The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-11-10
SHIP RUNS BLOCKADE
German Cargo Boat Made $4,000 Mile
Trim


New York, Nov. 9.-After buffeting
the wind and waves for 100 days OH
voyage of 1000 miles from Taltal,
Chile, round Cape Horn to the Irish
coast and across the Atlantic to New
York, the German fullrigged steel
ship Indra anchored in safety off
Stapleton, S. l., yesterday afternoon
with cargo of 1920 tons of nitrate
of soda, worth about 100000.
Capt viii Karstadt, the master of
the Indra, said that his ship was so
near two British warships off the
Irish coast in fog that he could
hear the boz suns mates piping the
watch to muster The cargo was
consigned to an English firm in Dun
kirk, he said, but he considered it
contraband of war and intended to
hold on to it until the extra expenses
he had incurred by crossing to New
York were paid
The ship left Taltal on June il,
| with a crew of twenty-one hands, the
Captains German bloodhound named
Nelly. and a chicken coop full of
fowls to supply the cabin table on
the voyage home.
I'VE had bad weather down the
west coast said the Captain, until
we weathered Cape Horn on July 49,
and then had fine run up TO the
| line. which we crossed on Aug. 26.
That afternoon ! signalled a Swedish
! steamship outbound and learned that
| Germany was at war with the world.
| was warned to keep a weather eye
| lifted for French or British cruisers.
This was shock TO all on board,
and made us feel a little uneasy.
sighted the island of Flores. in the
Azores, on Sept. 6, and cluised around
for four days, hoping to sight some
outbound ship and get more definite
thing by that time, | squared away
! for the Irish coast, and was eighty
miles off Bantry Bay on Sept %, and
hove short. waiting for news. until
Oct. 3, when a French bark hove in
sight.
Her Captain told me the war was
ovef and peace negotiations were in
progress. He also said that the Az
lies were in Berlin, and that the
Kaiser was being tried for high treas
on in Paris and would be sent to st
Helena, where Napoleon's old quart
ers at Longwood were being got
ready for him. He told me moi to be
afraid but to sail right on to Dun
kirk and deliver my cargo. This was
at the time when the Germans were
sweeping everything before them.
The French Captain was a nice
man, but little too strong in his
news. and that made me suspicious
so ! decided to get some other opin
ion before heading mp the Bitist
Channel to the coast of France
The next morning Capt Karstad
sighted the Americaa Liner Philadtl
phia and got the latest war new
from her commander. Capt. Arthur r
Mills. He decided 10 steer for New
York. Two British warshlps hove il
sight on the horizon. but apparentl
, did not notice the lndra.
AT 6 O'Clock in the morning on Oct
the ship was heading northwest il
! a fog when she passed in betwee
two British cruisers and could hea
the bo'sun's mate piping down tn
watch.
Nelly barked said the skipper
"and | had to choke her for fear III
Offices on the cruiser would hear
The mate threw tarpaulin over tn
chicken coop abaft the mainmast o.
the quarter deck to stop the rooster
from growing. II was a close cali 10
an English prison"
After rough passage across tn
Atlantic the lndra made Sable ISLAM
on Oct. 20. and then steeted for Dela
ware Breakwater. whore she arriver
at noon on Saturday Capt Karstad
said he had travelled so many ihous
and miles without capture that h
did not wish to take any risk on III
last lee of the voyage He kept with
in the three mile limit until he wa
eight miles southeast of the Scotlan,
Lightship. when he was picked up b.
the tug Forsyth Brothers and towel
to Stapleton ga
The crew of the lndra saw tn
British cruiser on duty outside tn
Ambrose Channel Lightship anl
when the ship passed safely inside
Sandy Hook the German ensign wa
run up at the peak and al hands muI
tered on the poop to join the Captain
and his mates in singing Der Wach
am Rhein." She had no pilot. as tn,
Captain was afraid to stop 90 piel
one up.
The lndra is the fourth German
vessel to run the blockade and get {,
this port safely The others We,
the. steamships Bohemia and Magde
burg and the bark Maiador, who's,
Captain went on board the lndra yes
terday to congratulate Capt Kar
stadt on his smartness in eluding IN,
British naval officers