Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-11-26
GERMAN VESSEL
IN PER|LOUS TRIP
Frcighter Runs British Blockade,
but Is Shot Full of
Holes.
TAKES SUPPLIES TO TROOPS
Crosses Indian Ocean and Finally
Reaches Port of Batavia
in Safety.

BERLIN. November 2J-How the
German merchant steamer Marie ran
tn" British blockade in tho North Sea.
landed cargo OF supplies for the
German troops in East Africa. aud
finally succeeded in crossing the In
.iian Ocean and reached the port OF
Batavia. Dutch Eas, Indies. is told in
letter from a German resident Of
batavia published by the Magdeburs
Gazette. The letter SAYS, in part:
Early sunday morning Herr Ii
called mo 70 tn phone to tell me tina,
a German ship had just arrived al,
hriok Ga suburb Of Batavia). AS IL
was easily possible that 1t was one Of
our vessels We at once started for
Tanjonr rriok in an auto And. in
reality. there lay Il big German ship in
;hc outer roadstead. We hired boat
The manager Of tho Consulate was
there, too, and we went on board.
THE ship, which was big freirhtcr
OF about 1000 tons. had been literally
shot fun OF holes b. little four TO
Gvc-c"ntimc;cr guns. and was a sight
10 behold Tn" masts had fallen in.
her smokcst:ck had been entirely shot
to pieces. and everything was in "A
state OF confusion. When we wcvt
aboard We We're warmly greeted ana
YOU can well imagine our lndescribabIe
joy at tho heroic feat OF these Senmen.
There were TWO capta!ns aboard ana
twenty-five mon half OF whom wcr.
ka!iirs. There were two sick men
aboard. and, they were n once taken 10
IN" hospita! OF TJkiui. or course. We
at ono" gave tn" officers and men =
hearty welcome to Java. sen, for cigars
and beer from one OF our ships. and
then looked over the YES sci
ABOUT 700 SHOTS
HAD s1RICI> VESSEL.
"Abolt 100 shots had hit the ship.
almost all OF them astern. aud twenty.
ihrc" o. them below the wate,llr,r
Nearly all Of the shots had come from
four TO five-ceutimeter guns. although
there were four from nftse -centime,cr
t5-s-inchD cannon.
lhe entire poop iaI been torn away
IN" winch shattered into little bits. and
all the cabins 50 damaged that tn.
crew had 10 sleep on deck II was only
= freight steamer. so the little four to
hNt-centimeter missiles went clean
through three cabins. The aftcrpar,
OF the hull looked like a sieve. but
Us almost al! the shots had struck ar,
~" Il '''"S "ipS' inc forward part o! The
vessel wa in good co lditIon.
The crew had plugged up the holes
as "eH as possible with beams ANA
pieces OF wood and then had plastered
them over on the inside with cemen,
= as n ft.. III
the Hessc! aiioat. There wcr. twenty
'hree holes as big as your ifs, below
the water line. even If they were ,n,dc
"S Only Tour |" hvc-centimeier can
non. And there We're only 100 ions nf
co"t lc't aboard and Very little food
one OF our party at once gave ,h.
cFew $1,000. that they could anus.
themselves on board.
The snip. which is called -.
Marie, and belongs TO the Iiansa Line
ief, Germany in January with = full
cargo. While she was being un,oad.d
at the mouth OF the sud- River on tho
coast OF the southeast corner Of Ger
man f:asr Africa, the steamer was On
icarfuily shelied by English warships
thar the crew had to jump overheard
But the English did not dare venture
INTO the bay. rs they feared a lombard
meni from the shore. and when they
hhd ceased firing the work Of dis
charging the cargo was resumed
Then. in order not 10 be made pris-
oner, the Marie tried to escape But
there were three English Ships wait
ing outside. and the Marie was struck
by numhr OF shots. and had to re-
turn for pairs. y few days later the
ship tried ii again-and this time sue
ceeded. When morning dawncd the
Marie had disappeared.