Grand Forks herald., 1917-02-08
DARING TfUT0NS
BRAVE BLOCKADE
Twenty Sailors Interned in
Spain Almost Reach
Belgium.
In Thirty Days They make
Trip to Channel, But
Are Captured.

London. Feb. s.-Huddled against q
concrete pier in Ramsgate harbor lies
the Virgen del Socorro, dilapidated
little fishing smack in which twenty
Germans escaped from internment in
Spain, ran the British blockade and
almost reached the Belgian coast She
was brought to this port by patrol
boat and from her reeking decks
clambered sixteen German officers, a
sailors.
The hardships and perils which
these daring Teutons experienced dur
ing the thirty day voyage from vigo
can be visualized better after an in
spection of their tiny craft. She is
barely fifty feet long, and man
could leap from rail to rail with lit
tie effort. Att narrow hatchway
leads to a cabin, and between the two
hatchway opens into the hold. Be-
meath her decks the reek of decayed
fish is overwhelming.
According to their story the Ger
mans were led in their plot to escape
by four officers from the Goeben
who were interned at Pamplona, in
the north of Spain. Lieutenant Carl
Koch was one Of the prime movers
and it was he who communicated with
German consular agents in Vigo and
through them purchased the Virgen
del socorro. or the plotting to pro-
vision and board the little smack lit
tie has been learned. The prisoners
said. however that the work of prep
aration was completed on the night
OF October Z, the boat having been
painted white to disarm suspicion
Early in the morning hours Of Octo-
Der the Virgen was towed out OF
the bay and sailed northwest under
the Dutch flag.
Seamanship Saves Ship.
The first three days of the voyage
passed uneventfully, and the Germans
hopes of success rose accordingly, but
on the fourth day terrific gale arose
and for nearly two weeks the vessel
was kept from foundering only by the
remarkable seamanship Of the crew
During this time their suffering was
intense. Only three could stay on deck
at time to steer the craft. Three
others could crowd into the smelly
hole of the cabin and warm their food
over an oil stove. The rest were forced
to cramp themselves into the hold
where most of the space was occu-
pied by tin water casks and the tins
of food. How fourteen men could en-
dure for any length Of time the nau-
seating stencil and the close quarters
Is almost beyond understanding.
Two of the Germans were injured
when the lurching Of the vessel
pinched them between water barrels.
Every one of them became frightfully
Ill from lack of proper food and from
the incessant pitching in giant seas
A system Of relief was arranged
whereby the men took turns in COM
ing on deck. each taking his share in
keeping the vessel on her course.
The storm reached its height when
they were off the southern coast OF
Ireland, tossing about in one Of the
worst gales Of many years. during
which hundreds Of vessels along the
British coast were driven ashore. The
gale rose to such fury that the Ger
mans decided to abandon the plan of
circling the British Isles and to make
for Belgium or Sweden through the
Irish channel.
Relied on Ships Disguise.
Only men made desperate by suf-
ferine would have considered running
the risks of trip through the chan
mel, with it's myriad trawlers and
patrols. but the Germans relied upon
the disguise of their craft and the
Dutch flag to get them through in
safety. After six dreadful days they
had Just sighted the Cornwall coast.
All this time the closest watch was
kept, the men coming up from their
cramped quarters for a breath Of pure
air only when it was certain their
craft was not under observation.
Eventually the weather cleared, and
as the Virgen neared Belgium the
leaders of the expedition were so
confident Of their position that when
challenged by British patrol they
ran up the whole ensign of Germany
and hauled down the Dutch flag
which had carried them through pre-"
vious inspections. That act put an
end to their daring exploit. Under
the guns of the patrol boat a cable
was made fast and they were towed
to Ramsgate.s
A harbor official, telling Of their
arrival. said 1t was a sorry looking
and grinned at their captors. They
were ragged and emaciated. OF their
stock of food only few biscuits. a
tin Of lard and little -four remained.
They were more than glad to disem
bark even on enemy soil.
Attack Meal Like Wolves.
Through a crowd of curious on
lockers they were marched to the
Sailors Home on the water front, pay
ing little heed to the attempts Of the
officers to get, their story from them.
There was no hint of hostility in the
crowds that watched them, in fact the
them were inclined to be sympathetic
and remarked upon their pluck in
withstanding the awful weeks OF
hardship. In the Sailors Home they