The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-04-14

heard that some of the ships had
steamed south, but as we got nearer
the wireless told us that they were
still in this vicinity.
The captain, Thierfelder, would not
be interviewed tonight, asserting that
he was too busy. He did stop long
enough to say that he hoped to be
able to leave port, but the general
belief here is that the Wilhelm will
intern. Collector Of Customs Norman
Il. Hamilton reached Newport News
from Norfolk early in the day after
the Prinz Wilhelm had anchored in
the James river in almost the same
place taken by the Eitel when she
reached here March 10. The col
lector vent aboard, instructing the
commander that he must leave port
within "a hours unless he needed coal
or provisions or time to make repairs.
The German commander came ashore
with the collector and made a request
for immediate coal and supplies. He
asked for 300 tons Of coal and supplies
for three days. Collector Hamilton
after consultation with Assistant Sec
rotary Peters at Washington allowed
him $50 tons Of coal, which will be put
aboard tomorrow and food supplies
for three days. What repairs to the
ship are necessary the German COM
mander was unable to determine and
the United States naval board will be
asked to make an examination.
Formal papers in the case were sent
to Washington tonight. being signed
by the German commander late to-
day. The collector then took Com
mander Thierfelder back to his ship.
AS the launch drew along side, there
stood on the Wilhelm's deck Com
mander Thierichens and his staff of
the interned Prinz Eitel Friedrich.
When Capt. Thierfelder approached
the two embraced affe%ctionately and
then retired for a consultation. Later
officers Of the two German sea raiders
dined together. Newspaper men were
permitted aboard the ship but were
denied access to the British prisoners,
who will be released tomorrow. One
man leaned over the railing as the
newspaper boat pulled away.
Have they forced the Dardanelles? p
he shouted. Officers of the raider said
they escaped detection from British
cruisers on several occasions. One
showed to the reporter of the Asso-
ciated Press a sketch he had made of
a scene which the officers witnessed
when a. German coalihg ship which
was to bring the Prinz Wilhelm relief
was captured by two British cruisers.
w could see them take our coal
ship and sink her." he said. "But
they never saw u.s."
When the Wilhelm arrived off
fhimhle shoals early today two United
Sttaes submarines. the G-l and Dc,
met her. The appearance OF the sub
marines caused considerable surprise
among her crew, but there was no
demonstration as the submarines con-
voyed the German raider to quaran-
tine where a United States quarantine
officer. boarded her. Commander
Thierfelder reported that &C Of the
crew and prisoners were i'll with beri
beri and requested hat means be
found as soon as possible for taking
them to hospitals. This will be at
tended to tomorrow.
In his talk with the quarantine
office the German commander said
that he narrowly escaped capture by
British warships twice, once off the
Canary islands, and again off the
Azores.
When the German raider was re-
leased from quarantine and passed
on to this port, she passed through
10 American battlcshdips in Hampton
Roads. The Prinz Wilhelm, however,
neither saluted nor dipped her flag,
a fact which aroused considerable
comment among the American sailors.