Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-03-16
u. S. STEAMER
IS DYNAM|TED
Auxiliary Cruiser Makes Newport
News, Va, After Long and
Destructive Voyage.
BLEW UP EIGHT VESSELS
Three British, Three French, One
Russian and One American
Ships Were Sunk.
BLEW UP EIGHT VESSELS

Newport News, Va, March H.
The German auxiliary cruiser Prin
Ethel Friedrich after a commerce-de
stroying cruise over Pacific and At
lantic oceans, which eliminated ii
the sinking of an American sailing
ship in the South Atlantic, Jan. 2S
made this port yesterday and an
chored for supplies and repairs. Sh'
brought with her rescued crews ant
passengers of American, British
French and Russian ships, and la!
at anchor last night, in a state O
mechanical exhaustion from tn
strain of a $1,000 mile voyage.
The cruiser began her scouting
for ships of the enemies of the Faith
erland at Tsing-Tau, China, last No
vember, under Commander Their
chens, who admitted yesterday sink
ing of eight merchant ships, three
British, three French, one Russian
and one American. The sinking o
the American ship, the William P
Frye, sailing vessel bound from
Seattle to Queenstown with $500
tons of wheat most concerned Amer
lean port officials here.
Captain Relates Experience.
H. H. Kiehne of Baltimore, mas
ter of the American ship, after leav
ing the Eitel Friedrich with Gus
toms Collector Hamilton yesterday
told a dramatic story of his expert
ence. With him were his wife AM
two children.
Despite my protestations that
was the American master of al
American ship, the German cruise
Eitel Friedrich sank the the William
P. Frye on the morning of Jan. rs
blowing a big hole through her vi
tails with a charge of dynamite,
said Captain Kiehne.
II was almost becalmed when tn
German ship appeared about
O'Clock in the afternoon Of Jan. q
My ship was barely moving and
paid no attention to the first orde
from the Dutchman to lay to. How
lever, she bore down On me and
brought my craft to a standstill. AT
ter learning that I carried a carg
of whest the German captain told m
that It was contrahand and he in
tended to destroy it. I protested blu
no attention was paid, to my state
mems
Threw Grain Overheard.
"a German officer and squad o
men were sent aboard the bark an,
and my crew were set to worl
throwing the grain overheard. TIL
German sighted another vessel, ais
becalmed, and made for her. He re
turned about 10 so'clock at night
having sent the ether ship to tn
ba1tom, as l afterward ascertained
'Evideatly tine grain was not be
ing sent overheard fast enough t.
suit the German skipper, for he sen
me a half hundred of his men aboar,
soon afterward, and the work wen
on for hours without interruption
However, it was slow at best, and
was informed about 2 o'cleck mex
morning that my ship would be sen
to the bottom, which was done.
at was originally the intention O.
the German captain to leave enough
of the cargo in the hold of the shir
for ballast.
THAT part of grain was to be
rendered useless by salt water. As
soon as l was informed that my ship
was to be sent to the bottom, l, my
wife and two boys and 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 German ship molested
no ships Of any kind and always
avoided them, not wishing to give
the English cruisers any wind of her
She proceeded slowly up
the coast, all lights that were not
out being carefully shaded.
Last night while nearing the
Capes the wireless apparatus on
board the Eitel informed us that
there were four English warships in
our immediate vicinity, two of
NJ h;nl, eono,oI ,-arr nInca