The San Francisco call., 1905-03-28
RUNS SIX TINES
/. TO VLADIVOSTOK
German Steamer Casslus
: Earns Russian Gold and Is
Then Sold to Japanese
HIS GARB OBJECTED TO
French Priest Compelled to
Discard Chinese Attire Be-
fore He Lands From DOrlc

1t was in the steerage that the steam
ship Doric, which arrived yesterday
from the Orient. brought the most in
teresting passengers. There was nne
raiment in the cabin, and a. Britisher
who Is said to have participated In the
work preliminary to the Jameson
raid in South Africa. The men In the
! steeragc did not say as much as those
in the cabin, nor did they say it in
such well-chosen language, but what
they had to say was more interesting
In the Doric's steerage were three
seamen and the second mate OF the
German steamship Cassius, which ran
in and out of Eladivostok with coal un-
til she was so badly in need of repairs
that she was no longer useful as
blockade runner. Her captain patched
ner up, ran her to a Japanese port and
sold her TO the Mikados Government
tor a good round sum. The owners Of
the Cassius reaped a golden harvest
from the Russians, then got a fancy
price for the broIen-down steamer.
This is said TO be one of the few in
stances since 3apan found herself in
which the little brown men have been
outwitted all around.
The Cassius made her first visit to
Vladivostok last July. She left there
for the last time in February. On the
first occasion she carried cargo of
coal from Barry. She made six other
trips between Vladivostok and Sag
halien Island for more COAL There are
few prisoners left on Russia's prison
island, say the sailors of the Cassius.
Gradually they have been withdrawn
and taken 10 the front for soldiers IL
February, when the Cassius limped out
of Viadivostok, provisions were getting
scarce at the Siberian port and prices
for all necessities ruled high.
FEARED THE JAPANESE.
The crew of the Cassius did not want
to go to sea when the time came to
leave. Their vessel was not too sea-
worthy and they had the idea that the
japanese, if they caught the Cassius
would sIring all hands to the yardarm.
The German Consul at Vladivostok is
also the Russian harbor master. He
told the unwilling mariners that if they
stayed ashore he would have them sent
to prison. The Cassius' skipper Cap
tains Hans Hansen. promised to add a
bonus to their. double wage and finally
the men agreed TO stay by the ship.
Although the Cassius was under the
German flag. Captain Hans Hansen is
Dane, and all but two of the men
under him hailed from the land of the
Vikings. The odd pair was German.
Hans Hansen sailed his ship out of
Vladivostok and, in the veil of a thick
mist, eluded the Japanese cruisers.
Once past the danger belt, all hands
were set to work repairing ship. Putty
was used freely and hidden under
lavish layers of bright, new paint The
engineers extemporized a temporary
cure of the coughing and wheezing
with which the Cassius' engines had
become afflicted and when the Ger
~ =
smart as the day she launched. And
before the newness wore off Captain
Hansen sold her to the japanese and
left. the island kingdom before prying
brown men discovered the putty under
the paint.
Captain g. Davis and Chief Engineer
d. L. Malcolm of the British steam
ship Sidonia were also steerage pas
sengers on the Doric. They took the
Sidonia from England to Japan and
there sold her to the Government of
the island kingdom. Theirs was
purely commercial transaction with
never the sight of Russian flag on
transaction.
ADOPTS THE PIGTAIL.
Rev Noel Got. Roman Catholic
priest from France. who has been in
China as a missionary for seven years,
Was oiSo q SteerdSe passenger on the
Doric. Although priest and a
Frenchman, he travelled by preference
in the Asiatic steerage among the Chi
nese and Japanese. While in China he
adopted the dress of the country and
was still wearing it when the Doric
docked. Even to the shaved head, pig
tail and long finger nails, he had lent
himself 10 the fashions of the land in
which he had worked so long. His eyes
were of the Occident. however and,
with an aquiline cast of feature, spoil
ed the harmony of Father Cots other
wise Oriental appearance
The Chinese do not like foreigners
he said in explanation of his attire.
"apd whep / adoptad tbis a-1-- 49,.