The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-25
NOT so MANY SHIPS
SUNK BY KARLSRUHE
That Is the View Of British
Shippers, who Say She Need
ed Them i'm Her Business.
WELL TREATED BY CAPTORS

The baffling cruiser Karlsruhe, wher-
ever she may be, has not sunk so large
a number of merchantmen as she is cred
tied with sinking
That is the declaration OF two deep
sea British shippers who talked yesterday
about her elusiveness and her thoroughly
German efficiency. They likewise said
some pleasant words about the gentleness
OF her commander. The reason she lid
not sink the merchantmen Is because she
needed them in her business as com
merce destroyer.
one of the British shippers who talked
did not want his name used. The other
who arrived last evening on the Cunarder
Frauconia is Capt. Neil Pitcher. former
master of the Far East freishter lndrani.
down in the records as having been sunk
by the Karlsruhe. but still In service in
the scout squadron of the Karlsruhe.
Capt. Pitcher came here to take COM
mand of the ludraghlri, in recently from
the smelly places OF tea and spices, and
he believes he can evade the Karlsruhe
and her scout squadron. after his expert
cnce with IT, While he as skipper of the
Indraui and on his way to Rio from Nor
folk he was overhsuled by the Karlsruhe
after being lurcd withiN her reach by one
Of the merchantmen that flew the British
nag-whch normally she was entitled to
carry-and promptly held up and de-
spoiled.
we were captured ny the Karlsruhe"
| Can't. Pitcher said ION September II.
After she had taken most OF our cargo
that she might need out OF The lndrani,
I her comma nder and crew mounted, in con-
. I'll gfx a
retained her Chinese stokers and sailors
and put all the white men aboard the
4 German steamship Crefeld. which had
sailed from Antwerp on July ! for san
Francisco by way OF South American
ports and was held IN by the Karlsruhe
/ to help her in proving on our commerce
Il mus, say that the karlsruhe's cap
/ tain and officers treated US with great
/ kindness All OF us were allowed ample
/ time to take on our dunnage and put II
/ aboard the Crefcld We spent thirty-fve
| days on her before We were landed al
/ Tencrifc with other officers and men OF
/ British ships captured by the Karlsruhe
| In all there were 4l9 officers. sailors and
men OF the engineering and stokehold
/ force.
The steamship Condor was not sunk
AS reported and sim believed. \ larE,
part OF her cargo. including oil I'm cases
WAS taken aboard the karlsruhe" and at
! tending ships. as were All ner stores, dn0
she was manned and Differed in part by
men from the cruiser.
IL feel certain that the swift aud cost!
Vandyck of the Lamport and Holt Line
was no; sunk by the karlsruhe. Her
speed alone would have made her I'm,
| ACQUISITION 70 the Earlsruhes dccoy and
protective squadron, and bcsdes, she hac
many things aboard that were needed 10y
/ the Germans.
The plan Of the scout ships Was tC
sail of in several directions from ihr
cruiser and look for merchantmen and
/ British war.hips. They had code al
signals. which I'm conjunction with wire
the karlsruhe TO keep thirty miles or nor,
away from the danger Of British cruiser,
and to lie always within call when a priz,
! hove in sight
THE Crefeld always cruised with tn,
squadron and because she was filled Will
the officers and crews Of cap'ured ships
the Germans did not pay so much regarC
to her rs the scouting vessels After tn,
Crefed landed us at Tenerifrc her skippci
got wireless message from the karlsruhe
telling him not 80 land the chinese fire
men and sailors. as they would We needle,
on the other ships. which were shor
handed All tn" BRUSH officers anc
sailors who landed ~ Tenerffe with M
united in saying they were well treate,
by the Germans
Cart Pitcher agreed with the uunamc,
skipper ~ Boom Line freighter that Il
would require whole British cruise
squadron and maybe a few destrnyers Z"
thirty knots or more to capture Thu
| <arlaruhe