The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-04-16
Liner RAIDER HAS
AMAZING CAREER
krOnprinz wilhelm Rests After
Sinking Fourteen Ships.
LIVES 255 DAYS ON ENEMY.

rich In Escaping Pertls inffict-
ing Damage on Foes From Whose
Vessels She Obtains Coal, Food, New
Clothes, and Also Big Guns.
In her more than eight months of ad-
%yenturous cruising, between the night
Of August 3, when she quietly slipped
out of New York harbor, and that OF
April IL, when she ever more quietly
slipped into Newport News, Va, TO
avoid capture by British warships that
had chased her for hours. t.c b IN
auxiliary cruiser Kronprinz Wilhelm,
formerly a North German Lloyd liner,
had sunk fourteen vessels, nine British,
four French and one Norwegian, a to-
tai tonnage OF 5S,2O1, and had captured
and released one other British ship.
During the whole OF the 255 days at
sea she had never been heard of, ex-
cept in rumors, and had never touched
land except at some quiet spot to get
rid of prisoners. She coaled, provision
ed and even armed herself, her officers
say, from her foes. Her record sur
passes even the Amazing record of the
Prinz Eitel Friedrich.
"Since leaving New York" said Cap
tain A. L. Thierfelder, I'VE have not
touched at a port longer than to land
prisoners In small boats. We have been
forced to eat rice to liv-. and this has
caused numerous cases OF beri-beri on
board. No less than sixty prisoners
and men OF the crew are now suffering
with that disease. On Feb. % we cap
tured and sank the French passenger
steamship G~uadeloupe. From this
steamship we got 10000 bags of coffee,
much foodstuffs and stores.
Was Repeatedly Chased.
1--WE have been chased repeatedly by
British warships, and only the speed
of the Kronprinz has saved her from
being sent to the bottom. The ship at
one time during a chase made a speed
OF twenty-six knots. though her ordi-
nary speed Is only twenty-five knots.
Some OF the escapes were too narrow
for comfort. -Four times we commu-
nicated with British warships by wire
less, each time leading them to believe
we were a friend. 1t was hazardous
off the Canary islands, dangerous off
the Azores and exciting off the Brazil
lar and Atlantic coasts, but interesting
and thrilling at all times.
Nearly 300 prisoners taken from the
first ships sunk by us were landed at
Buenos Aires In small boats under GOV
er OF darkness. Secrecy was neces-
sary, for hostile ships were lurking In
that vicinity.
Coal gave out later and again we
were In a serious predicament, but for
tune again favored us. A steamer hove
In sight. We took her coal and again
were ready for work"
I'VE We're not a warship when We
left New York, Aug. g." said Lieuten-
ant A. l.. Il. Warneke. but three days
out, off the Bermudas, we met the
cruiser Karlsruhe. We took from her
two three-inch guns. which we mount
ed on the bow of the ship, and took
Lieutenant Captain Thierfelder. her
navigating officer, to command our
ship. We also took seventeen of the
Karlsruhe's junior officers and men,
took on more coal and provisions and
put to sea.
Seized Four Inch Guns at Sea.
1--WE made for the south Atlantic,
and the first ship we encountered was
the British ship Indian Prince. which
we sank on Sept. 4. From that time
on we remained on the ocean, destroy
fpn tho ananau uvhnro xua Vnirhf And
her.
IF Great Britain had been organic
ed as well as we were we never could
have remained alive these ny
months. Sir Edward Grey sent us the
two big guns on our afterdeck. He
sent them to US on board the British
steamship Correntina on Oct. Z. When
we got those four-inch guns we felt
pretty safe. La Correntina couldn't
use her guns because she didn't have
ammunition. We didn't give battle to
her because she was helpless, but after
we took her guns and what of her cargo
we wanted We put some bombs into
her and down she went. We made
ammunition for her guns On board
ship. Some of the merchant ships we
sank without our guns, some we blew
up with bombs and In some cases we
were compelled to ram the ships.
Sir Edward Grey also was kind to
us In sending coal. for we took on
board from enemy ships during our
voyage more than 10000 tons.
I'VE Were a peculiar looking crowd
until France came to u rescue with
the uniforms we wear. We made the
uniforms for all our merchant crew
from cloth captured from the French
steamship Guadeloupe Feb. %. The
color Is not exactly German, but the
cloth Is good. We wanted dark blue,
but could find only gray blue. and it
made us strange looking German sailor
men. From the Guadeloupe we also
got shoes, leather and thousands of dol