The Republican journal., 1915-03-18
Ship William P. Frye.
o~. %+u
Auburn, Maine.

O1llp w lloAu - Ay~s
Sunk at Sea by a German Cruiser. Was
Carrying a Cargo of Wheat to Queens
town.
NEWPORT News, Va, March 10. The
German auxiliary cruiser Prlnz Eitel
Friedrich, after a commerce destroying
cruise over the Pacific and Atlantic
oceans, which eliminated in the sinking
of an American sailing ship in the South
Atlantic on Jan. 18th last, limped into
this port today and anchored for sup
plies and repairs The cruiser has on
board more than 500 persons, 342 men,
bers of the crews and passengers Of de-
stroyed vessels, in addition to her own
crew of about 200. The sinking of the
American ship, the William P. Frye, a
sailing vessel built at Bath, Me-, and
bound from Seattle to Queenstown with
5000 tons of wheat, most concerned
American port officials here.
H. H. Kiehne of Baltimore, master of
the American ship, after leaving the
Ethel with Customs Collector Hamilton
today told dramatic story of his ex-
perience. With him were his wife and
two children. Captain Kiehne said:
despite my protestations that | was
the American master of an American
ship, the German cruiser Eitel Friedrich
sank the William P. Frye on the morning
o. Jan. 28th blowing gaping hole
rough her vitals with a charge of
dynamite.
II was almost becalmed when the Ger
man ship appeared about 2 O'Clock in the
afternoon of Jan. 9th. My ship was
barely moving and paid no attention to
the first order from the German to Law
TO. However, she bore down on US and
| brought my craft to a standstill. After
learning that carried cargo of wheat
the German captain told me that it was
cortraband and he intended to destroy it.
| protested, but no attention was paid to
my statements.
"a German officer and a squad of
men were sent aboard and | and nv
crew were set to work throwing the
grain overheard The German sighted
another vessel, also becalmed, and made
for her. He returned about 10 O'Clock
at night having sent the other ship to
the bottom, as afterwards ascertained,
Evidently the grain was rot being
thrown overheard fast enough to suit
the German skipper, for he sent half
hundred of his men aboard soon after
ward and the work went on for hours
without interruption. However, it was
slow at best and was informed about 2
O'Clock next morning my ship would be
sent to the bottom, which was done in
the manner described.
cit was originally the intention of
the German captain to leave enough of
the cargo in the hold of the ship for bal.
last. That part of the grain was to be
rendered useless by salt water.
GAS soon as was informed that nv
ship was to be sent to bottom, |, nv
wife and two boys ard the crew made
for the German cruiser in our boats. We
were taken aboard and shown every
courtesy throughout the remainder of the
voyage.
For two weeks before making this
port the Germans molested no more
ships of any kind and always avoided
them, not wishing to give the English
cruisers any wind of her intentions. She
proceeded slowly up the coast, all lights
that were not out being carefully shad-
ed.
Last night while nearing the Capes
the wireless apparatus on board inform
ed US that there were four English war
ships in our immediate vicinity. two of
which were very close. However, we
eluded them and made this port in safe
ty."
Capt. Kiehne. in supplemental state
ment tonight after his talk with Collec-
tor Hamilton. said his ship was valued
with its supplies, at about $3.50, 900 and
that the cargo of wheat was worth $780,
900.
The list of vessels sunk by the German
auxiliary cruiser Prinz Eitel Friedrich
with the number of persons removed
from each, as announced by Customs
Collector Hamilton at Newport News,
Virginia, is:
American sailing ship William P Frye,
II. II. Keihne, master, crew 81. Owner
Arthur Sewall & Co., of Bath, Me. Sunk
Jan. 2o. Cargo of wheat from Seattle,
Wash, to Queenstown, England, for
orders; declar to be contraband by Ger
man seiZer.
British sailing ship Invercoe, w. J..
King, master; crew %; owner, Inver
Line of Aberdeen, Scotland. Sunk Feb.
IL.
British steamship Mary Short; A. E.
Dobblng, master; crew %; owner, James
Westoll. of Sunderland, England. Sunk
Feb. Is.
French steamship Floride, Monsoon,
master; crew 70; passengers Sc. Owners,
Companie Generate Trans-Atlantique.
Sunk Feb. 10.
British steamship Wlllerby, J. Wedge
wood, master; crew 81. Owners, Ropner
& Co., Of West Hartlepool. Sunk Feb. 20.
Russian sailing ship Pierre Lott, Trans
chant, master; crew "a. Society Nouvelle
nermonent, of Nantez, France, owner
Sunk jar. 27.
French sailing ship Jacobsen, V. Le-
Roux, master; crew %. Society Lee
Vollers, Dunkerquols, France. Sunk Jan.
%.
WASHINGTON REGARDS IT AS IAN UN-
FRIENDLY ACT"
AsHINGTON, March 10. Arrival of
the German converted cruiser Prinz
Eltel Frederick. at Newport News, with
the announcement that during her six
months securing of the seas as COM
merce raider she had sent to the bottom
one vessel which was American owned
and which flew the flag of the United
States, profoundly stirred official Wash
ington today. In the absence of de-
tailed story of the sinking Of the Amer
lean ship William P Frye off the coast
OF South America, judgment was with
held, but there was no attempt to deny
the seriousness of the incident, and it
was conceded that it bore the appearance
of an unfriendlv act 1non the mart of q