The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-01
CAPTORS, PIRATES

permitted TO depart when the Appam
is formally interned as a German prize
of war.
The battered lifeboat from the APP
pam. picked up by the British steam
er Tregantlc. probably was deliberate
ly wrecked and cast overheard by the
Germans. shipping men said today. By
this ruse the TeutonS spread the be-
lief that the Appam had gone down
and eliminated the possibility that fur
Their search might be made for her.
Surpasscs sea Fiction.
The Appam made its audacious dash
into port with the German flag flut-
tering at her mast, recalling the al
most equally daring feats of the Ger
man commerce raiders Crown Prince
Wilhelm and Prince Eitel Friedrich.
The capture and flight of the APP
pam across the whole stretch of the
Atlantic, eluding British scout cruis.
ers and ali other shipping, in charge of
a bare handful of Germans, surpasses
fiction of the sea.
With lights out, at slow speed, zig
tagging out of the ordinary Atlantic
commercial channels to avoid any
British vessels, and with her wireless
muZzled, the Appams transatlantic
flight presented elements to stagger
imagination.
Passengers Prisoners.
The whole story of the Appam's cap
ture and flight leaked out in meager
SnC IdnIallZlnSlY SLOW DETAILS her
paSseng gers were -4eld on board and not
permitted to leave the ship until its
status and that of the 166 persons and
l34 crew, technical prisoners of war
during the transatlantic run, be defi-
nitely settled.
That the Appam was waylaid and
captured by a prize crew of twelve
from a German submarine was the
story in brief as reliably reported. 1t
was said the Appam was halted by the
u boat to avoid being torpedoed and
70 save the lives Of passengers and
crew.
stopped by Shot.
The Appam arrived in Hampton
Roads with the only visible sign of in
jury, a dent on one of her plates on
she was struck by shells from the
German submarine before hating and
permitting capture.
How the British officers and crew
were held in subsection during the
thrilling flight across the Atlantic;
how the passengers were confined and
how the scanty German prize crew
navigated the vessel through the At
lantic's vessel infested passenger lanes,
were details yet to be learned.
immigration officials today found
twelve cases OF sickness aboard the
captured liner. None We're reported
serious Inconvenience rather than
hardship was the principal suffering
to their staterooms. Details were also
lacking as tc what measures We're tax
en- by the few Germans to prevent
mutiny and being overpowered by the
overwhelming crew of the captured
vessel.
Order Ship Interned.
The Appam will be informed as a
German prize of war
The vessel came into port under the
name III M. S. Appam.' meaning His
Majesty's Ship Appam. thereby indi-
eating that the Germans may contend
the vessed is German auxiliary crus-
er. This theory is also strengthened
by the fact that the Appam flew the
German man of war flag and not the
flag of the German merchant marine
or the British flag as she entered port.
Lieutenant Berg conferred with L.
N. Marshall Won Schilling, German
consul here, and also communicated
with the German authorities at Wash
ington. The Appam has one 3-inch
gun mounted aboard. When the cub
marine sent a shot across the Appam's
bows she imme diately halted on ac-
count of the large number of passen-
gers she carried, according to Captain
Harrison of the liner.
Has German War Prisoners
The persons on the Appam are di-
vided as follows: Her own crew, 115;
passengers originally on the ship 1856;
survivors of the seven ships DESTROYED
in German sea raids off the African
coast 1873; German prisoners bound
for detention camps, 20; prize crew,
22. Total 451.
1t is reported here that the subma.-
rine which took the Appam. sunk
seven other ships and that of the lat
ter there were only two survivors who
were injured. 1t is known that the
Appam has four injured passengers
aboard. Lieutenant Berg denied that
imam Gbi FaL. aft
the German prize crew took her
Later reports from official sources
stated that the Appam was captured
on January 3 near the Canary islands
by a small steamer having the appear
ance of a tramp but heavily armed
according to information from Norfolk
by Daniel Bacon. freight agent here
for the owners OF the Appam.
Raiders Other Victims.
The names of the steamers sunk by
the raiders which captured the An
pam are given as the Trader, Arthur,
Corbridge. Ariabena. Brommondy.
Farringron-Ford and Clan McFar
raider was the German cruiser Move
instead of a submarine. although this
is not confirmed.
Given Up for Lost.
New York Feb. 1.-The Appam
sailed from Dakar, in the French col
ony of Senegal. West Africa, for Plym-
outh. England. on January II. When
about four days cut wireless COM
munication with the vessel suddenly
ceased and as the days passed without
further word of her she was virtually
given up for lost A dispatch from
| Hun England o London Lloyds on
January IS said that the British
~mship Tregantle l reported hav-
ing passed at sea on January l6. A
iifeboat with the name Appam painted