The sun., 1916-12-26
300 US. SAILORMEN
CAPTURE OLD SANTA
Taken Aboard Battleships New
York and Pennsylvania With
His Gigantic Pack.
600 CHILDREN SEE HIM
Men Trained TO Fight Force
Him to DisgOrgc Wearing
Apparel and Toys.

Kris krlnglc. alias Santa Claus. the
philanthropic houscbreaker Of tho rein
deer team and toy laden sleigh. whose
annual invasion Of the homes OF good
little boys and girls is winked at BY the
,olice of every village. town and city in
the wide. wido world. paid his usual
yisi, TO New York on Christmas eve and
nov the news Of twas cap
turcd by some 500 sailormen OF the
ba,tleships New York and Pennsylvania.
now at Brooklyn navy yard.
II wasn't exactly an honest to good
ness capture. for the bluejackets. out Of
regard for the venerable old 81. Nicholas
ana the many children still to be served
In other Localities, permitted him to. COM
plete his annual Joy ride on his solemn
promise to stop on at the navy yard for
an hour or two m his way back. And
Santa did. That is how the battleships
New York and Pennsylvania happened
10 10 cradles OF joy yesterday afternoon
for some 800 or 500 small boys and girls
whose home addresses. through some un-
Kris kfingle's original visiting list.
Was Too Late for Dinner.
Duo to lack Of snow In many parts,
the Jolly, rotund old fellow was a trife
late for the turkey dinner which the
children gobbled on the crews mess
decks. He arrived In good time for the
distribution Of gifts. however. Tho chill
dren were delighted. the sailors gratifed.
II was the second time In the history OF
the yard that Kris kringle had boarded
any Of Uncle Sans scientific engines OF
destruction, but his supremacy was
established In two shakes of his folly old
head. There was nothing to It. Right
away he had Mars, the III natured god OF
strife, backed overheard.
The smiles of the blue jacketed
sallormen, the elrlli yeils of delight AZ
some youngsters dream came true, the
squeal OF the little girl with her Hrs,
real store doll took the place OF the
smudge and CRIME. the clatter and roa,
OF battle practice.
From noon until $3.50 the children
overran the big fighting ships, raced and
played games on decks which some day
eonceivably may run blood. When the
small boys weren't playing they were
hobnobbing with the big guns and inves.
tiga,ing the machinery that moves
them.
In the meantime Kris KrinEle wa,
making tracks for home. The last re
port Of him was from the chief operator
OF the wireless station at the navS
yard. who says lie wirelessed Mrs. krin.
Gle in her home somewhere north o.
Pearyis pole that her husband had beer
delayed but would be home in time fol-
supper--and please not to be hard OF
him. This assurance should dispel tn,
rumor that the Kris Kringles who ofnE
cisted yesterday were he chief master
boatswains of the New York and tn,
Pennsylvania, respectively.
How the Plot Was Matched.
The true story of how the sailor
happened to hold up Santa Claus wa.
told by one Of these boatswains. 4
sailor learned that Santa had overlooked
the families OF some dead sailor mel
in making out his Christmas list, tn,
inadvertence being due perhaps to tn,
frequency with which seafaring mel
change their addresses. The sailors o
the New York and the Pennsylvania de
cided to help Kris kringle and tn,
youngsters at one stroke.
A collection was taken up. for tn,
crews knew that many toy Factories
are now turning out guns instead O
toys n that Santa. though working
night and day himself. scarcely ha,
toys enough to go round. They wer,
willing 10 provide the toys and the chill
dren too IL he would distribute the toys
To that end teams on furlough ha,
been working for several weeks. ol
their OWN hook and through charitabl
Institutions. In an effort to ind out al
the children Of searfaring men whom
Santa Claus had overlooked.
That the success Of their search an,
the end to be gained wsrranted then
In their arbitrary handling Of Kri
kringle is generally conceded. even b,
Kris kringle himself. Most OF the younI
guests yesterday were the poor childrel
OF sailormen who had died. Besides thei
toys each boy n girl received a bran'
new outfit Of wearing apparel. fror
shoes 10 hat.