The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-09
GERMAN BARK
DODGES ENEMY
FOR 1850 DAYS
Her Nitrate Cargo Worth
Sl25,OOO at Start, Captain
Now Wants S1,O00.000.
TOLD BY FRENCH SHIP
THAT WAR WAS OVER


a robust maiden whose white face
had been washed by the tumultuous sea
OF wintry weather OF Cape Horn and by
tempests Of the North Atlantic arrived
in port at noon yesterday bringing along
the gallant German ship Indra, rugged
to royals. which had eluded in voyage
Of 100 days from Taltal. Chile, covering
1900 miles several squadrons OF British
cruisers on tho lookout for German
prizes.
The 1ndra II indeed a prize, with 2,s20
tons OF nitrate of soda material for
ammunition for the warning nations
which when the Indra sailed from
Taltd on June IL was valued at about
sl25,00O and now may be sold for nearly
a million. This her skipper. Capt. willy
karstadt, says IL one OF the fortunes OF
war and he is going to hold on TO 1t
because he cannot take Il to its English
owners In Dunkirk and cannot COM
municate with his agents in Hamburg.
The rare maiden forming the figure
head Of the 1ndra. Vedic god of thunder
and lightning and drinker OF soma,
typities Germania and not the old Indian
bolt HEAVIER. and doubtless she would
prefer Pilsener to any of the ancient
nectars Of gods that never were. Figure
heads are a novelty in these unsen:i-
mental days of steam. and the pilot Of
the tug Forsyth Bros, who saw Ger
mania gazing placidly at him from be-
low the long jibboom OF the square
rlgger. might have wished that she had
said something about that million dollar
cargo before he brought her In at the
end Of his hawser for merely $500.
skipper IL JubiIant.
That much money for towing an
ordinary sailing vessel into this harbor
would be regarded as a bit lofty In times
OF peace. The tugboatman asked more
for the job. but the German skipper in
duced him to compromise on 5000 What
the tugboatman may say to-day whom
he learns that he had u million in tow
probably would be fit to be heard only
in the foreCastle
'oPt hdletdul was more cOmnuuiCa'
tive than his hgurehead as he jubllantly
related the yarn OF his nrtfui lodging In
two stormy oceans to eSade capture lie
might have been sailing on the planet
Mars up to August %. so far az his
knowledge Of happenings on this spher,
went. He was then two months and a
| half out and had just crossed the Equa
| tor going from the South Atlantic into
the North Atlantic. The frolics incideut1
to crossing the line, including n visit from
| Neptune personated by a German tar, hac
| been INDUCED in when a Swedish frelgh
! steamship was spoken by megaphone anC
| asked about the news OF the world ashore
The response to the question sent ovei
! the wave from the Swede nearly knocked
the German skipper of his feet. II,
learned that all the world was at wa
| with his country and that cruisers wer
out after German prizes in all the seveI
| or more seas. The mate and the nine
| teen German seamen We're fabberga sted
| They could not believe the story was true
and the skipper asked again and got tn
| same answer. II seemed Incredible. mas
| much as the whole European world wa
tranquil on June !. when the 1ndra sale,
| from Taltal with her precious cargo 10
English consignees In Dunkirk. and tn
| assassination OF the Grand Duke Ferdi
nand was still in the future.
"war's Over" Said Frenchman.
Capt Karstadt doused his German en-
sign and decided to make an effort 4
| reach German port. Meanwhile h
sought from merchant craft verihcatio
| OF the war news given to him by tn
| Swede. He was OF Flores, In the Azores
beyond the range OF marine glasse
ashore, standing of and on In the hop
OF communicating with some STEAMSHIP
In the usual lane of traffic and finding on
exactly what had happened to his coun
try. After four days Of cruising acros
the steamship lane he determined 10 TAX
a chance. and the wind being favorabl
he squared away for the English Chan
mel. When within about eighty miles q
Rantry Bay, Ireland ne began to &c
cold feet and fingered Ave days backin
and filllng. still hoping to get detinlt
news OF the world ashore and fearful a
the time of being overhauled by a Britls
warship.
on october I. at the end OF the hft
day off the Irish coast, Capt Karstat
sighted a square rigger flying the Frenc
flag. She was a bark. and he made r
, note OF her name. Cant. Karstadt speak
French quite as fiuentlv as ne talks En-
fish, and he hailed the Gallo skipper. wi
responded with much politeness, Al
parently the Frenchman had been cut oil
, for the naval board Of strategy, He d
clared with almost preternatural solen
nifty that Il was true that there had be-
"A war. and that the Russians. French ar
, English. after swift campaign, ha
: routed the Germans and captured Berli
, and that the Emperor William was unde
going trial for high treason in Paris ar
probably would be sent 10 81 Helena,
The Philadelphia Explains.
Cant Karstadt permitted n large sml
OF doubt to form under his flowing bloi
mustache. as he could not see how an
body could lick Germany in so short
time, II at all. Nevertheless he suspect
that something had happened to Gle
many on the sea. and II would be go
. for him not to attempt to make Germi
} port Not having n big calibre Germ:
u gun handy. he politely thanked the Fren
skipper and dropped into thinking moo
He talked the matter over with his ma
and that afternoon he decided to sha
course for the United States, abo
$500 miles away. He suspected tn
there would be British warshps patrolli
the steamship track and that II wou
y, be wise to keep out OF II. Before headi
= TO the westward he spoke the Americ'
!. liner Philadelphia. and Capt. Mills to
u him that the war was fact but spoil
X ,ha atorv NJ the French sklpper.