Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-03-11

through her vitals with "A charge OF
dynamite. said Captain Kiehne.
II was almost becalmed when the Ger
man ship appeared about two O'Clock
In the afternoon of January -, my shin
was barely moving and I paid no atten-
tion to the first order from the Dutch
man to lay to However she bore down
on me and brought my craft to a
standstili. After learning that / carried
cargo of wheat the German captain
told me that it was contraband and he
intended to destroy it. | protested but
no attention was paid to my state
ment.
"A German officer and squad of men
We're sent al board the bark and 7 and my
men were set to work throwing the grain
| overheard. The German sighted another
vessel, also becamed. and made for her.
lie returned about ten o'clock at night,
having sent the other ship to the bottom
as | afterward ascertained
Evidently the grain was not being
thrown overheard fast enough to suit the
German skipper for he sent half hun
dred OF his men aboard soon afterwards
and the work went on for hours withou.
interruption. However. it was slow a.
best and ! was informed about two
o'clock next morning my ship would be
sent to the bottom, which was done in
the manner described
"'lt was originally the intention of he
German captain to leave enough Of the
cargo in the hold of the ship for ballast
That part OF the grain was to be rem
dered useless by salt water.
As soon as | 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
'ourtesy throughout the remainder Of
the voyage
For two weeks before making this
port the German ship molested no ships
or any kind and always avoided them
not wishing to give the English cruisers
any wind of her intentions. She pro-
ceeded slowly up the coast, all lights
mat were not out being carefully shaded
Last night while nearing the capes
the wireless apparatus on board tho
hitel informed us that there were four
Ehsiish Warships in our immediate vicn-
ity' TWO or which seemed very close
However, we elIded them and made this
port in safety"
An oilcer OF the German cruiser stated
that black hulk WAS seen in the dark
ness about the time the wireless gave
notice OF the proximity Of the English
men-of-war. Many were OF the opinion
that 1t was one of the English ships
Captain kiehne asked about other mat
tiers said
THE Etel Friedrich captured three
ships on the Kaisers birthday, the day
on which the American bark was over
hauled"
The William p Frye Of Bath, Me-, was
owned by the Arthur sewall company
When overhauled by the German cruiser
she was bound from Seattle to Queens
town with a cargo Of wheat for orders
The skipper's wife said to-day she and
the children were frightened when over
taken by the German cruiser, but that
her fears were allayed when she went
aboard the cruiser, the officers and men
making every effort to give them all pos
sible comforts
As soon as the Eitel Friedrich had an
chored here Collector Hamilton and aides
visited the ship and first-class passengers
from the French steamer Floride. to-
sether with the captains OF the eight de-
stroyed vessels were brought to Newport
News. With them were several officers
OF the German vessel. among them the
chief paymaster. August Lousseau.
The final order the paymaster took to
the ship tonight from Collector Hamilton
was the instruction to the commander
that the ship could remain In port for
repairs only to such an extent as to make
her seaworthy unless she interns. The
German paymaster also carried word that
American officers would make full in
quiry o. Commander Thierichcns to-mor-
row OF his sinking of the American sail
is.g vessel,
Asked why the Etel Friedrich left the
Pacific. Paymaster Lousseau said:
because we found little to do We