The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-12-12
BIG AMERICAN
STEAMER NEAR
NAVAL BATTLE
THE cRASTER HALL, JUST IN
FROM WEST COAST OF SOUTH
AMERICA, HAS INTERESTING
LOG MADE DURING THE VoY-
AGE.

Recounting every incident of i'm
portance since the first week in Au-
gust, and most of the notes made
while in or near ports of South Amer
lea, the '1og" and private diaries
ABOARD the American steamship Cras-
ter Hall are made up of the most
highly entertaining reading. The
steamer, when she went to South
America, was under British registry,
but while anchored In Chilean port,
the flags were changed and the stars
and stripes now gaily flutter from her
masthead. The vessel itself is Amer
lean owned, and is the property of
what is known more generally as the
steel trust
The Craster Hall came via the Pan
anna canal from IquiQue, Chill. and
yesterday began to discharge the
greater part OF a cargo worth many
thousands of dollars, consisting of Co.
AT bags OF nitrate soda, 1888 bars of
copper bullion, and 249 bales OF wool.
While the entire cargo is for a New
York firm, the greater portion will be
unloaded here for interior customers
and then the steamer will get away
for New York, to later go to England.
Practically all the officers aboard
the Craster Hall are British, and none
OF them, according to their own state
ments, can reach home soon enough.
Just as soon as we do get home" said
one in authority to a Journal repre-
sentative yesterday, I'VE shall certainly
take up arms, and there is no secret
about it. For myself. and fer some of
the others aboard. the voyage home
will be just as long as can be imagined,
for we are all anxious to get home"
4
representative went to the dock where
the big ship was moored was the la
test about the war. The officers are
all set Of tried, and for the most |
part young men, all highly educated, |
and showing a knowledge of current |
events that is entertaining. But the |
subject which is nearest the hearts of |
each of them is the war-and all be-
Iieve that the mother country will win /
out. 1T cannot be otherwise" said
one of them.
The Opposing Fleets.
The Craster Hall was in Chilean |
port when the great naval fight took /
place between tie British and the |
German fleets. The British fleet at
that fight was made up of the Mon
mouth, the Good Hope and the Glas-
gov. One of these vessels was sunk,
another burned, while the third is un-
to have made port and is
there informed Pitted against the
three British vessels, according to the
records aboard the Craster Hall, were
rather superior naval craft, both in
numbers and equipment. The Scflorn-
herst. the Gneisenau, the Leipzig, the
Dresden, the Nurnburg. the Bremen
and the Frankfort were the German
vessels which the officers of the Cras-
ter Hall say were all engaged in the
fight when we come to look at It.
It was not such a gallant thing after
ali, do you think SOP" one of them
said
The Bremen, numbered in the above,
s the German naval vessel which has
oeen IN this port on several occasions.
Accounts did not note what became of
his cruiser, but a notation in the
steamers record shows 'the cruiser
Bremen was reported being towed into
>ort, badly damaged and in almost q
sinking condition" What became OF
he Frankfort is only surmised. 1.-THE
Germans had stored large quantities
# supplies at an island, two thousand
niles east OF Chilli ventured one of
he officers, and believe. since the
japanese fleet had been reported in
hat vicinity about that time, the miss /
ng German vessel has met her fate
rom those vessels" The only German 7
essel now unaccounted for, they said
Tas the Karlsruhe, which was in the 7
icinlty of North Chill for some time"
Neutrality Violated.
Officers of the Craster Hall openly
nd very strongly assert that the vio- =
ltion of neutrality is daily and Of al J
lost hourly occurrence, in and by
hilean ports AS a sample, one OF
lem asserted, the German fleet was
INSTANTLY supplied by big steamers OF