The Washington herald., 1916-04-09
GERMAN sinks
FRIENDLY SHIP
British Steamer Berwindyale
Had Saved Teuton Capital
More than $1,000, 900.
SERVED AS A SCREEN
Kronprinz Wilhelm Enabled 10 Slip
Into Port Through Lane of
Enemy Ships.

Again has Germany proved untstrnfui
to hsr friends
When the commander Of German Sub
marine early Wednesday morning opened
IRE on the British steamer Berwinfvsle
he attacked ship that saved German
capital more than t,oooooo. and the
German government sss fighting men
The British steamer Bsrwtndvsls IN
March. 1915. unwitttngiy provided .
screen for the outwitting Of the com
rnandsrs Of the British and two French
warships by the commander Of the Ger
man auxiliary cruiser Kronprinx VIII
helm. .....
The sea scourge, during q hight fog IN
which her long gray sides nnArsed into
invtsibIlity, slipped into 3 safe haven In
Hampton Roads by the side Of the big
black ocean tramp through q lane OF
enemy ships.
The Kronprinz Wilhelm on that day
ended one Of the most sensational sea
raids Of history. No fewer than sixteen
merchant vessels Of the allies fell prey
to her light guns during a raid on the
Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Well known on Atlantic.
The Berwtndvale is wen known ON the
Atlantic seaboard. She has been In the
coastUise West India and West Mex
lean coast coal trade for many years and
often has carried coal Tor the United
States government to naval eoslins sta
tiOns
Early in March, 1915, a blockade was
instituted off the Virginia capes by the
English and French Atlantic coast fleets
to prevent the escape Of the German
auxiliary cruiser, Prtnz Ettel Friedrich.
The vessel, short Of coal and provisions
and badly damaged. sought a neutral
harbor after q seven months raid on
enemy commerce in the Atlantic few
days previous.
The commander Of the Kronpriz WI
helm. with his vessel in a similar con-
dition and with two-thirds Of his crew
seriously I'll with berri berri, was seek
ing the same harbor.
Through means known only to himself,
he received word when Just south Of
Cape Hattsras of the presence Of the
blockading squadron The willy officer
headed his vessel out into the Atlantic
and then to the north. More than q
hundred miles north Of the entrance TO
headed directly into the coast, and when
N4hAAA sAsA% "a Ae40 s~@ASS@ @~r ~~f>~
Henry.
En- Route to Newport News.
The Berwindvale also was en- route
down the coast. from New York for
Newport News. Shortly after midnight
on the night Of March II. the Kronprtnz
Wilhelm overlook the Bsrwtndvsie, but
held to the landward. Side by side the
two vessels approached the channel to
Hampton Roads, between Cape Charles
and Cape Henry. one todgy and black,
the other long and gray.
light fog that hung over the water
showed the one up in bold relief while
the other merged into nothingness.
The big black vessel was discovered
when still outside the three-mile limit
A quick flash Of code signals established
the identity Of the Berwindvale and the
warships only approached cless enough
on the sea side to verify by appearance.
Neither Capt. Williams Of the Berwind-
vale Or the commanders Of the warships
observed the shadow inshors until Just
after passing in the three-mile limit the
BerwIndvale turned sharply for the
channel
Almost at the same instant the fog
lifted and with the German sailors lining
the rails and cheering, the chagrined Of
fcers, both naval and merchant, watched
the rich prize slip into the safe harbor,
where she and her sister, the PrinZ
Eitel, will remain until the end Of the
war.