The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-11
Prince Eitel friedrich Arrives
After Seven Months Voyage
OF Destruction
Has Full Dozen
Crews Aboard
Sank American Sailing Craft
Laden With Wheat - Was
Near Capture Coming Up
Coast treat Prisoners Well

Newport News, Va, March 10.
Win no signs of her name
visible ten feet away, and flying
no flag, the auxiliary German
cruiser Prince Eitcl Friedrich
crcpt through the Virginia eapes
at o'clock this morning anu
dropped anchor i'm Hampton
Roads about y o'clock.
The observer at Cape Henry was
unable TO identify the ship when she
passed In, but the coast guard cutter
! Onondaga was at her heels almost as
soon as she cleared the capes.
Captain Thierisehens s4gnalled the
Onondaga that he had $50 prisoners
and several Americans on board. and
that he wanted TO land them. He also
signalled that his ship was in need Of
repairs and fuel.
The Eitel Friedrich, after satisfying
the quarantine officers that she had
no sickness on board. was permitted
to move down towards Newport News,
and dropped anchor off the piers OF
/ the Old Dominion Steamship Com
pany,
After customs inspectors had board
ed the vessel Captain Thierishchens
and food here and make repairs, il
permitted TO do so by the American
| Government
win Not Inferno.
! We will not inferno" he said. We
have been taking chances for months.
and are ready to take many more
On board the ship are $50 prisoners
taken from ships sunk by her since
the beginning OF hostilities. Among
these are Captain II. III. Kiehne. wife
and two sons. and the crew OF the
A p,a rvS
There are eighty five passengers. In
Guiding several women, taken from the
French liner Florida. which was sunk
BY the Eitei Friedrich on February IS.
The crew of this ship. consisting Of
seventyeight men. are also on board.
The captains and crews of ten other
ships are on board, and all OF them will
he given their liberty. Captain The
rlschen said he was glad 10 get rid OF
his prisoners, although he found them
good company. and made many friends.
He said Il took too much food to feed
the prisoners, and they hampered flu
ture operations OF the ship.
All but six of the prisoners signed
an agreement no; 10 fight against Ger
many.
Has Plenty of Food.
The Ettei Friedrich despite her long
and strenuous voyage, is apparently
still we'll supplied with food. Every
body on board say they had three
good meals every day, and up to
short time ago enjoyed desert One
of the steamers sunk by the auxiliary
cruiser was loaded with fruit. and those
on the German enjoyed eating oranges
and bananas for several weeks.
Captain Monsion. of the French
steamer Florida, who IL prisoner,
declares his ship came near escaping
frE. hn
latter threatened to run her down
and he was forced to heave to. He
says the officers OF the Eitel Friedrich
showed him, his passengers md crew,
every consideration. and that they
even helped 10 take them from his
ship to their own.
American Ship Sunk.
Captain Kiehne, of the American
ship William p. Frye. had the most
graphic tale of any of the prisoners
on the German vessel He and his
wife. both glad to reach America, de-
ciared they were well treated by the
officers and crew of the German cruIs-
er.
We were never prisoners" said
Mrs. kiehne. and We were permit
ted to go all over the ship. French.
Russian and few En- -lish prisoners
were permitted to roam over the ship,
and were always more or less under
guard.
Captain Kiehne said his ship was
sunk on February 81. we were cap
tured on February 26." he said
about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. We
were ordered to stop. but We refused
to do SO. Then the Eitel Friedrich
threatened to run us down md START
ed for us. We were forced to stop.
Il signal,ed the ship. saying. This
Is an American ship commanded by
an American captain"
What have you on board, and
where bound?" was the message sent
from the E.itel Friedrich.
II replied that We had a cargo OF
wheat for Queenstown. and that we
were bound from Seattle. an Ameri-
can port. We were ordered to re-
main where we were. and the Eitel
Friedrich sent boat to US. The cap
tain decided that our cargo was con-
trahand and we were ordered to
throw the wheat overheard
MY crew worked most OF the night
throwing the wheat into the ocean
When morning CAME Captain Theirs
chens decided That II would take too
long to throw the wheat overheard
and he decided IN sink the ship.
Ship Blown Up.
TIVE were ordered into the life-
hoats and a crew from the German
Sfu'Srt p'dNVN cNpi"SiNNS inslue ME
Frye. and she was blown up The
sinking of my SHIP. think, was not
just
Captain Kiehne. his wife and two
sons. came ashore this afternoon,
and will leave for their home tomor-
row.
Officers OF the German cruiser say
she had threS narrow escapes from
being captured. Once In the Pacific
Ocean Just after she sank the Hrit-
lsh steames,s C harcas, she was chased
two days by Japanese cruiser. nut
thick weather set In over night and