CRUISE OF SEYDLITZ.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12537, 7 May 1915, Page 8

CRUISE OF SEYDLITZ.

Since the German mail steamer Seydlitz made her dramatic departure from Sydney oil August 3, last year, the day before, the war between England and Germany broke out, little has been beard of iicr.

A letter has just been received in Sydney telling how the Seydlitz played her part as a storcship in the naval operations around fSout.ll America. The writer of the letter gives a statement by Captain •James Kagle. well known in Sydney, who was a prisoner ou the Seydlitz for some time.

The captain says :—" My ship, the Drummuir, was captured by the Leipzic off Ktaten Island early in December, and f was'transferred to the Seydlitz with the rest of the -crew. The Dnunmuir had a full cargo of "Welsh coal consigned to a' San Francisco firm, and it. proved too great- a temptation for the Germans. They spent three days iu transhipping the coal to tlio. various. warships of the fleet, and had it- not been for that- Admiral von Spec would have arrived at the Falklands before Admiral St-urdce. In that event the battle might have had a different- ending. My ship was stripped of her. fittings by the Germans, after which a bomb-finished her career.

"I must say wc received very fair treatment on the Seydlitz, which we found had been fitted out as a .storcship. The officers told'me of the flight- from Sydney before the war, and of their long run to Valparaiso. The Seyd.litz took no cargo from Australia, I understand, and her bunkers were not full. She cleared at the Sydney Customs for Valparaiso, sailed down the harbour without a pilot, and in a short time was out. of sight of land, making east at full speed. The vessel ran at top pressure until she had left- Australasian waters well behind, when she

took things easier. "The bunkers were getting low, and it was only careful use of the coal that en-

abled the ship to finish her'"voyage. "Wire less communication with Samoa \yas. established. when Captain Lauss heard-de-finitely about the war.

"Tb-?, Scydlitz remained at- Valparaiso for over a month, quietly taking in stores when she.sailed with olher vessels to -Juan Fernando/, Island,-where-the Germans had rendezvoused. After the battle of Valparaiso the German fleet sailed round to the Atlantic, and the JD.riiiiimuil" was captured." ' - ' ' '

Captain Tiagle goes on to say that he

wituessed the defeat of the Germans from I the bridge of the Seydli.tz; After remaining on the outskirts of the operations till j the sinking of two German cruisers had | been witnessed, the Seydlitz .was. headed for the south. A British cruiser slipped. | away from the engagement and followed j the Seydlitz, firing five hots at her. The range was. too great, however, and the. shots fell, short in every case, while the mail steamer'was able to outpace her pursuer. She continued-south for some time, and stopped only when the icc fields wore entered.

An easterly course was shaped then, uud the Seydlitz cruised about:- until it was deemed safe to run" lo some South American - port.' At length San Antonio was visiLud by the steamer, and iu this out-of-.' thc-way Hatagonian poit Captain Baglc and the remainder of the Drummuir's crew were lauded. . '

■ Later on the Seydlitz went to Bahia B'auca, the great wheat port' of-Argentine,*' but it was weeks before the stranded sailors could get a ship from San Antonio to Rio.