“Then the Germans hoisted their flag and the Zelie fired two shots.  The Germans swung around and fired their broadsides, and all the crew of the Zelie scuttled ashore.  No one was hurt.

“The Germans continued to swing and fire.  Their shells flew all over the town above the berth of the Zelie and the German prize ship Walkure, which the Zelie had captured.  Perhaps not knowing they were firing into a German vessel, the Gneisenau and the Scharnhorst continued their wild cannonades.

“During the two hours of bombardment a hundred shells from the big 8-inch guns of the cruisers fell and exploded in the town.  The sound was terrific, and nobody blamed the natives for running away.

“With all the destruction, only three men were killed—­one Chinaman and two natives.  The Germans evidently made an effort to confine their fire, but many shots went wide, and these did the main mischief.

“Finally, about 10 o’clock, without attempting to land, and not knowing that the German crew of the Walkure were prisoners in the town, the Gneisenau and the Scharnhorst steamed away and disappeared over the horizon.  They sailed off to the westward, but of course we could not tell how they set their course when they got beyond our vision.”

The damage to Papeete was estimated at $2,000,000.  Two vessels were sunk and two blocks of business houses and residences were destroyed.  The French set fire to a 40,000-ton coal pile to prevent the Germans replenishing their bunkers.

The voyage of the Moana was fraught with adventure.  From Papeete the vessel, which flies the British flag, sailed with lights out and dodged four German cruisers after being warned by the wireless operator, who had picked up a German code message sent out by the cruisers which had razed the island city.

The Bloodless Capture of German Samoa

By Malcolm Ross, F.R.G.S.

[Special Correspondence of THE NEW YORK TIMES.]

WELLINGTON, N.Z., Sept. 19.—­The advance detachment of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force which was ordered to seize German Samoa left Wellington in two troopships at dawn on Aug. 15, and was met in the ocean in latitude 36.0 south, longitude 178.30 east by three of the British cruisers in New Zealand waters—­the Psyche, Pyramus, and Philomel.

As it was known that the armored cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were still at large in Pacific waters, it was decided not to go direct to Samoa, but to shape a course direct for New Caledonia.  For the next fortnight or so we were playing a game of hide and seek in the big islanded playground of the Pacific Ocean.  The first evening out the Psyche signaled “Whereabouts of Scharnhorst and Gneisenau still unknown; troopships to extinguish all lights and proceed with only shaded lights at bow and stern.”  Military books and papers were quickly gathered together, and the remaining few minutes of daylight were used for getting into bed, while the difficult task was set us of trying to sleep the round of the clock.  Thus, night after night, with lights out, we steamed along our northward track, the days being spent in drill and ball firing with rifles and the Maxim guns.