The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1916-09-21
INTERNED CREWS
OF GERMAN SHIPS
BUILD A Village
Scarcely Six Months In the Max
Ing II Attracts Wide
Attention.
LITTLE GERMANY IN ITSELF
Three Hundred Little Model Houses
and Other Structures That Co to
Make Up q Village Are Con.
strueted From Scraps

NOrfOlk, Na.-At inc PORTSMOUTH
navy yard, near Norfolk, Va, there
ls village OF almost thousand per
sons that has been scarcely six months
in the making. which Is attracting at
tention throughout the country. Visi-
tors TO the yard vie with ono another
for the precious and somewhat rnre
passes which will admit one to the
peculiar place, and thousands OF post
cards showing scenes within Its linn
It's are sold daily.
The village is unincorporated and
without legallzed form Of government.
It's residents, though filed with civic
pride rare In its intensity, nre abso-
lutely opposed to increasing the popu-
lation. They toll md spin In the vii
lage only as II pleases them. yet they
eat regularly. sleep regularly and are
assured OF n comfortable existence, nt
least, until the end Of the great Euro
pean war.
And now that war has been men,
toned, you have the key to the iden-
tity OF this strange municipality In
the making. II is the village but by
the interned crews OF the Kronprinz
Wilhelm and the Prinz Eitel Friedrich.
German war vessels. which ran into
the Virginia cnpes within 30 days Of
each other for safety. about yenr
ago, and since have been interned by
the United Stntes government for the
duration OF the war.
Build Wonder Village.
Cast into the waters Of neTtrnl
country and realizing that their stay
probably would be long, these sturdy.
blond TeutOn sons did not SIT on the
decks md mourn their fate. Instead.
they sprnng upon the land. grnbbed
every scrap OF wood md metal and
cloth and leather and every drop Of
paint that came their way and began
the construction OF their wonder vii
lnge.
From scraps gathered from hither
and yon In the navy yard and out Of
II. more than 300 little model houees. n
windmill, a chapel and other struc-
lures that go to make up the village
have been constructed. They line pret-
ty streets.
Their front yards bloom with flow
ers and their back yards are filled with
garden truck. Nor Is the end yet. To-
day you see load Of old boxes or dis
carded ends Of boards going into the
village and tomorrow new house, Of
which they will be n part, will he un.
der construction. Building operations
always are under way.
The start OF the village came with
the granting OF the use OF the east end
OF the yard. near where the great In.
termed ships lie. by the commnndnni
10 the interned men. II Is composed OF
several ncres cut OF from the remain
der OF the yard so completely that Il
seems n little Germany within itself
On one side in the Potomac river liC
the two ships. Another side is bound
ed now by the Immense United States
collier o'Ryan, In the making. Green
grass, wood and some water form
the other two sides.
Must Have Pass.
The village must he approached
through guards from the 0Rynn col
lier side; so. unless you have pass
there is little chance of seeing II. The
executive officers of the lnterned ships
Issue the passes, regular navy yard Of
ficers having nothing TO do with them
As the village grew It became Oh
viOus that II was planned with infinite
skill. Not only were there houses nnt
yards laid out, but even streets ant
parks were added. The owner Of eacf
piece Of property was made TO realiz,
that he would be held strictly respon
sible for his place being kept neat nnt
clean.
When word of the building progress
thnt was being made reached the out
side world German sympathizers he
gan to lend hand. Contributions o.
various kinds poured In. and when. {
few weeks ago, the first formal open
ing was held, visiting crowds marvele,
at the wonders the interned crews hat
worked with their poor material an,
few outside contributions.
Tint opening day wns proud ont
for the residents. The band from tn,
ship--and II is good One--played
the men marched and showed visitor
about the village, and regular carni
val was stnged. With all of the busi
ness acumen OF Yankee horse traders
tho Germans arrested persons for al
legged violations of their village law
and fined them before magistrates.
All paid their fines willingly, for tn,
money went to the German Red Cros
fund for the benefit Of blinded soldiers
Every prisoner was permitted to asses
his own fine. Where fines were to'
low or the prisoner was good nature'
he was arrested again.
All OF the usual attractions of al
amateur carnival were at hand. Their
were cold drinks, hot dogs and mu
seums to soothe the palate and cas-
the eye. Frequently the mayor. o
Dorfschulze. would post new bulletll
on his bulletin board. and immedlatel,