SHELLING PAPEETE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 123, 17 October 1914, Page 6

SHELLING PAPEETE.

THE GERMAN CKUTSEU's' WORK.

THE TOWN FIRED AND DESTROYED.

By Telegraph.-Per Press Association. Wellington, October 15. Amongst Wi e passengers by the Matai which arrived 10-day, was an eye-wit-ness of the bombardment of Papeete. According to his story, it left the island a mass of ruins. About six o'clock on the morning of September &>, idle inhabitants were aroused by the approach of two big warships.. 'However, they were not troubled, tor every da,' they ihad expected either British,"French or Japanese boafu, bin it was a misly moraiin", and the flags could not be discerned. Tile whole popu ation turned out and lined the beach. Escitoiuent increased as the boats drew closer to the reef, and the atmuosphere cleared. Then'it was discovered that no fhg* were flying. Whereupon four blank shells were fired from the small French fori on the thills above Papeete. NO FLAGS FLYING.

This was the signal for the warships to make known their nationality. They did not, and after a short time steamed away to the east, out of sight. After a lapse of forty-five minutes, tiey returned and drew up a broadside on to the fort, at a position four or five miles from the town. All the inhabitants except the military were ordered to leave the town and seek gheltei in the kills.

BOMBARDMENT OOMMENQES. The Germans then opened fire. An atitoipt was made to block the entrance by sinking the Zeiee there, bat Wis German* lired on her, and *lhc sank in deep wafer. Tue suelts which faj.ed to hit the Ze-lee had by far the most disastrous result. The deck fittings-of the Walkuro, a German cargo 'ooat which had been captured as a puze, were shattered, seme of t'he shots going so high that they struck the business portion of the town.

Fires started all along t/he water front, and as there was nobody left in Uhc town to. render assjitance, the ■flames spread rapidly until there was absolutely no chance of checking them. the wharves and culstoniu house were | destroyed, and tne big public markets , and the huge Chinese Co-operation stores, each of which employed about I a hundred Chinese, all went. The Paris I Hotel, one of the best in the islands, and another hotel alongside, are now

A .MASS OF RUINS. The whole own was devastated, including the premises of Donald and i-dmborough, a n Auckland flwu, and the loss runs lo Unwinds. There is not ; a solid block of buildings standiii" The ' fire raged fiercely for several days, and nad not been extinguished when the dVlaitaJ left. One result is tlr.'t the Germans sank their own steamer, tho [lVViil'kiurc, some of the shells pierced .irishi through the French gunboat and struck the cargo-carrier below the waterj Hue. l'ur her shell, blew away the funinel and tho navigating bridge. One lodged in the engine-room, explodimr and doing considerable damage. When the /clee was gone, the idea was to -let the Waikt.ro drift into the channel. «»e was j t fw tho went-on the reefs, However she was later found to be sinking, and consequently she was towed off 'beached ,m the fay where she is now practically a total wreck | About ten o'clock, after close on 70 knells had been discharged by the unwelcome visitors the firing ceased, and 'the. Scharnhorst and Gncisenau took ■their departure. When the roll was called it was found that there had .been wo casualties, a Chinese and a Kanaka, both of whom were killed. Ihe Chinese were loth to return, and when the Ma,iafi left, the ma oritv ; were Mill i n tilic hills. mJ J°™>

A PREVIOUS EXPLOIT.

A previous exploit 'by the SchanAorst ad Gncisenau is. related. The two. vessels visited neighboring islands, and seized a large quantity of provisions, for which, however, the,;., paid the inhabitan u. the .kanakas who helped in the load.ng operations were well treated and so was everybody else. The Germans then inquired if there wer ft any wans, as they were leavin? for Papeete in \ij> morning. ' r