had a- wireless installation on Nauru Island, This wireless station has since been captured bv the British.

Some of the passengers on the Canadian Transport assert that Mr Elliot gave instructions for .all Britons to embark oa the Norwegian steamer Frithjof, '-without' unnecessary delay : and as they were about to leave Nauru, a steamer with the name paintedi' out, arrived. "This vessel, it was believed, had arrived to take the Germans, who were all trained soldiers to Baboul. -Whether or not these men. went to Rahoul they were unable to say. but they were informed that when an Australian warship arrived at Nauru not many Germans were found there. Martial law was proclaimed at Ocean Island: the \vhite_ population was armed 1 and drilled daily; ' and at four points on the island they had