AT PAPEETE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 216, 16 October 1914, Page 7

AT PAPEETE.

WHEN CRUISERS CAME. DETAILS OF BOMBARDMENT. FOREIGNERS FLEE IN TERROR. DESTRUCTION OF BUSINESS PREMISES. Press Association. WELLINGTON, October 16. On October 5 the following brief cable message from Paris was published:—"An official report states that the German cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, on September 22, sank the disarmed French- gunboat Zelee off Papeete. The cruisers disappeared after bombarding Papeete." Included among the passengers by the Maitaij which '. arrived at Wellington last night, was an eye-witness of the bombardment. According to his story, told to a " Post'.' reporter, it has left the island';town a mass of ruins. The occurrence was of a much more serious nature than indicated in either the brief cable message from Paris or the official message to'his Excellency the Governor. HOSTILE CRUISERS APPEAR. About 6 o'clock on the morning of September 22 the inhabitants of- Papeete (Tahiti) were aroused by the approach of two big warships. However, they were not alarmed, for every day they had expected a visit front a British, French, or Japanese boat, bitt it 'was a misty morning, and no flags could be discerned. The' hews of the approach spread with great rapidity, and very shortly the whole population turned out and lined the water-front. The excitement increased as the boats drew closer to the reef, and the atmosphere cleared. It Avas then discovered? that no flags were flying at all, whereupon four blank shells were fired from the small French port on the hills above Papeete. This was the signal for the. warships'to make known their nationality, but they did uot respond, and, after a short time, steamed away to the east, and out of j sight of the town. After a lapse of about 45 minutes they returned, and drew up broadside, on to the fort. RESIDENTS LEAVE TOWN. The people were now in a state of intense excitement. , Everything was at a standstill for a time, and everybody waited anxiously for the next move. The Governor saw that trouble 'was likely, and so all the inhabitants, barring the military, were ordered to leave the town and seek 1 shelter in the valleys and hills. The mandate was soon obeyed, but not before the Germans opened fire on the water-front. After many people had had -narrow -escapes'- I '' from death, the town Was cleared and i the firing continued. The French thought it likely that the vessels had come for coal, so without any delay'they/ pour„ed a quantity of benzine over the stock of 2000 tons in hand, and, it burned fiercely. It ; was still burning when the Maitai! lpft.. ! -■■'.■- ; NO' SURRENDER!" :^;;"/ -' /;.; In all, about thirty- shells were fired i in half ah hour, "■ each making a terrific than the heaviest thunder. Then there was a spell , for half an hour. The Germans did not'leave, but apparently waited for a white flag from the fort, but there was to be no white flag. Commander d'Estrenian, of the Zelee, had taken charge of affairs, and ordered a fight to a finish. The guns at the forts could' not reach beyond the reefSj and the garrison numbered 250 only, but sfiH there was to be no surrender. If it could be prevented, the Germans were not going to land. THE ZELEE'S FATE, 'Estreman then decided

