The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-05-01


sen, sailor who was on the William
p. Frye, the American four-masted
steel schooner which was sent to the
bottom of the ocean by the German
auxiliary cruiser, Prinz Eitel Fried
rich, recently interned at Newport
News, is in Gulfport on his way to
New York.
The Frye, which was the. largest
schooner afioat, sailed from Seattle,
Washington, on November 8, 1914, for
Queenstown, Ireland, with a cargo of
wheat. On Wednesday, January 81,
the Prinz Eitel Friedrich hove in
sight, said Mr.. Olsen, and signaled the
schooner to stop, but our captain paid
no attention and kept going The
cruiser came alongside and looked
formidable with her deck ready Cor
action.
'"Where are you going?" was the
first question put to US. Queenstown"
Ireland. was our captains response.
What cargo?" was the next ques-
ton. Wheat" was answered back.
Better you stop" was hurled back
significantly. And stop we did, as
serted Mr.. Olsen with some gravity.
The Eiters officers came aboard and
after looking at our papers, we were
given orders to unload, and every man
of us got busy and wheat was poured
into the sea without cessation. While
we were thus engaged the Eitel sight
ed another vessel and. after leaving
prize crew on the Frye, started in
pursuit of the new conner. which was
destroyed without ado. This was the
French bark Jacobson.
Returned to Frye.
The German cruiser returned to the
Frye about midnight and ordered us
to stop working and be ready to leave
the ship by daylight. At 1880 a charge
of dynamite was placed in the Ameri
can schooner and at 7:40 was rocked
by the explosion and began to settle
at S:35, or 55 minutes after her side
had been shattered by the explosion,
the tips Of her masts disappeared from
view.
The next vessels to be overtaken by
the Eitel were the Isabella Brown, a
Russian bark, and Pierre Lott, a
French bark, bound for England.
On February 10 the Inver Coe,
British bark, was sent to the bottom.
The next vessel encountered by the
German sea rover was the Norwegian
ship Rukan bound for Copenhagen.
After thorough examination she was
permitted to go her way. On Febru-
airy 10 the Talata, Norwegian bark,
bound for Copenhagen, was also
spared.
The Mary Ada Short, British
steamer, from Buenos Aires to Eng |
land, was run down next and shown
no more mercy than a mouse in a den |
Of cats. This was on February IS and |
on the very next day the French mail |
steamship Florida, operating between |
Marseilles and Buenos Aires, and car
rying SO passengers and a crew Of "a, |
was led into an easy trap. "Is the |
coast clear?" was the wireless query |
sent out by the Florida, indicating |
that she had been pursued Eyes, the |
coast Is clear" sent back the Eitel,
and in another moment the German
vas after her in full pursuit, all guns
'eady. When the Florida discovered
The had been trapped, her wireless
allied for assistance, but the Eitel
tarted her wireless apparatus so as
o create confusion of sounds. FL
ALLY, the French liner was warned to
Hence its wireless, which it did. It
ook from ten in the morning until
:55 in the evening to remove pas
engers. crew and cargo. after which
he liner was dynamited and made to
ay the penalty Of war,
Sight English Steamer.
The English steamer Willoughby,
lighted on February 20, on its way
rom England to River Plate, did not
want to stop when first signaled. but
N second thought she hove to. After