Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-02-02

RESISTANCE USELESS
Shot Fired Across Bow and False
Forecastle Falls Away, Revealing
Heavy Cannon.

Old Point Comfort, Va, Februar!
2-The Moewe was disguised as
tramp steamer and carried a batter!
of heavy guns concealed behind false
forecastle head when she captured the
Appam, according to story Carol
3. Foster, pilot, said last night thai
Captain Harrison, the Appam com.
mander, told him. Foster brought
the Appam here after she had report
on the way in he talked with Capt
on the way in the talk with Capt,
Harrison.
The story told by Foster is the only
detailed account Of the capture that
has come from the Appam, Lieut..
Berg. the German naval officer ir
charge of the crew which captured
the vessel, refuses positively to permit
any one except United States officers
to board or leave the ship. An armed
guard on the deck warns all sorts OF
vessels to steer wide of the Appam.
'.It is best not to go near her." the
Lieutenant warned newspaper men
last night. MY men might shoot"
This is Capt. Harrison's story of
the Appam's capture as Foster told
it last night.
at was bright, clear day when we
were captured. We were moving
along at a fair rate of speed when
suddenly in the di.sance saw wha!
appeared 20 be an ordinary tramp
steamer. Gradually she came closer.
We did not fear her and continued
ahead with out attempt to escape,
nor without making preparations to
combat her, as we certainly expected
no attack.
Suddenly the tramp fired shot
from a small gun across our bow,
Immediately hove to. AS l did. the
false forecastle heac. made apparent
ly of canvas or some other flimsy ma
terial, fell away and revealed bat
terry of huge; guns. :. =
ut Immediately was apparent that
resistance was useless, so We surren-
dered without offering resistance"
The next chapter of Fosters ver-
sion of Harrison's narrative as tc
how the small crew of Germans pilot
ed the Appam successfully across the
width of the Atlantic and kept the
Appam crew and passengers in sub
lection, was graphic and romantic.
"Once aboard the Appam." Foste,
quoted Harrison as continuing, "The
German prize crew under the protec,
iion of the battery of guns of the
raider Immediately disarmed the crew
and locked them in various cabins. A
similar precaution was taken with the
passengers.
'In the course of this work tht
twenty German captives who wer'
being taken to England, were discov
cred.
"They were liberated that the,
might assist the crew in taking charge
of the liner.
"A large number of prisoners cap
tured from various vessels sunk b.
the Germans then We're placed aboar'
the Appam.
when the race for Hampton Road
started a prize crew was stationed a
the wireless for the purpose of re
ceiving all messages, but to send none
BY this method the whereabouts o
the British cruisers patrolling the re
gular ocean lanes were always know
10 Lieut.. Berg, who steered for on
Of reach of them.
Tho crew and passengers OF tn
captured steamer were given dali
exercise, but only in small number
ut time. Thus it was very easy TO
the few Germans to control severe
hundred captives."
The crew and passengers, accordin
to, Foster, had no complaint to max
over their treatment. There is a short
age of food and water on the !Appan
however, Foster declared.
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