The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-04-15
Kronprinz Wilhelm DasheS Into
Newport News and Asks For
Fuel and Provisions
Out Eight Months.
ELUDED FOUR CRUISERS
Raider Captured or Sunk IA
Ships While on Voyage OF
Destruction-Got Stores
From Ships of Enemy.

Newport News. Va, April 13.-How
the German raider, Kron Prinz viii
helm, which came into this. port sun
day morning, was chased by British
warships, after midnight Saturday, and
barely escaped capture, was described
today by officers Of British merchant
vessels destroyed by the Wilhelm IN
the south Atlantic. .
Shortly before noon the 81 British OF
f1cers of the steamers, lamar and Cole
by, were taken from h Wilhelm
aboard a tug and rushed down the river
to the British horse ship, Cassandra,
which will sail later today for GAS
gov.
The harbor was lined with British
merchant ships as h captives OF the
German raider were released and, as
their tug steamed by. hundreds of Brit
ish sailors lined the decks or their ships
n cheered.
When the liberated British tars
reached the Cassandra's dock they
tossed the remnants of their luggage
aboard n danced around like school
boys. .. .s... . a
did we see British warships Satur-
day night p said w. j. Cow, chief en-
gineer of the steamer, Coleby, sun In
the south Atlantic, March q. we GER
tainly saw one and heard others. / saw
about midnight way of on the
HOTIZOn dnQ Sn6 CIdSSu us rum hhAA
night on until we reached safety In
the Virginia capes, about 3 o'clock Sun
day morning.
1.-THE wilhelm seemed to be the fast
! er ship, for, as time went on, the lines
Of the warship grew DINNER n dim
mer, until she disappeared in the dis
lance.
Escape Was Marvellous.
"Our escape to this port was mar
velous. We were running with all lights
out n at top speed from 8 o'clock
Saturday afternoon. when we headed
directly west"
The British captives related how they
were forced by Lieutenant Captain
Thierfelder. of the Wilhelm, to sign a
pledge that they would not participate
in the war against Germany II released.
I'VE all signed the pledge under du-
ress." said A. e. Williamson, second
officer of the lamar, but because 1t
was taken under duress we don't pro-
pose to keep the pledge. We are going
back home to do whatever our country
calls upon us to do"
Masters of the British ships made
statements to Collector of Customs
Hamilton on the destruction OF their
ships. Both were sunk by shots from
the Kron Prinz Wilhelm's guns. The
Coleby, last ship SUM by the raider,
was destroyed in 20-29 west, about 100
miles south Of the equator, on March
q. The lamar met her fate about 100
miles further south on March 81. The
officers declared that the Prinz Will
helm did not go south Of this point.
Were Near Capture.
A sailor of the Wilhelm today told
how the German vessel at one time
came near being captured by a British
warship. (. $500 .Ig.. ."
1--WE were sighted by n and they
asked us for our name" he said.
Who are you?' they signalled.
WHO are your" we replied.
This is a British warship. What
is your name and where bound?'
we told them we were a British ves-
sci and bound to Havre. The warship
flashed a signal proceed and we kept
on our way"
Newport News, Va. April 1.-THE
German converted cruiser. Kronprinz
Wilhelm, h elusive raider of com
merce in the south Atlantic, slipped in
to this port yesterday and asked for
fuel and provisions. Many times re-
ported. destroyed, the former North
German-Lloyd liner had evaded hostile
warships for eight months while she
sent IA mercantmen to the bottom, Her
officers said she vas forced to steal
her way past four allied cruisers off
h Virginia capes to reach this refuge.
W got in without being seen by the
enemy, and we can get out the same
way" declared her commander, Lieut..
Capt. Paul Thierfelder, formerly
navigating officer of the German
cruiser Karlsruhe, in a statement last
night.
When she dropped anchor the Kron-
prtnz Wilhelm had less than rs tons OF
coal and scanty provisions for thu crew
Of 500 men n 81 prisoners from
British merchant ships sunk In the
south Atlantic.
Destroyed IL Vessels.
or the IA ships that the cruiser sank
nine were British. four were French
and one Norwegian. The value Of these
ships and their cargoes officers of the
Wilhelm last night estimated at ST.
000, 900.
When the Kronprinz Wilhelm arrived
off Thimble shoals, after passing in the
Virginia capes early yesterday, two
United States submarines, the G-1 and
DE-, met her. The appearance of the
submarines caused considerable sur
prise among h crew, but there was
no demonstration as the little vessel
conveyed the German raider to quar-
antine, where DR.. MacCafferty, United
State quarantine officer, boarded her.
Commander Thierfelder reported SO
OF the crew n prisoners were Ill with
DSAA aAl ACluSSlCu lilaI lHGY D6
taken TO a hospital.
The Kronprinz Wilhelm followed in
the wake of the interned Prinz Eitel
FREDERICK, which arrived here a month
ago yesterday after thrilling and ef-
fective operations for the German
Z arms.
In her raid of the seas since she
slipped out of New York harbor, Au-
gust 80 last as a German merchant and
passenger steamer the Kronprinz VIII
helm never touched land and took 96C
prisoners from various vessels de-
stroyed.
Most of these were sent to South
' American ports at different times on
German ships which met the. raider in
response to wireless calls. The 81 now
on board who will be landed here to-
! day, are British sailors from the steam
| ships, lamar, destroyed March %, and
Colby. destroyed March 81 last.
| Had Only Four Guns.
The second Of the raiders brought az