Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-12-19
sslnsf ksflasgo Arrives IN Port
Mtef Going Through Hair
Raising Adventures.
coluBD WITH BIG ICEBERG
When Twenty Tons Of Ice Fell
Aboard Vessel, q Polar Bear Came
Aiono with it-Csrpenter Washed
Overheard and Back Again-The
New York Story.

N8Htbu EthL 'N'PP'' -
the German freight steamship kar'h'
ago, which arrived at this port yes
terday from Hamburg via st. Johns
N. F.. and New York. spins de-
lishtfully interesting and character
is;ic sea yarn of the marvellous ad,
ventures OF his good ship during her
passage across the Atlantic from the
Lizards to New Foundland.
Among other incidents that served
to break the mOnotony OF the voyage
was first a fire In the cargo. then a
collision head on with an iceberg, the
washing overheard of the carpenter
and then his washing back again and
last, but far from least the plugging
OF q port hole bv sea conger which
prevented the good craft from sink
ing.
The Karthago put into st. Johns
for q fresh supply OF fuel coal and
when the ship reached New York.
Captain FRANKIE spun his yarn to the
newspaper men. He told them that
when the ship struck the iceberg,
large polar bear came tumbling from
the berg on the deck OF the steamer
and the crew captured 1t and carried
Il to New York.
The papers published this fact and
the next day down came the New
York customs oficials to the kartha-
70 to look for the polar bear. or
course the genial Teutonic skipper
had a merry laugh at the expense of
the customs officials
The New York Story.
Following Is the "wrlte-up' New
York World reporter gave the good
skipper:
II anyone foolishly believes that
the age Of romance is dead, then let
him seek out Capt. Fritz FRANKIE. OF
the steel ocean freighter Karthago.
which slipped into this port yester-
day. carrying a mixed cargo. a live
polar bear in pig pen and the finest
sea story of MANY long year.
Capt. FRANKIE has sailed the seas.
man and boy, for twenty-six years.
He has . merry blue eye. good
name with his owners. and. when
talking to reporters. the most vera
cious manner in the world.
Hut let Capt. FRANKIE tell the story
himself just as he told 1t yesterday.
.On the 18th OF November (Capt.
FRANKIE narrating) we sailed from
Hamburg with the Karthago for New
York. The Kathago Is the type Of
boat like to go to sea in: well
found. dry and lively: but I tell you
she was as wet as bath tub from
the time We put her nose outside tn.
lizard until we made st. Johns. New
foundland. on Dec. 8. Twenty-one
days for the short North Atlantic pas
sage: how is that for boat that
regularly makes her ten knots
First There Was q Fire.
On Dec. 6, while We were running
before the worst gale I ever encouI-
tered In all my life at sea. the first
ofacer came to me. his face as white
~ o shosts
The ship is afire." he cried
Come out and see for yourself
Il went with him and. sure
enough, some cans OF calcium carbide
that We were carrying on our after
deck had broken loose and were
aire.
Il smiled knowing that the car
bides would burn themselves out with
ont injur!ng the vessel. which has
steel decks. At that moment the
lookout raised hood curdling cry
"Icebergs, Iceberss ahead
Before ] could give an order the
vessel crashed into the berg. which
vas dead ahead Nothing saved the
vessel except that We had come W
to the berg under half steam and
aeainst a terrific b. ad sea. II was
night, Of course
How about that heavy head sea
captain?"
~Why. the wind had shifted. YOU
huber. But listen. now comes the
bear part. We crashed. as I have
said. into. the iceberg. and at least
twenty tons OF ice came tumbling
down upon our bows. ! gave the or
der to full steam astern: and when
we got clear Of the berg ordered
al hands forward to shovel away the
loose ice that had fallen on us
Cooeernin0 the 0esr.
IT was then that ] got my surprise
TOO men who he'd tackled an espe
cially big block Of ice suddenly leap
I'd bsck. screaming The ice Ii seem;
vas not ice az all bu; q polar beat
that had been on the berg and hst
fallen On our bows when We struck
Strange. was II not! The first init