The sun., 1917-02-11
TWO US. SHIPS
OFF TO FRANCE
Unarmed Freighters Will
Brave Dangers of the Sub
marine Zone.
GIVEN A NOISY FAREWELL
Only One Dcserter, a Negro
Cook. Who Jumps Over
board and Swims Ashore.
GIVEN A NOISY FAREWELL

Two unarmed American freight steam
amid footing OF whistles to brave the
dangers Of the zone around France
which Germany has forbidden Amer
lean ships to enter. The two freighters
are the first American ships to leave
this port for France since the announce
ment of the resumption Of unrestricted
submarine warfare. Their destruction
would in all probability be construed by
the Administration as being the overt
act" which would plunge the United
States into the war
Although 1t had been generally be-
lieved that the two vessels-the Roches-
ter, owned by the Kerr Stea mship Com
pany, and the Orleans Of the Oriental
Navigation Company-were the first to
leave the port Of New York to test the
German threat Of destruction unwarned.
it came to light yesterday that the
American freighter Dochra. of 1888
tons. sailed unnoted from New York
February for Genoa. AS the danger
zone extends around Italy. the Dochra
is running as great a hazard as the two
g0lDs WHICH leIl
Given Noisy Farewell.
A rou.ing farewell to the two freight
steamships was given yesterday by
American and other neutral and allied
craft in the harbor As the two ships,
with smoke pouring from their single
tunnels and the Stars and Stripes
streaming over their sterns, made their
day down the bay II seemed as if all the
vessels in the harbor with steam up
were blowing all their power away
through their whistles. The Rochester
led the way across the bar. having left
Quarantine. OH the staten Island shore
below the Narrows. at . :45 y. NJ. Only
seven minutes later the Orleans, with
Capt. Allen Tucker, a Yankee skipper,
on her bridge. passed the health station
of the port.
As both vessels are bound for the same
port-BordeauX-and both carry the
same type of cargo. much interest has
been aroused In which vessel will reach
port first. or which vessel will reach
port at all. The cargoes of both ships
are contraband in the eyes Of the Ger
man authorities. for they include manu-
factured steel. automobiles, steel billets
foodstuffs and munitions. The Roches-
ter also has clothing and medical sup
plies which the American Red Cross IL
sending to German prisoners in French
detention camps.
Majority Ameri6ans.
| The majority Of the men In both crews
are Americans. and Capt. Korkritz of the
Rochester, although born in Sweden. is a
naturalized citizen. His ship has a crew
OF thirty three men and that of Capt.
Tucker has thirty-five. Only one case
of desertion in the face of danger oc-
CURED before the vessels left their
moorings in the bay. The negro cook OF
the Rochester. frightened by reading OF
the damage being done by German sub
marines. jumped overheard into the bay
and swan for shore. Another cook was
shipped in his place.
Capt. Tucker of the Orleans, who came
ashore yesterday before the sailing OF
the vessels, said his ship had been de-
layed several hours on account Of a
technicality in the transfer of the ship
from Argentine registry to American
This Is the first trip of the Orleans under
the American flag. She was formerly
the Argentine steamship Avellaneda. The
Rochester was built in 1912 for service
on the great lakes. but later was made
| a deep water freighter. Both ships carry
| about $500 tons Of freight
so Per Cent. Bonus.
| No dissatisfaction has been expressed
| by the crew OF the Orleans with regart
! to their bonus for war dangers. Capt
| Tucker said in denying report that the
crew had demanded increased wages
The men now receive 80 per cent
bonus. he said.
| officials of both lines made it plaiI
that they were not despatching thei
ships into the danger zone as test cas-
of Germanys recent proclamation. Boti
ships. they explained. are sailing on thu
regular schedules which were prepared
for them before the announcement Of th'
renewed unrestricted warfare.
The ships are going about their regular
business. unalarmed by German threats
and without needing the German ordel
concerning the stripping Of the sides o.
the vessels like BARRIERS poles. Boti
vessels have their names in huge whit
letters painted on their sides. together
with American flags.