The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-05

sailed from New York last Tuesday.
arrived a Bar Harbor early to-day.
STORY OF HISTORIC VOYAGE
AS WRITTEN ny SsENGER
BY SEwELL HAGGARD.
associate Editor Cosmopolitan Maya
zine, who uns q passenger on the
KronprinEessin Cecilie.)
ON BOARD THE KRONPRINZESSIE
CECILIE. BAR IIARBOR. ME, August
THE Kronprinzessin Cecilie. with L.
%o+ passengers and a cargo o. all ,500.-
900 in gold and silver. sailed out OF
New York harbor on tho morning %
July rs. Her first port o: call was
to be Plymouth and thcn CherbourE
and then Bremen. The war scare was
on. and naturally the majority OF her
first cabin passengers. being English
and German, there was some spccula-
ton rs to what would happen to the
ship, should war be declared while she
was on the high seas. Persons familiar
with Spa n ssh American War prcccdents
recalled that ships leaving port after
that war was declared were in each
instance released By prize courts.
So speculation died down, and tho
voyage became the usual unevcntful
trip across the Atlantic. There was
dance each night English French
ana German passengers fraternizcd in
the smoking room and expressed the
Of the difficulty would yet be found.
The weather was good. We made J35
knots the first day, 534 the second.
and 54S the third, and We had made
233 on the fourth. when
There WAS dance In progress on
deck and there was the usual assem-
big in the smoking room. At a few
minutes past 10. some OF the passep-
gers were startled by signs that the
ship being turned around. They
announced this discovery to others,
only to be laughed at.
At 1920 Captain Polack entered the
smoking room. He carried his huge
bulk littlo more erect; his face APP
peared TO be a little more serious than
usual.
CAPTAIN Announces
HE IL TURNING BAtI<
Gentlemen" said he. II want your
attention I have an announcement to
malte. War has broken out between
England, France. Russia and Germany.
anG we arc going back To America.
we have plenty OF coal, and think
we will get back safely. want the
gentlemen TO assist me in allayinS the
fears OF the women"
No one uttered a sound for what
seemed 10 be very long time. I
was seated at "A table with AN English
man. Bavarian and Greek The Ba-
varian, "a kindly faced gentleman of
perhaps nifty. was the first 10 breal, the
silence. He arose We all arose: he
gr.sped each by the hand, the Eng
lishnan last. and as lie graspcd the
Englishman's hand he said very in
tensely: II am sorry, very sorry
Afterwards IL was learned that he
was Major-t;cncral Christof kicfcbcr.
retired, OF the Germany army. The
Englishrnan makes his living selling
war materials. After the captain left
tho smoking room. an American APP
preached him and asked II II were not
possible TO buy the ship here and now
ana sail her under the American flag
The captain did not think this Was
possible. He smiled and hurried OH to-
ward the bridge.
Before he reached there nc was
hailed by an Englishman and asked II
il were not possible to transfer the
English passengers to the Carmania. OF
the Cunard Line, which was supposed
to be near. The captain thought this
Impossible also, and smiled and passed
We'll keep AS far away as possible
from the Carinania." he shouted back.
The captain had received his orders
by wireless at 10 o'clock. They were
brief, no waste OF words. Turn back
and make for an American port with
I'll speed
The decision as to a port was to
await Developments.
That the situation might become Sc
rious now began slowly TO dawn
upon the passengers DID ever
greater prize sail the seas in
time OF war than the kronprinzessin
Cecilie. with her Sill 100000 of gold and
silver consigned TO France and Eng
land? Were there any British or
French warships near? Was ii usual
for British and French war craft to
sail up and down the American coast"
IF so. what were the chances OF slipping
by? And so it went.
QUESTIONS ARE ASKED
OVER AND OVER AGAIN
No one could answer, but the ques-
tions were asked over and over again.
But what of the bridge? What was
going on there?
The ship was $50 miles out of ply
mouth when she turned back
She would have reached that port on
Sunday night or Monday morning. The
problem confronting Captain Polaclt
souls back TO America without being
overhauled by a French or English
warship. There was no danger from
England, it is true. but he did not
He could not afford to send wireless
messages. because he would betray
himself, but no could intercept every
message coming out of the air from
Sayville admonishing him to be care
lish vessels were already talking about
that great prize-the Kronprinzessn
CeGilie. with her gold on board.
Friday, night no considered himself
the, north out OF the beaten path. but
took no further precautions. Saturday
the usual Marconi newspaper was
omitted. and at the lunch table each
passenger. found a printed notice that
tho electric lights would be turned out