The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-11-30
CAPTIVE. FORT
DAYS ON COMMERCE
RAIDER PR|Nz fITEL
lanes ConneN Seaman On Ysa-
bell, One Of First Taken Pris-
oner BY Famous Vessel


James Couney, seaman on the little
schooner Ysabcll now lying in port,
was held prisoner for forty days on
the German eommtrce raider Prinz
Eitel Frederick whom that Vessel was
terrorizing shipping in the Atlantic
shortly after the outbreak Of the Euro.
pean war, and was not released until
she put into Newport News early in
March, 1915, where she informed.
Conney was member of the crew
Of the bark Isabella Brown, bound
from Chile TO Falmouth with a cargo of
inter, His vessel was picked up by the
raider on the night Of January "a,
| l0l7, in q degrees Latitude South.
| MI of the provisions and the nineteen
members Of the crew were Immediately
/ llaced aboard the Prinz Eitel, and tie
ship was sunk pthe following morning,
fuse being placed in her fore hold.
William P. Frye Sunk
Two days later, the American ship,
William p. Frye, bound from Seattle
TO Queenstown with cafgo of wheat,
was Overtaken and fifty German sea-
men and one officer we're placed aboard.
! they were ordered to discharge her
'argo into the sea and the raider went
ON in her course of destruction. A
Frenchman was sunk during the night
md the next morning the raider re-
turned to the Frye, removed the men
land provisions, sending the ship to the
potion at nine O'Clock.
| HWhen the Eitel interned at New
port News in March, 1915, there were
| 1--WE hundred prisoners aboard--passen-
gers and members of the crews Of the
destroyed vessels" said Mr. Conney
Yesterday afternoon. "During the for
| ty-four days our crew was aboard, and
we were among the first taken, the
Eital sank eight ships, three steam and
dive sail 3. ..e...'. q
| e Each night the subjects of all
enemy nations were battened down in
3he forward hold and the neutrals
were allowed to remain on deck. Dur
] ing the day we were allowed to exer-
:ise on deck under guard, and then
/ would return TO the dungeon. Most of
The captives were young fellows and
| aheir enthusiasm ran high Mt times.
One morning, / remember distinctly,
We were singing the various English
and Allied war songs down in the hold,
when the captain yelled down and in
| Iuired into the cause of the hilarity.
He said he had never seen an English
nan that was any good, so naturally
/ great many things would have to be
overlooked. ... m, l.. .ua f+6
| some young fellow was quick TO
respond to this insult Ind shouted back
:hat whenever the day came that the
| kaiser was considered one-tenth us
| good as the lowest Englishman, no one
I aboard tho Eitel would ever be alive
% hear of it, This infatuated the skip.
Der and he ordered the members of the
apturcd crows to remain below forty
tight hours, merely as a disciplinary
Measure for having insulted the head
IF the German army and navy.
Little Complaint to Make
awe hid little complaint 20 make Of
life aboard, for we shared. IN every
thing they aid. In fact, il might be
said we were treated as decently as
possible under the circumstances.
When the ship became crowded with
women and children, things we're not
| quite SO pleasant, unpleasant as they
ere! There was q scarcity of water
md the filth and dirt accumulated all
'ver the ship at an alarming rate.
| 'tThe Eitel was high out Of the water
| md but little fuel remained. We ex.
reGted her to capsize almost any min.
tie, but she held to her course. i
tardly believe that the raider could
ave gone another mile when she put
uto Newport News, for she had wait
! d until her last ton Of coal had been
burned before putting in. s' .a."'
Returning to England a." d. .s
when We were given our freedom
here, COnney concluded, eve thought
hat probably we were fortunate in
aaving mot with such an experience,
blinking the war would last but n few
weeks longer at the most. And, of course
most of us were disappointed, for here
rs nearly three years later and the
laughter is going on with even great,
r. fury. But ! have been disappoint.
MI many times since then, and when 1
left Suva seyenty.nine days ago, felt
hat there was a possibility that the
var would be over by the time We
cached America, but see il looks as
gloomy rs ever. I'm slowly making
ny way TO England, aud although /
I'm not as young as l wish / we're, [
may yet be able to show tho Germans
hat they are not the only ones who
know anything about the waters Of
he Atlantic. !" saral ~, sis,eE
: b