“The enemy deserves the greatest credit for their splendid rescue work.  The English sailors, unmindful of their own safety, went about it in heroic fashion.

“Boats were put out from the destroyers to save the survivors.  While this rescue work was still under way stronger German forces approached, causing the English torpedo boats to withdraw, abandoning the small rescue boats which they had put out, and those who had been saved were now taken from the English boats aboard our ships.

“When the thunder of the guns showed the enemy was near and engaged with our torpedo boats, the small armored cruiser Ariadne steamed out to take part in the scrap.  As the Ariadne neared the outpost vessels it was observed that various of our lighter units were fighting with the English, which later, however, appeared to be escaping toward the west.

“The long-suppressed keenness for fighting could not be gainsaid and the Ariadne pursued, although the fog made it impossible to estimate the strength of the enemy.  Presently, not far from the Ariadne, two hostile cruisers loomed out of the mist—­two dreadnought battle cruisers of 30,000 tons’ displacement, armed with eight 13.5-inch guns.  What could the Ariadne, of 2,650 tons and armed with ten 4-inch guns, do against those two Goliath ships?

“At the start of this unequal contest a shot struck the forward boiler room of the Ariadne and put half of her boilers out of business, lowering her speed by fifteen miles.  Nevertheless, and despite the overwhelming superiority of the English, the fight lasted half an hour.  The stern of the Ariadne was in flames, but the guns on her foredeck continued to be worked.

“But the fight was over.  The enemy disappeared to the westward.  The crew of the Ariadne, now gathered on the foredeck, true to the navy’s traditions, broke into three hurrahs for the War Lord, Kaiser Wilhelm.  Then, to the singing of ‘Deutschland Ueber Alles,’ the sinking, burning ship was abandoned in good order.  Two of our ships near by picked up the Ariadne’s crew.  Presently the Ariadne disappeared under the waves after the stern powder magazine had exploded.

“The first officer, surgeon, chief engineer, and seventy men were lost.  In addition, many were wounded.”

The Sinking of the Cressy and the Hogue

By the Senior Surviving Officers—­Commander Bertram W.L.  Nicholson and Commander Reginald A. Norton.

[By the Associated Press.]

LONDON, Sept. 25.—­The report to the Admiralty on the sinking of the Cressy, signed by Bertram W.L.  Nicholson, Commander of the late H.M.S.  Cressy, follows: 

“Sir:  I have the honor to submit the following report in connection with the sinking of H.M.S.  Cressy, in company with H.M.S.  Aboukir and Hogue, on the morning of the 22d of September, while on patrol duty: