The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-03-02
Yarrowdale Prisoners,
on Way to U. S., Tell
! Narrowing Experiences
lff.ontinued from Page one)

(COntdnue0 from Ed&o OA0I
They lived Afor more than two
mouths in prison camps In Germany
on the meagre prison fare PROVIDED
by the German government, without
food parcels which mitigate the hard
ships Of existence Of other prisoners
of war. They passed through four
sairshfp attacks on Karlsruhe. DURING
witch bomb Intended for the railroad
station rained on all sides Of their
camp.
TO cap the climax they were 1g-
norant until the last, whether they
were prisoners Of war or neutrals In
detention and. whether their govern
ment was doing anything to obtain
their release. or whether the United
states had not already entered the
w.r TO add to their anxieties their
Fellow Americans from the YarroW-
idaIa AZ the time whom they left them
~ the Neustretitz camp to be trans
forred with other ofacers' from the
captured steamers, were In q STATE OF
complete restitution.
Thev were insufaciently clothed,
.everal having been without shoes or
oyerclothing during the severe De
r.ernher cold, and all were weakening
nnder the effect of these condluons'
oI+honrh they were substantially rem
edied when Ambassador Gerard finally
sncceeded in locating them In the
prison camp at Dulmen.
These four men, however, had es-
cca1,ed the ambassadors notice on ac-
connt OF having been transferred to
the officerS camp at Karlsruhe. Dr.
SNYDER. until recently q member OF
the health department OF New York
srifv. was captured aboard the British
t,teamship vo1taire, the first vessel to
Ia captured by the raider, while he
s4sv.ss returninE to America from
France. Mr.. Zabriskie was the vet
erinarian on the steamer Mount Tenn
rle.t q Canadian horse transport which
.lort three men from shell fire. Dr.
Davis and Mr.. McKim were on the
white Star liner Georgia, the most
important bag Of the German raider.
The recital Of the four Americans
~ incidents concerning their capture
and their experience on board the
raider is one with which American
readers are familiar from the ao-
counts OF the Moewe and the Appam.
Hhey were treated firmly but courte-
onsly by the German officers They
were confined in the hold during the
chase Of each successive prize. won
dering andously whether the intend
ed victim would show fight and per
haps send the raider to ,theb ottom.
Each Of the three ships from which
the Americans were taken was shell
ed and the crews were obliged to
take to the boats In a high sea- There
was no loss Of life except in the case
OF the Mount Temple, on which three
French - Canadians were killed.
Another man was injured, his foot
being mangled SO badly that it was
amputated on board the raider.
X Until they reached Swinemuende
the Americans had no idea that they
would be treated other than as neu-
trails. In fact, even the British off,
GERS who were captured signed parole
papers while on the raider, with the
understanding that they would be
placed Ton board the first neutral
steamer encountered for trans-sh1p-
ment to home or neutral port. The
capture of the Yarrowdale with her
valuable cargo Influenced the Ger
man commander to change his inten~
ton and send the prisoners to Ger
man port on that vessel.
--- Aided by heavy storm, the run to
the entrance Of the Baltic was made
sdndetected. Thence they steamed
to Swinemuende under German con-
voy. After a few days at Swinemu-
ende the prisoners were transferred
to the camp at Neustrelitz, where they
were held for month in quarantine.
The condition Of many Of the Ameri-
cans, Including horse handlers from
the Georgia, was deplorable.
The horse handlers had Abeen &C.
customed to work on the lower decks,
which were half awash, in bare feet,
clad in underclothes. They entered
the boats in this condition. Three
Americans were without shoes in the
Show for almost a month before foot
wear was supplied Others would
have been little better off IL the cap
Gain Of the Yarrowdale had not dis
tributed all available clothing aboard.
Repeated attempts were made to
communicate with the American en-
Dassy, but none OF the messages
reached Mr.. Gerard. After a month
al the men Of the rank of officers,
Including the four Americans, were