The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-08
TIE kRONPR INZESSIN CECILIE
Her Strange Adventurous voyage. Her
Wise and brave CAPTAIN.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sr: THE
SrN's two and one-half columns OF matter
treating of the adventures Of the Kron-
prinzessin Cecilie and the successful eff
fort of her plucky skipper to prevent the
capture OF his treasure ship by hostile
naval cruisers is OF more than casual in
terest. II Is certainly more stimulating
to the nerves than is most Of the news
printed In these days Of sudden and dis
tressng war rumors.
II was no prentice hand that put on
paper the story OF her wanderings. Your
very capable correspondent tells with
thrilling effect how the big ship. driving
like hunted beast that springs from the
trail to the Jungle left the beaten paths
Of the sea and forged with the fieetness
Of FOX on whose scent the hounds are
yelplng into the untracked waste OF the
ocean. The traveller who noticed OF a
sudden that the moon had shifted from
starboard to port AS the ship reversed her
course must have been In "A state OF be-
wilderment that "A man would experience
had he lost heavily at play or drunk too
many highbals While her powerful en-
elnes were driving the ship over q moon
lit summer sea. with canvas darkening
the magic and fairy picture of ship
ablaze with light streaming from her
port holes. the captain summons his male
passengers from a dance In the saloon.
They assemble In the smoking room cx-
pectantly. probably anticipating a sea-
mans ANALYSIS OF what "A step in "hesita-
ton should he He tells them instead:
Gentlemen war has been declared. We
are going back to America My earnest
hope Is that We shall not be intercepted
by war vessels.
In the account OF the Incident by your
correspondent this astonishing announce
ment was greaed with nervous laughter.
applause, oaths. CONGRATULATIONS. pro-
tests There are all Of tho clements OF
drama In this sudden outburst Of the
emotions of sentiment, interest. passion.
prejudice. proceeding from the throats OF
a handful of men In the smoking room
Of an ocean liner. II is better than hc-
ton. IL II real
From the suspense OF this tense mo-
ment we are plunged into the extreme OF
comedy T. must have been reckless
American nnancier. undauntcd by the
spectacle of enthusiastically regulated
/ country. who proposed to buy the ship
and sail her under the American colors.' y
Probably he considered himself safe from
criminal prosecution now that he was on
the high seas. or was II the unrcason-
ing instinct OF self-preservation that drove
him to take a gambling chance with the
laws of his country to escape capture by
foreign man-of-war? And then the
sudden stampede OF a habit bound ruck of
men 10 the patient hoy who sits at a key
board TO send and listen To voices in the
air One wonders n these supposed prac-
teal mortals who had just been told that
they were lodging capture had a notion
that no one but the person that they in
tended II for would hear their wall. But
the wise German seaman who had wit
messed the outburst Of emotion In the
smoking room probably had his suspl-
cion that some one in that excited assem-
bly, had enough knowledge Of the laws OF
navigation and enough of tho soul OF n
gambler to take the chance Of some vital
fact getting past the wireless operator
He didn't even censor the messages, but
put final and convincing prohibition on
all Of them.
Altogether II is an engrossing sea yarn,
one OF the most exciting In recent
memory. and we have all read some sea
yarns. The last adventure OF the hie
ship with her coveted cargo of yellow
/ metal and her mercural passengers. re-
pressed I'm their eagerness by the gallant
captain OF a merchantman, whose feat
will shine more splenddly I'm this memor-
able war than the clash OF hattleships
Is ittng climax. Anchored at Bar
| Harbor. the pine clad hills looking smil-
ingly down on her. her security il as
sured by her presence within the pro-
I terting waters OF the United states
FiHpLAY SAckETT
New YORK, August I.