The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-05
LINER CEC|L|E WITH CARGO OF GOLD IS SAFE AT BAR HARBOR
Steamer Races Back to the American Coast to Avoid Possible Capture of
 Precious Cargo

Bar Harbor Me. August 4.-The North German Lloyd steamer Kron Prinzessin Ceeilie, carrying more than SlOom,oOO in gold and whose whereabouts has been a mystery since she sailed from New York last Tuesday arrived in the harbor here today.
 The Cecile dropped anchor at o'clock this forenoon after forced run of four days, her officers fearing capture.
 With cargo of slO,OOo.O 900 in gold and Sl.o00ooO in silver, consigned to French and English bankers, and estimated to be worth over S5.0OO000 herself, the Kron Prinzessin Cecilie has constituted prob ably the finest sea prize ever open to capture.
 As she crawled along the Maine coast night each deck at every porthole was blanketed with canvas that not a gleam of light betrayed her whereabouts. Her four white smokestacks had been tipped with black rings so that she resembled an English steamship.
 At one time capture was imminent Captain Pollock reported that on Sunday he had intercepted wireless message from one French vessel to another, giv- ing warning of the cecilie's proximity, but under cover of blanketing fog the North German Lloyd liner escaped.
 Many Passengers Aboard
 The Kron Prinzessin Cecilie left New York early last Tuesday forenoon, bound for Bremen via Plymouth and Cherbours' She had $50 first-cass. 12o second-eiass and 796 stoerage passengers. About third of the first-class are German. Most of the rest are American travellers
 Friday night while a dance was on, one of the passengers noted that the position of the moon had shifted 10 the port side. Before the significance of this was real ized the captain called the men into the smoking room.
 'Gentlemen," he said, war has been declared between England, France, Ger many and Austria. We are going back to America. We have enough coal for our return home and it is my earnest hope that we shall not be intercepted by for eign war vessels.
 There was nervous laughter. scraps of conversation and protests, which yielded tc a graver state of apprehension as the seriousness of the situation became ap- parent.
 Lights were shuttered and the ship was covered from prov to stern in tarpaulin to smother any light from stateroom win dows.
 The ship was within two days of Ply mouth when she turned
 Offer to Buy Boat
 A group of financiers on board offered to buy the ship and sail her under Amer jean colors, but the captain replied it was his duty to turn back without sale and save his ship. He would not permit use of the wireless, for fear of betraying the ships position.
 Tine American port which the captain would try to make was a matter for u;i- limited conjecture until the passengers awoke today.
 For two nights, with her head and side lights extinguished, and every other il- hmination blanketed off with tarpaulins, the Kron Prinzessin Cecilie plunged through the fog with unred Iced speed and without sounding her fos horn blasts.
 At o'clock this forenoon the ship was awaiting the arrival of boarding officials.
 Among the passengers were Representa- . tive A J. Barchfied of Pennsylvania, Richard A. Barthodt of Missouri, c. Ledyard Blair of New York, Governor Charles R. Miller of Delaware and Sam uel Newhouse, the copper magnate of Utah and New York.
 This order is taken to mean that the S10, ,00000o in gold on the Cecilie will be re- turned to bankers who shipped it. Every effort will be made to keep gold in the United States and it is possible the, bank CTS who made this shipment can find some way of settling their European claims which VIII keep much of their metal at home
 Secretary McAdoo directed that the Cecilie's merchandise be regarded as COasIwise merchandise and be landed without duty. The vessel technically has violated the navigation laws, but in view Of the present situation it was decided no other course was left than to permit the discharge of passengers and cargo.