Mole Partially Damaged as Soldiers Blow It Up: City Evacuated by Military Front un Own Comesronvext (Delayed Transit)
Chefoo, Dee.
All white and entirely "seasonable {for the approach of Christmas, but there have deen a few cold spells at Intervals, to remind us that winer is not #0 far off, and now the snow has come down. ' Earlier in the week there was a slight sprinkling over the hills and yesterday Int decided to come down something like properly, s0 that hills, earth and roots were whitened—the Bluff stands out white beyond the dark waters of the bay. and the youngsters are naturally all out to Improve the oeasion.
Conditions here have been very quiet all through the times Trouble, Occasions! aerial "flights over tie town have called forth Weird noises from the large sirens Tnstelled here and there te warn the populace, and some inhabitants have habitually scuttled for shelter, but. there has never been any: hostile gesture wiutever and the planes have neither attacked nor been attacked.
The local soldiery were on the whole very well-behaved and objectionable till the last few days fof their stay here, when there was 1 certain amount of extortion. Those Posted at certain entrances to the neighbourhood of the town would fleece the incoming peasants or refuse to Tet them bring their produce in fo market. The result was that when they left us, the remark was heard. "The soldiers have gone, end. our peace of mind has return ed. There has peen no trouble between them and foreign residents, Jnor was there any open Tooting. The military authorities are said to have mulcted the chamber of commerce to the tune of something in. four gures (rumours vary the amount given) for abandoning the project of blowing up the Mole.
Destruction Delayed The destruction of the mole has been the great topic here for several weeks. Some time in October It centered the heads of authorities that this expensive ornament might be demolished in order to thwart the "movements of any attacking force in the unlikely event fof their choosing to try to disembark here.
Various responsible bodies took the matter up and obtained at least reprieve, while all the ordinary members of society chattered for weeks on the absurdity of the whole scheme.
Whenever the project seemed likely te be carried out there was great evacuation of the inner ha hour, and the USS. Black Hawk Betook herself to the outer confines the bay, like the destroyer flotilla, for the last week or two of their stay here. When the announce ment was made that the anole was to be spared, ships ventured inside again, only to come out at a later Jdate when another scare arose, Some thought that the soldiers were really at it again, and others said that they were merely removing the charges, And then came the. withdrawal of the soldiery. themselves, that it was hoped that all risk fof destruction was gone.
Nevertheless it turned out that the pet scheme was not so easily eradicated. from the strategic "mind and a Tite band of adventurers iwas sent back to do the good work under cover of darkness. Warning was given to shipping to move out again if they wished to avoid proximo ity to danger and sure enough the charges were fired inthe " small hours of the morning. "A succession of explosions came to the ears of the inhabitants. Some turned over bed and paid no attention. Others Jeapt up to try to set a sight of the show. 'But it was 2 disappointing business, for there was very" little to sce, and with an' interval of of least an hour between reports it was chilly work watching. One of the last efforts, about. breakfast - time, showed a good spouting of smoke 10 those who were fortunate enough to the defence be looking that way at the right time,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.