Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-03-11
Story Of Sinking Of
American Sailing Ship
Is Slowly Unraveling

Newport News, Va, March 1.-THE
story of the sinking of the American
sailing ship William p. Frye by the
German commerce destroyer Prinz
Eitel Friedrich-undoubte the most
serious incident of the war in its con-
cern to the United States-was being
slowly unraveled here to-day.
Chased to the haven of an American
port by British cruisers, the PrinZ
Eitel lay at anchor and her comman-
der had received from the port au-
thorities the usual notice to leave
within "a hours. That, however, was
a mere formality required by law. for
after seven months of sea rowing. in
which she sent eleven prizes to the
bottom the German auxiliary needs re-
pairs which will take weeks.
The neutrality board at Washington
1t is understood here had recommend
ed that the repairs be allowed under
supervision of an American naval off,
Ger. Whether the commander of the
Prinz Eitel will choose to make them
and then risk a dash through the
British CRUISERS gathering off the Vir-
ginia capes is a development of the
future.
Play German Airs
The Prinz Eitefs band played Ger
man national airs to-day in celebra-
Ition of Commander Thierichsen's s
birthday her three hundred prisoners
of several nationalities were gathered
at the rails and her German crew was
cleaning the ship while the American
port officials made hurried visits from
the customs house to the liner for con-
ferences with Commander Thierichsen
and his officers and held telephone
communications with Washington
about the neutrality questions involv-
ed. the diplomatic aspects of the sink
ing of the Frye and the disposition Of
the prisoners on the PrinZ Eitel.
Hamilton Instructed
Collector of Customs Hamilton to-
day prepared. under instructions from
Washington, to proceed again to-day
to the German auxiliary cruiser PrinZ
Eitel Friedrich which put in here yes
terday to get a formal statement from
Commander Thierichsen as to why he
sank the American sailing ship Will
liam p. Frye off the South American
coast with $500 tons of wheat for
England. Commander Thierichsen
was awaiting instructions from the
German embassy at Washington and
was expecting Captain Boyd, naval at
tache of the embassy to be on hand to
aid him. Also Captain II. II. Kiehne,
master of the sunken American ship,
William P. Frye, who slept last night
on the German warship, was prepar-
ing to give a supplemental statement
regarding the fate of his Inflated
craft.
The commanders of the ships sunk
by tha auxiliary cruiser and who We're
brought here on the ship spent the
night at Newport News hotels In
addition to these We're 2 group of first
class passengers of the French passen-
ger ship Floride, sunk by the German
ship. who were permitted to remain
ashore under guard of immigration
officials. Among the passengers was
Paul Massar a Belgian citizen, taken
from the Floride bound for the Argen-
tine Republic. Massar was glad to be
on American soil and last night was
planning through negotiations with
Washington, to leave for New York
where he might embark for Paris to
rejoin his family.
Terrible Experience
"Oh. the terrible tension of a voyage
on a converted cruiser" said NJ. Mas
sar last night at his hotel. Unless
one has experienced it he cannot un-
derstand And the women, how they
might have suffered had they suspect
ed that at any moment they might
have been sent to the bottom of the
sea by a torpedo, perhaps even from a
ship which flew the flag they loved"
Collector Hamilton received written
instructions from Washington to gov
ern his course with the Eitel Fried
rich and he at once gave Commander
within "a hours, unless reason for
longer stay in a neutral port could be
advanced.
Fryc's Papers Refused
The German commander told u.s."
said Collector Hamilton, that he had
come in for repairs to his ship. That
reason was sufficient to prevent any
summary orders from this govern
ment. To-day l shall ask the COM
mander for a sworn statement as to
his reasons for sinking the American
ship Frye. When this has been re-
ceived. will take up with him the ma
ture of repairs necessary TO make his
ship seaworthy. Upon this will be
determined how long this government
will permit the Eitel to remain in
American waters without internment.
Il have asked the German comman-
der for the Frye's papers. lie thus far
has maintained that the papers must
go to a prize court, but has agreed to
submit to me later to-day a copy OF
them. When the captain of the Frye
asked for his papers, Commander
Thierichsen told him, as he afterward
informed me, that he had not con-
ceded to the American master the
right to the papers and stated his con-
tention that they should be sent to
Germany. But he cheerfully agreed
to have copies made"