Glasgow And Ships Of The Clyde

German cruiser EMDEN plays fire-hose to disperse people crowding to visit vessel at Cape Town Docks

 There were angry scenes at Cape Town Docks on Sunday when the German Navy’s cruiser EMDEN turned a fire hose on crowds of people waiting to board the vessel on an “Open Day.”

    EMDEN, a light cruiser, was commissioned in 1925 and was on a world cruise training naval cadets and had called at Cape Town on a courtesy visit.

    It was advertised that the cruiser would be open to the public and thousands of people came to the dockside to board the ship.

      However it soon became clear that the crowds would not all be able to come aboard due to the limited space, and the would-be visitors, men, women and children were becoming restless and the large numbers on the dockside were pushing forward and causing the people at the quayside to be in imminent danger of being pushed off the quay into the water.

    Apparently with the intention of forcing and scattering people back from the quayside sailors on EMDEN played a fire-hose six times onto the crowds, ruining the best summer dresses which women were wearing, frightening children and some women fainted.

    The mood of the crowd immediately turned hostile and there were angry scenes towards the sailors and EMDEN.