Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-02-01

daring icat on the high seas during
tho present European war was re-
yealod today whom the big African
liner Appam sped into Hampton
Roads In charge OF q prize crew.
Given up as having foundered In
a terrible storm In the Meditcrran-
can two weeks ago. or Us having been
forpedoed al she was heading from
Africa Tor Liverpool. tho big liner
put into port In tho dawn today with
her Ice passengers and crew Of isa
safe.
Her sudden appearance here like
a wrath from tho dead, showed she
had been captured BY q German mer-
chant raider. The prize crew. prob
ably aided by German prisoners
aboard the Appam, headed her about
through ,hoyhcayy seas, raced across
tho Atlantic. eiuding British warships
patrollIng on tho American coast.
and put Into port undcr light fcg,
Capture Was Daring
Tho incident Ia unparalled IN lis
daring ami its execution. The prize
crew also added to tho exploit the re-
markablc feat Of capturing ut least
two vessels On route here Customs
Collector Hamilton found tho Ger
mans had armed the Appam as a
commerce raider. thus accomplishing
this sensational finale to an already
stirring adventure.
immigration and customs officials
Immediately boarded the liner. Quar-
antInc officers found some OF the
passengers sick and all OF them ex-
cited by the strange events through
which they had passed..
II was reported that the German
vossel had halted the Appam on
Gibraltar. white a dozen men from
her clambered aboard and took
charge Of the steamship. A score OF
German prisoners aboard the Appam
probably aided them in gettins
weapons and In guarding the ship
against a mutiny by her own crew.
Among tho passengers we're report
cd to be Sir r., NJ. Meriweather. gov.
ernor OF British Sierra Leone, and
his wife.
Intcrnmcnt Probable
The civilians In the crew win prob
ably be permitted 10 depart. but the
vessel undoubtedly will bos interncd
as man-of-war by reason OF hel
armed nature and her capture Of
prizes on route.
Details OF the capture and flight. Of
how the prize crew guarded those
aboard and navlgated the vessel. have
nct yet been learned,
Tho exploit OF the Appam recalled
the adventures OF the German com
mcrce raiders Prinz Eitel Friedrich
and Kronprinz Wilhelm, now intern
cd here.
Washington officials have beer
asked for decision as to internmenl
OF the Appam.
while tho prize crew refused to tel
the name or the nature OF the armed
vessel that capturcd tho Appam, pas
sengers said that II was an armet
merchant vessel instead OF a sub
marine as at flrst reported to on
cials.
Was Attacked january IL
They said tho merchantmen at
tackled the Appam January 10, Of
tho Canary islands. The uttackinl
ship then disappeared after puttinl
d prize crew IN charge, under th'
direction OF Lieutenant Oscar Bere
T,ho raider appeared near III
Appam IN the early morning an'
fred several shots acrous the bow o
the Appam. tho passengers said, TIL
Appam officers and crew thought IN
assault camo from plrate, an
threupon attempted 10 repel th
raider, but tho two Appam gun
proved unequal to tho task.
Both the Appam and the attach
ing chip lowered lifebonts simultant
ously. Some Of the Appam ore'
sought to escape. whilo the strange
sont q prtse crew aboard IN
VI N, u II