The Sentinel=record., 1915-03-12


 verted cruiser prinz Eite Friedrich 1 which late today went into dry dock | Tor repaits. submitted two statement | in German tonight to Collector of | Customs Hamilton of this port. One | stated his reasons for sinking in ! South Atlantic waters on January 2S | last, the American sailing ship Will | liam r Frye with her cargo of 5.200 l tons of wheat consigned 10 Queens | town The other related to the { leneth of time that will be required ! Ito repair his ship.
 Collector Hamilton announced that | he regarded the answers of the Ger | man commander as state papers and 1 that he would forward them 10 Wash 1 ington.
 1t was learned however, that the commander of the German snip flank l ly has stated to the American govern ment officials that he sank the Amer ican ship Frye because he regarded her cargo as contraband of war
 In the communication relating Co the repairs necessary on the Eitgl Friedrich il was believed the German commanded stated that the vessel could he made seaworthy within 1 few days or a week al most Whether le stated ill the communication that he wished to depart as soon as the | American naval authorities could pass on repairs that are 10 be made was not disclosed. The German com mander previously made t clear. how ever, that il was not his intention t0 interne his ship
 As to the condition of the Etel Friedrich engines and boilers, lt was reported that whereas she had been making IS knots an hour at the be- ginning of ger historic wrecking Cl. reer she dared make scare ly l2 when she reached American waters | early Wednesday morning After the German cruiser went into dry dock tonight she discharged the crews of British French and Russian ships she had sunk, having released | the American crew in the afternoon l The French crew left late tonight on tae old Dominion line for New York. l A few Russians went with them. The British crews plan to return to Eng land on British ships laden with horses from this port
 Commander Thierichens assured of- ficials here that neither he, officers nor men of the Eitel Friedrich would set foot on American ,oil except on official business, He made this state ment 10 Collector Hamilton after stating that if was his intention nor to interne his ship.
 In the Newport News shipyard to- night the released sailors of the Brit ish ships after receiving their kits, marched to street cars singing Tip rerary"
 Commander Thierichens of the German auxiliary cruiser Prinz Elite Friedrich agreed late today to deliver n writing to the American govern. meut through the collector of the port here, his explanation and req sons for sinking in the south Atlantic ocean the American sailing ship Will liam P. Frye.
 The request of the NasmngIOn gov ernment that he land here the crews of captured and sunken vessels and such passeng6rs as could comply with immigration regulations, the German commander gave assent. The crew of the American ship Frye was landed late in the afternoon and arrange ments were made for taking off later tonight the crews of British, French and Russian shlps sunk in the soutl sea The Eitel Friedrich herself steamed into the Newport News ship yard and went into drydocl. where experts began examination of her con ditior
 When the crew or lne american ship Frye had been landed they were taken to the customs house and made sworn statements of circumstances attending the sinking of the ship Jan uary 2S last off the Platte Collector Hamilton took the statements and al so prepared joint summary of con- ditions which the members of the crew signed 10 be forwarded to Washington tomorrow. They were not made public
 There was not conflict of testi mony by the members of the crew as to the circumstances surrounding the destruction of the Frye said Col lector Hamilton tonight. All were i1 line with the details "iyen by Captain Kiehne, master of the snip, who has said that his ship was blown up with her cargo of wheat for Queenstown after the crew had been warned to board the German cruiser
 Members of the crew of the Frye and officers of other sunken ships to- night revealed more thrilling stories of the Pinz Eitel's marine wreckme career. Captain J. Wedgewood of the British steamship Willerby, sunk February 20, described how he mar rowly missing sinking the Etel Fried ,fa ,p l., .r,