Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-05
GERMAN RAIDERS
| PREYON SHIPPING
IN SOUTH PACIFIC
Two Commerce Destroyers
Manned by Crew. of
Famous Seeadler.
NAVY RECEIVES REPORT
FROM SAMOAN ISLANDS
Dispatch Transmits Story of Cap
tain of American Schooner
One Of Victims.
NUMBER OF CRAFT SENT DOWN
Notorious Vessel Comes to Grief and
Is Abandoned on Mopeha
Island.
NAVY RECEIVES REPORT
FROM SAMOAN ISLANDS
NUMBER OF CRAFT SENT DOWN
IRy Associated Prs.a-l

tBy Associated Pressl
WASHINGTON. October 1.-Two Ger
nan commerce raiders. manned by the
'rew Of the famous Seeadler, which it
now develops. stranded OF Mopeha
Island. In the South Pacific. after
roaming the seas for seven months
'reyinE upon American and allied
shipping. are operating somewhere in
tho South Seas. according to a report
received tonight at the Navy Depart
nent from the commander of the naval
'tation at Tutuila. Samoan Islands.
The dispatch. transmitting the story
81 Captain Hador Smith. Of the Amer
lean schooner c. Slade. one of the
seeadler's victims. was sent on Septem-
Der 2s. several weeks after the two
now raiders left Mopeha Island. where
they had been captured by the Ger
mans. The first put to sea on Aug
ast 81. and the other on September s,
and 1t probably was their operations
which led to recent reports of raiders
in the Pacific.
Before coming 10 grief on August 2,
The seeadler had added the American
Ichooners a. b. Johnson. Manila and
,lade to the list OF at least twelve
allied vessels which she sank carly
his year In the South Atlantic Ocean.
In the long period from last March,
when she. was last heard from. the
raider probably sent down other craft
encountered in passing through the
Atlantic. around Cape Horn and across
.hc Pacinc to the Society group of
French islands. OF which Mopeha is
3ne. s sass sa,r
PUT TO SEA IN sLooP
THAT Is HEAVILY ARMED
The Seeadier. according to Captain
Smiths REPORT. arrived at Mopeha on
July 81. Two days later she stranded
On the island. and was abandoned as
total loss. the master and crew. with
twenty-seyen white men and seventeen
native prisoners. making shore in
safety. The company remained there
until August 81. when the Seeadlers
master. accompanied by three officers
and three men, put to sea in n motor
sloop with machine guns. rifles. bombs
and about Two months supplies
The remainder of the crew stayed
on the Island until September S. when
the French schooner Lutece. bound
out OF Tahiti. Society Islands. arrived
er was equipped with machine guns,
rifles and bombs. and the Germans
Immediately put 10 sea in her.
The Seeadler's prisoners of whom
Captain Smith was one. were left
on the almost desolate island, but on
September l9. Smith and three others
Of the prisoners departed In an open
boat and reached Tutuila ten days
later. Smith reported the prisoners
badly in need of food and water.
The dispatch from the naval officer
did not indicate the sizes Of the raid
ers, and nothing is known Of them. as
one was unnamed, while the French
schooner Lutece is not listed in avail
able. shipping records.
DISPATCH FROM TUTUILA
GIVEN OUT BY NAVY
The dispatch from Tutuila AS an
nounced tonight by the Navy Depart
ment follows:
"The master of the American
schooner C. Slade arrived in an open
boat at this island with three other
men from Mophea Island. which they
left September 19. The master, Hador
Smith, states that his vessel was cap
sured by the German raider Seeadler
On June II. The schooner was de-
,troyed by burning. and the entire
crew were taken aboard the raider.
Smith further states that the
5eeadler captured on juno IA the
American schooner A. B. Johnson. and
on July the American schooner
Manila. The Manila was destroyer by
dynamite, after which the Seeadler pro-
seeded to Mophea Island the westward
island Of the Society group. arriving
there July 81. On August 3 the
Seeadler stranded, and was abandoned
as total loss. The commanding Of
acer of the Seeadler left August 21
In q motor sloop with machine guns
! rifles. bombs and about two months
supplies, accompanied by three officers
and two men.
ION September the French schooner
Lutece, bound out Of Tahiti. Society
islands. arrived at Mophea, and was
captured by the remainder of the
/ Seeadler's crew. who Immediately left
On the schooner with machine guns
supplies, rifles and bombs, leaving be-
hind them twenty-seven white men
and seventeen native prisoners from
t:he Seeadler. marooned on Mophea
Island. These men are in great need
l,f food and water"
FIRST NEWS OF sEEADLER
RECEIVED IN April.
First news that the Seeadler had
! slipped past the British Gordon in the
North Sea and was preying on ship
| t,ing in the Atlantic came on April 1.
| Last. In dispatches from Rio Janeiro,
|g.lving the names of twelve allied craft
| t,ail and steam. that she had destroyed.
Word Of the sinkings were carried to
Tho Erazilian port by the French bark
|icambronne. which was sent there by
lContinued on Second Page.)