The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-04-12
CRUISER WILHELM
may make dash

Thierfelder expressed the hope that he
| would be able to do 50. 1t is generally
believed, however, that will inferno has
ship.
One hundred and 6tty tens of coal
| fifty tons of fresh water and three
days supply of fresh meats, fruits and
vegetables were loaded on barges dur.
ing the night and were alongside the
| cruiser at sunrise. These provisions were
allotted the raider by Collector of Gus,
toms Hamilton after conference with
the Washington authorities.
To Remove the 81 Prisoners
Arrangements also were under way
for removal from the ship Of sixty-on
British sailors taken by the Kronprinz
Wilhelm from the steamships Tamar
and Coleby, destroyed in the South At.
lantic.
Lieutenant Commahder Thierfeider
commander of the cruiser, has asked for
time TO survey his ship and to submit
to examination by board of United
States naval officers before making a
formal request as to the time he wishes
TO remain in American waters for full
supplies and repairs. His machinery aft.
er 255 days voyage from New York
harbor is said to be in fairly good con.
dition, evidenced by the fact that the
ship was able to make at least 23 knots
an hour Saturday night and Sunday
morning in her dash into Hampton
Roads through a lane that echoed and
re-echoed with the sputterings from
wireless instruments of enemy war
ships. All was shipshape on the vii.
helm at sunrise to-day, officers and
sailors in their queer-looking gray uni
forms of French army cloth captured
from the steamer Guadeloupe present.
ing fresh appearance after the first
undisturbed night s rest in eight months
of persistent and elusive operation on
the high seas.
1t was a long voyage from New
York TO Newport News" said Over
Lieutenant Warnake, first officer of the
Wilhelm, as he looked out on the bril-.
liant sunrise. ''But it was pleasant
voyage and in all that time we never
touched land. Always we were on the
big ocean and now at last we have ar
rived. Two hundred and fifty.five days
from New York to Newport News and
the distance is only 270 miles. l won.
der what can be the matter with this
ship" The officer smiled as he enoyed
his own joke.
Sank Neutral Vessel
Sinking by the Wilhelm of the neu.
tral Norwegian bark Samantha. bound
for Falmouth, February 8, last, prom.
lsed to-day 10 present an interesting
international case similar to that pre-.
eipitated by the sinking of the Amer.
lean bark William P. Frye by the Ger.
man raider Prinz Eitel Friedrich, now
interned here. The Samantha was
loaded with wheat for England.
1.-The Norwegian ships cargo was
eontraband of war;" said Lieutenant
Warneke when asked about the destrue.
tion of this neutral ship to-day.
"There was no alternative for US. The
cargo of wheat was worth far more
than the ship itself and from the ship g
papers we found that the wheat was
insured by the British government.
What could we dot We had to destroy
her."
Investigation is being made of the
conditions under which the Wilhelm
slipped out of New York harbor Au.
gust 3, last. it being reported that she
did not have proper clearince papers
when she made her dash. as it now de-
velops, under direct orders from the
German government. Should it be
found that the ship did not secure
clearance papers. she would be subject
to "pains and penalties for breach
of the customs law of the United
States.
Several Of the officers and men of the
cruiser were wearing the "iron cross, -
but they refused to discuss the feats
performed to gain it.
The sixty-one prisoners now on
board the Wilhelm, who were taken
from the Royal Mail steamer Tamar
and the British steamer Colby, stih
were cooped up in a space on the upper
after deck and guarded by armed sail.
ors. Efforts to talk to the prisoners
were prevented by the guard, but later
to-day they wall be brought ashore.
Newspapers Banned on Ship
A newspaper taken on board and
offered to one who begged for it in
order TO get news from home was con.
tiscated by an officer. Several of the
prisoners, including Captain Creighton,
of the Colby, and Chief Officer Math.
messages be sent to their families in
England, but before the addresses
could be secured the guard intervened
and newspapermen were ordered from
that part of the ship.
The crew of the Kronprinz is COM
posed almost entirely of persons who
are naturalized Americans and have
lived in the United States for many
years. Some of them are former mem.
bers of the crew of the United States
battleship Kearsarge and of the Ger.
man cruiser Karlsruhe, transferred to
the Kronprinz in the South Atlantic.
Several others were members of the
crews of ships sunk by the auxiliary
cruiser.
British Vice Consul Kenworthy is
in communication with Collector Ham
ilton concerning the disposition of the
prisoners. 1t is the intention to send
them back to England on the British
steamer Casandra, now in this port.
The Casandra is fitted for carrying pas
sengers, but has been engaged in the
freight carrying trade of late. German
Vice Consul Grassau also paid an Off
cial visit to the cruiser
Early tO-uay Unlteu StateS naVal pa
troll of the James river was begun in
the vicinity of the Wilhelm IS anchor.
age The naval tug Patuxent took a.
position alongside the German raider,
while torpedo boats and submarines
anchored in positions leading to Hamp-
ton Roads.
The provisions taken on by the cruis-
er were for use In this port only, the
last of which was responsible for the
epidemic of beri beri.