Evening star., 1917-03-12
YARROWDA[E'S MEN
ARRIVE AT ZURICH
Prisoners From German Camp
Emaciated From Treatment
and Lack of Food.
WARM GREETING BY SWISS

By the Associated Press
ZURICH, Switzerland, March II. via
Paris, March IL. ] a.m.-Laden with ci-
gars. cigarettes and food showered
upon them by the hospitable Swiss,
fifty-nine of the now historic Yarrow-
dale prisoners arrived in Zurich today.
They had arrived at the German frontier
at Lindau yesterday after continuous
trip OF f1fty-two hours from the prison
camp at Brandenburg.
The sailors, although emaciated from
their Imprisonment and serious lack Of
food since their arrival in Germany on
December 81, are in fair condition and
confident that with normal amount
of food they will soon be themselves
again. The party was met here by
United States Consul General keene.
who greeted them briefly and asked
them not to forget that they were
Americans and not to bring discredit on
America by yielding to an understand
able temptation to kick over the
traces"
The men were distributed among sew
eral hotels until instructions shall have
arrived from Washington. Their per-
sonal effects were lost when their
ships were sunk, and their wardrobes
have been only partially replaced by
present decidedly motley crew.
Nevertheless their stories We're told.
not in a tone of complaint. but in
philosophical way.
German Raider Described.
The sailors said that they were con-
vinced that the raider which sank their
vessel was the Ritz of Bremen. They
describe her as a brand-new vessel of
about 5000 tons, capable of eighteen
knots, equipped with one funnel. two
masts, one false funnel. four torpedo
tubes. seven rapid-firing guns and a
wheelhouse which was hidden by the
sides of the ship. The tunnels had a de-
vice by which the stripes could be
changed at will. and the ships doors
were so constructed as to cut off all
light when they were open. The ships
sides were also so constructed that por-
tions of them could be automatically
dropped and raised. The impression
that the boat was new and built for
raiding purposes was heightened by
steel cells below, and although looking
like an old tramp was really an
armored cruiser.
The sailors said that the Yarrowdale
ten knots. had to make fourteen at
times to escape capture. She was care
fully mined so that she could be de-
stroyed al moments notice.
With their immediate needs, such as
board and lodging, provided for the
next attention to be given the men will
be to supply them with clothing, of
which they are badly in want. Their
chief interest at first was in something
to eat and almost Immediately after
their arrival they attacked with spirit
such meals as the sympathetic hotel
keepers could provide.
Severe Treatment by Germans.
Between bites the Yarrowdale men
told of the severe treatment to which
they had been subjected in the German
prison camps at Neutrelitz, Lulmen and
Rrandenburg, where they had been sue
cessiyely interned after having been
brought into Swinemuende on the Var
rowdale and where they, as Americans.
they said. were apparently singled out
from all others. During their stay in
Germany, they reported. they had sub
sisted on one allowance of soup daily
and had made their long journey to the
horder on one such meal" There was
hardly one of them who at one time or
another. they declared. had not felt the
fist of a German camp guard, and the
squad of five soldiers which brought
them to the border had exercised the
privilege of abusing them up to the
last possible moment:
The men tell of the terrible suffer-
ings they underwent during a period of
severe cold weather in Germany, due
partly to lack of fuel. but more to the
absence of the shoes and clothing which
they had lost. Since their entrance
into switzerland at Roschach. they say,
they have been royalty treated by tho
Swiss.
The party includes all the Americans
detained except one seaman named
Bulleat of French Canadian family,
claiming to have been born in Massa-
chusetts. who at the last moment was
held in Brandenburg. They were ac-