The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-04-14
SECOND GERMAN SHIP IN PORT
COW ERTED CRUISER KRON-
PI,INz WILHELM ANCHORS
AT NEWPORT NEWS.
Raider Ran Blockade Of Enemies YES
seis on Hampton Roads and Enter
ell Harbor for Food Supplies and
Coal-Raldcr with Four Guns Had
Sunk Fourteen Merchant Vessels of
Hostile Nations.

Wilhelm, another of those elusive
raiders OF commerce in the south seas,
slipped into this port today and asked
for fuel and provisions. Many times
reported destroyed. the former North
German Lloyd liner eluded the war
ships for eight months while she sent
merchantmen to the bottom and her
officers say she was forced to steal
her way through a fleet OF four al
lied cruisers off this coast in order
to reach this refuge.
I'VE got In without being seen by
the enemy and we can get out the
same way" declared her commander,
Lieut.. Capt. Paul Thierfelder, former
ly navigating officer Of the German
cruiser Karlsruhe. When she an
chored off Old Point the Wilhelm had
less than rs tons OF coal and scant
provisions for the crew of 500 men
N 81 prisoners from British mer-
chant ships sunk N the South At
lantic. The drab painted 1~5.000-ton
cruiser came with n record OF 15 mer-
chant ships captured, II of them
sunk. nine British. four French, anG
enc Norwegian. The British ship
Chasehill. captured. was allowed 10
proceed taking to shore more than
500 prisoners from previous raids.
The values OF these ships and their
cargoes. officers OF the Wilhelm to-
night estimated at $1,000, 900.
Since she slipped out Of New York
harbor August 3. last. as German mer-
chant and passenger sailor. the Will
helm never touched land and took
$50 prisoners from various vessels
destroyed.
The second OF the raiders brought
as thrilling n story as did her prede-
cessor. the Eitel Friedrich. Her rec
ord OF destruction. however. was ac-
complished with only our guns. two
taken from the German cruiser Karls-
ruhe and two captured from the Brit
ish merchant steamer Lacorentina,
sunk October Z. 1914. The most con-
nected story OF the voyage from New
York. $50 days In all. during which
the ship new touched land, was
told tonight 1 over Lieut.. Alb War
nekc, the first iHccr.
we left y, York. August g. said
Lieut.. Warne Three days out of
the Bermudas we met the German
cruiser Karlsruhe. We took from her
two three inch guns. which we
mounted. Lieut.. Capt. Thierfelder,
navigating officer OF tho Karlsruhe
took command OF our ship. We also
o o IL OF the Karlsruhe's junior Of
fcers and men. We made for the
South Atlantic and the first ship we
encountered was the British steamer
Indian Prince. which we sunk Sep
TENDER 4 .1914. l want TO say that
Sir Edward Grey. the British premier,
has been kind TO US and that IL Great
Britain had been organized as we'll as
we were to patrol the South Atlantic
We could have remained alive
these many months. Sir Edward Grey
sent us those two big guns on our
afterdeck. lie sent them to us on
the British Lacorentina. The Lacor-
entina could not use her guns be-
cause she did not have any ammuni-
ton. After we took the guns and
what Of her cargo VIC wanted. we put
some bombs into her and down she
went.
Some OF the merchant ships we
sunk with our own guns. some we
blew up with bombs and In some cases
We were compelled to ram the ships.
I'VE took on board from enemy's
ships during our voyage more than
10000 tons OF coal.
we made the uniforms for all u
crew from cloth which We captured
from the French steamship Guada-
loupe February %. We wanted dark
blue but could only find this gray
blue and so you see we IRE strange
looking German sailormen today.
From the Guadalupe we also got
shoes, leather and thousands of dob
lars worth OF things which were on
their way for the French army"
Lieut.. Warneke was asked If the
Kronprinz Wilhelm had not hoped to
get help from the German steamer
Odenwald which VAS held up by the
United States at san Juan. Il. H.. sew
eral weeks ago. lie made no direct
reply To the question. but declared
that the action on the part of the
United States In denying clearance to