The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1914-11-30
ABOARD SHIP
CAPTURED Off BRAZIL.
Seaford People Passengers on Brit
ish Ship Captured by German
Cruiser.

|
Cruiser.
Mr.. and Mrs. Monroe H. Adams
and son, James, who were passengers
on the British ship VarDyck, which
was captured off the coast of Brazil
by a German cruiser, are spending a
few days in Seaford, with Mrs. Ad-
ans parents, Mr.. and Mrs. J. A.
Morgan, on Pine street. Mr.. Adams
gave a very interesting account OF
their trip and capture. He said in
part:
I'VE left Santos, Brazil, on Octo-
Der 1870 the ship VanDyke, although
we had planned to make the trip
home by the ship Sac Paulo. Our
reasons for making the change were
| due to the rumors a6oat regarding
i! the danger of capture by the Ger
mans, and we thought our chances
were better on the VanDyck, than on
| the Sac Paulo, but by making the
change we ran into the very trouble
we had wished to avoid, and the
ship we declined to sail on was the
one that finally came to our rescue
and landed us in New York.
After leaving Santos our ship
stopped at a number of ports in Bra
zil, taking on passengers and freight
of of no nj
had on board 500 passengers. All
went well until We We're off the port
of Bahia, Brazil, when a German
cruiser was seen headed for us. Our
captain ordered full speed, and for
a time we thought we would escape.
The excitement among the passen-
gers was intense, and a number of
the ladies became very much fright
ened. Finally the Germans ran up
a signal ordering our vessel to stop,
and fearing we might be fired upon
and sunk, our captain stopped the
ship and, standing on the upper
deck, calmly awaited the arrival or
the Germans.
When the cruiser was a short dis
tance away, small boats were lower
ed and prize crew sent on board
our ship. They were received in 81
lence No one knew just what would
happen next. The only sound to be-
heard was an occasional sob from
some hysterical woman. The Ger
mans, upon reaching the deck, inn
mediately asked for the captain, and
upon his appearance, announced that
the ship was in the hands of the
Germans. German sailors were a,
once place. at the various posts
throughout Ship
MIR. Asaza id s,fe ,.t,l -
gled freely with the passengers. az
suring them that no one would be I'M
jured, and that they would be land
ed, with their baggage, the follow
ing day. Early the following morn
ing the VanDyck was surrounded by
six other ships and the work of
transferring her cargo began. 500
passengers and the crew of about
200 were loaded on small steamer,
the Asuncion, making total of 700
on a steamer with accommodations
for about $50. They were kept at
sea for eight days, men, women and
children sleeping on the deck, herd
ed like cattle. Riots were frequent
among the crew, food was scarce, ,and
water sold for SO cents a small bot
tie.
The German cruiser kept in touch
with the Asunscion, and finally she
was ordered to put in at the port of
Pernambuco, Brazil. Here they en-
countered fresh trouble. AS they
steamed into the harbor, a Brazil
cruiser met them, and squad of
Brazilian soldiers was put on board.
1t was claimed that the Asunscion, ,on
previous trip, had violated some of
the rules of the port, and the two
sets of officers became involved in
wrangle. Trouble was barely avert
ed by the intercession of the Ameri-
can consul at that part, and after an
other delay, were landed, while the
crew was transferred to another ship
and anchored some distance from the
shore.
Within a few days after landing
at Pernambuco. the Sac Paulo
stopped at that place, and took part
of the passengers to New York city,
Mr.. Adams and family being among
those fortunate enough to secure
berths on the rescue ship, the re-
mainder of the passengers being
compelled to await later boat. They
lost a large portion of their baggage.