to make an attempt to block the en> trance to the bay, and for this purpose intended to send the Zelee out and sink her. Half a dozen volunteers offered their services for this hazardous task, and very soon steam was up on thq little gunboat, which was alongside thd Walkure, the big German cargo boat captured as a prize. The Zelee had coaled from her. The French flag was hoisted, and this acted as a signal to tho Germans to resume firing. The little boat was made the object of all the shells, many of which failed to reach their mark. The first few fell short, ana . others went high. After a dozen shot* or so, the. Zelee went down in deefl water, and efforts to raise her have been in vain. TOWN IN FLAMES. Shells which failed to hit the Zelee had by far the most disastrous results. The deck fittings of the Walkure were shattered, and some of the shots were * so high that they struck the business portion of the town. Fires started all along the water-front, and as there was nobody left in town to render assistance, the flames spread rapidly, until there was absolutely no chance of cheeking them. The wharves and Custom-house were destroyed, and the brg public markets and huge Chinese Co-operative Store, each of which employed about a -"9 hundred Chinese, all went." The Paris Hotel, one of the best in the islands, and another hotel alongside, are now a mass of ruins. The whole town was devastated, including the premises of Donald and Edenborough, an Auckland firm, and the loss has run to thousands of pounds. There is not a solid block of buildings standing. The' fire rage** fiercely for several days, and was not extinguished when the Maitai left. ■ " GERMAN STEAMER SUNK. One result of the bombardment is • that the Germans sank their own . - s/teamer, the Walkure, well known in Wellington. As mentioned above, she was lying alongside the Zelee, and it was natural that she should suffer severely. Some of the shells weut rigtft through the French gunboat, , and struck the cargo-carrier beneath the water-line. Further shells blew away the funnel and navigating deck, and' one lodged in the engine-room, exploding, and doing considerable damage. When the Zelee was gone, the idea was . to let the Walkure drift into *the ehan-' nel, and she was let go for that purpose. She went on to the reefs, however, and. later was found to be sinking. quently she was towed off and beached in the bay, where she is now, practically a total wreck. A photograph shows that' her stern is submerged.' CRUISERS DEPART. ; At about 30 o'clock, after close upon 70 shells had beerr discharged by the unwelcome visitors, firing ceased, and the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau took «4I their departure. The departure was not looked for in the light of relief; it was not' considered likely the cruisers had finished with Papeete, and everything was in readiness in case of their return in the evening. Such return, though" fully expected, did not eventuate, and gradually the citizens returned to their thomes to gather "together what little remained of household and personal■effects. Flight had been a sudden hap? peniAg. and although the inhabitant* ' were wellsupplied with provisions, they* had little else. The losses all round - were'heaA'y, consequent upon the awful effect of. the shell fire. ' The nature. of ' the latter may be gathered from -the" (fact that trees two feet in diameter £ Were broken in half by fragments -of v Shells. '" ' *■' TWO CASUALTIES. ! At roll, call it was discovered thatthere -had been only two casualties—a". Chinese and a Kanaka, both of whom were killed.> > When the cruisers left , they set v a course which, if maintained.' would take them to Makatea. There, ii •they'so desired, they could have taken a supply of coal, for there are some big ' works on this phosphate island, which" burn a great deal of coal. It is note- - worthy that at about this time the collier Detnioor, with 2000 tons of Newcastle coal, was due at Makatea. When • the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were; at Papeete they brought a collier with ] them, which remained,far out to sea. It', is suggested that this was a prize. ' OBJECT OF THE VISIT. y* Considerable surprise was shown a* ■ the fact that the Germans did not ente.] - the bay, and it is presumed that they ... came for eoal and expected a surrender. . According to the "Post's'.' informant,' :S the guns mounted at the fort had been . removed from the Zelee, and were not of calibre. Probably the Germans thought that the entrance bad been mined; at any rate, they made no attempt whatever to land, and, had they done so, they would ' have ■ been strenuously opposed. The French garrison showed splendid courage, and was prepared to resist to the last man. A proclamation was issued, praising tho men for their splendid work, and also thanking the population for the way in which instructions were carried, out. . ■■ CHINESE THE HILLS. The Chinese had what was practically a monopoly of the business at Papeete, and conducted four large co-operative ' stores, in w-hich everything was sold., These stores gave employment to about . 400 men. When the bombardment com- • menced the Chinese merchants became terrified, and when they ran to the hills and valleys they left their money behind—big sums in many cases. Theii , stores .were completely destroyed, ana -the remains pilfered by Kanakas. Many Kanakas are now serving terms of imprisonment for these crimes. The sight of the Chinese and the Kanakas fleeing to safety was a pitiful one, and the Chinese particularly showed a disinclination to return. When once back they proved that they had not then re- ~m covered from their fright, as the following story shows:-—A Chinese employer had a dream or presentiment that, the German cruisers had captured a cargo • . boat, and that they were returning• ; to Papeete. He spread his story among the Celestials, and another panie ' set iii..' They gathered large stocks of rice and other provisions, and.set off for:the hills again. When the Maitai left the majority . Were still, sheltering, although the Germans had not put in an appearance. Tb«.rest of the population remained absent,, ; , for about ten days.. ; - ■■) /. A PREVIOUS EXPLOIT; ''" A previous exploit by the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau is related. The. two vessels visited a neighbouring island, and seized a large quantity of provi/ sions, for which, however, they paid the inhabitants. The Kanakas who helped ' in the loading operations were' well. treated, and so was everybody else. Tho Germans then enquired if there were any mails, as they were leaving for Papeete in the morning. What they.did-on arrival at Papeete is above recorded'. ,