Newark post., 1914-08-05
GOVERNOR MILLER
SAFE BACK in u. S.
Lands At Bar Harbor, Me-, On
kronprinzessin Cecilie

y
Newark will be interested in the
following account of the thrill
ing adventures of the Kronprlnzes-
sin Cecilie, the $40, 100000 treasure
ship, on board which Governor and
Mrs. Miller were passengers.
The North German Lloyd steam
er Kronprinzessin Cecilie, carrying
more than $1O,000,000 in gold and
whose whereabouts has been a mys-
terv since she sailed from New
York last Tuesday, arrived at Bar
Harbor yesterday The Cecilie
dropped anchor at 6 o'clock in the
morning, after forced run of four
days, her officers fearing capture.
With a cargo of $4,000, 900 in
gold and 81, 100000 in silver con-
signed to French and English bank
ers and with an estimated value OF
over So, 100000 in herself the Kron-
prinzessin Cecilie has constituted
probably the finest sea prize ever
open to capture. She crept along
the Maine coast and into the har
Dor under the cover of night. Every
portfolio was blanketed with can
vas, so that not a CLEAN of light be-
trayed her whereabouts. Her four
stacks had been tipped with black
paint, so that she resembled an
English steamship. At one time
capture seemed imminent. Cap
tain Polack reported on Sunday
that he had intercepted wireless
from one French vessel to another
giving warning of the Cecilie s
proximity, but under a fog she es-
capped.
The Kronprinzessin Cecilie left
New York last Tuesday morning,
bound for Bremen via Plymouth
and Cherbourg. She had $50 first
class, 130 second-class and 736
steerage passengers. On Friday
night while a dance was in progress
one Of the passengers noticed that
the position Of the moon had unac-
countably shifted to the port side
of the ship. Before the significance
of this was realized the captain
called the men into the smoking
room.
"Gentlemen, he said, "war has
been declared by England, France,
Germany and Austria Hungary,
and we are going back to America.
We have enough coal for our re-
turn home, and it is my earnest
hope that we shall not be intercept
ed by foreign war vessels.
There was nervous laughter, ap-
plause, congratulations and pro-
tests, which gave way to grave
state of apprehension as the SER
iousness of the situation became
apparent. Electric lights were
turned off, and the ship was cover
ed from prov to stern in a shroud
Of canvas. This smothered what
ever beams of light escaped thru
chinks in the stateroom windows.
According to the ships log, she
then was within two days of Ply
mouth.
A group Of financiers on board
offered to buy the ship and sail her
under the American colors, but to
all proposals the captain replied
that his duty was spelled by his or
ders from Bremen, which instruct
ed him to turn back and save his
ship There was a stampede for
the wireless, but the captain an
that no messages would be
sent for fear of betraying the ship s
location.
The American port which the
captain would try to make was
matter of unlimited speculation. 1t I
was not until the passengers awoke
yesterday morning in sight Of the
Maine hills that the liners desti-
nation became certain.
For two nights, with her head |
and side lights extinguished, and
every other illumination blotted |
out with canvas, the Kronprinzes-
sin Cecilie plunged through the
fog with unreduced speed. Cap
tani Polack' s explanation to a del
egation of passengers who protest
ed against the fast running under
such conditions was that his motive
was to save his ship from capture.
He added that he did not consider
the danger appreciable, as he was
not in the usual path. The cap
tain s only concession was to sound |
the fog horn. When the vessel ar
rived safely at Bar Harbor he re-
ceived a long line of passengers,
who congratulated him on his
achievement. Captain Polack is a
IIa11t hon pf oop, ~, a >, DON -, @ba n