The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1917-03-22
story of FIorence's Cruise in
West indies Is Stranger
Than Fiction.
VESSELS FLEE AT APPROACH
LANDS in Panic as Swift French Boat
Outs in at Their Ports-"Captured"
Nv an Allied Warship as She
Reaches Her Destination.

\ 1orizpd West Indian ports and made
&oritish merchantmen flee from her be-
Rnse they thought she was Prussian
d der, was told in graphic language
her commander Capt. John Triton,
d Ian he called at the New York Her.
Shin News office on his return to
G city.
HI unvittingly the Florence, on her
al from this port to Martinique,
md Ire she was turned over to her new
M hers, was responsible for much per-
MI baton on the part of many mer-
M Int vessels, according to Captain
rrEtton. and caused hearts in French
md British West Indian ports to skip
several beats when her rakish form
was sighted. The captains story lays
at rest the ghost Of the mysterious
the West Indies.
Stranger Than Fiction.
The story of the FlOrence's trip
reads like the widest Of fiction. One
merchantmen who sighted her off Cape
Hatteras almost ran on the shoals in
her efforts to avoid the speedy craft
the governor of Nassau was convinced
that she entered that port for a SIMS
ter purpose; the French consul at
Puerto Plata denounced her as a Prus-
sian raider, and when she finally
dashed into the harbor of Fort de
France. her designation, she narrowly
escaped being blown out of the water
by shore batteries and the guns of the
French cruiser Jeanne dare.
To understand the story Of the Flor
ence one must begin at the beginning.
Built in 1908, by Lewis Nixon, at the
Crescent ship yards, Elizabethtown, n.
J., and christened the CZarina, she was
sold some years later to John G. Eaton
of Toronto, Canada, and renamed the
Emeline. At the outbreak of the war
she was turned over by him for the use,
Of the Canadian coast guard, and once
more rechristened, this time the Flor
ence. She was sold a short time ago
TO the Societe Generate de Transports
of Martinique, French concern,
which was to place her in the freight
service in the West Indies. She came
HUH NdIIdud 10 NE" anu was
reftted for her new service, leaving
this port under command of Captain
Triton and crew of Is on January s.
From the time she left New York,
Captain Triton said, she met nothing
but heavy weather. The Florence
went slamming through the ruck at a
good clip, for Captain Triton had or
dorc to 5OJS L,
bic. On January II she made Hamp- |
ton Roads. Leaving there the next |
day she ran into her first adventure. |
She passed Hatteras that night, and, |
according to Captain Triton, went in
side the light vessel. A merchantmen |
going the same way also was passing |
inside.
Merchantmen FIees.
AS the yacht, logging a good 16 |
Knots, came racing through the heavy
seas, with occasional flames squirting |
from her funnel, the merchantmen
turned inshore in an effort to get out |
OF her way and make the three-mile
unit. She was almost in the shoals
Oe1ore she turned out again. By that
AN CAC II IOi0uC0 was wen ny.
Inc Florence made Nassau, BAHIA
mas, and on her arrival those aboard
I'd" great disturbance on shore. Sol
ulefS could be seen assembling, and
"Aen the captain went ashore he found
an automobile awaiting him. He was
hurried to the home of the governor,
anu there underwent four hours of
stoelllng before he could make the au
euoflues believe that he was only what
ne mad represented himself to be.
II you had come in at night" he
Sald the governor told him, you would
nave caused a riot
| had come in 1 would have
mayed my searchlight on the port"
1ltton said he replied, and the gov
slllof told him if he had there prob
u0V would have been an exodus from
the town.
y on January % the yacht touched at
Great Inagua.
'h the way from there the Florence
passed between Tortuga island and
rofto Paix, on the mainland of Hayti,
r"SSlhg through the funnel-like straits
-. ca "2-Inlle gale behind her. Cap
s%lh Triton said that once in the
oudlts he could not turn back and
t tIu'o only keep his vessel going before
on e "ind with all the steam he could
slo"o On, to give her Storage way.
i hle made Agul bay with difficulty, hav-
us 10 pilot and went bowling through
~ - 'eeIs at great rate, with two men
.on '"e chains sounding. Captain Trit-
WIZ, WIZ was able to bring her in to safety
without incident.
H. Makes for Cape Hatien.
~ olh there the Florence made for
nnte, iaatlen, meeting on the way the
hon steamship Orange Nassau, on
tool. way to this port. Captain Triton
M MN MS vessel through the banks of
jno Christi, for he himself was TAX