Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-19
CAPTAIN WATCHES DEADLY
SHE'LL COME TOWARD SHIP
Third Installment Of Hun Raider In
Pacific just rs Thrilling
as Others.
PRESENTS PAPER FLOWERS
ordcrs Haldor Smiu, to Give Skip
per, OF Manila, Floral Greeting
After Firing Shots Over Bow Of
Craft.
BY CAPTAIN HALDoR SMITH.

u.D
Captain Haldor Smith. late master
or the San Francisco sailing vessel
r. c. Sladc. which was sunk by the
German sea raider Seeadler In the Pa
taken aboard the raider and held pris-
oncr for many weeks. being forced to
witness the sinking and burning OF
many other American vessels. He
hnally escaped from "A small South Sea
island on which the Seeadler was final-
~ wrecked, and with three other
Americans made "A Io00-mile dash in
an open boat to :: friendly port.
Captain Smith just recently arrived
in San Francisco. and wrote tho story
OF his experiences.
The third shot was sent skipping
through the tops OF the waves. and we
saw the Jet of water, It threw up. un-
comfortably close 10 tho Manila, and
then ! turned to Won Luckncr.
Don't fire" begged; she's
hovc to-"
Cease firing" he cried. and on the
instant tho gun crews dropped back TO
positions less strained.
And Il was not till then that made
out who the schooner was and rccos-
nized in her another vessel of my en-
rloEcr5. commanded by man had
known years before.
This told 10 the raider captain. and
there came UP again in him his odd
trai, Of doing tho decent thing at an
unexpected moment.
She's in our employ" said and
he turned toward mo. more excited
IMAM laughing.
"whatT' lie asked. why, you must
hid the captain welcome properly
then" and lie himself got from the
cabin great bunch Of paper flowers.
roses and lilics, with more leaves than
roas and lilies ever had In nature
and these h" thrust TO inc as an offer
ing OF greeting TO DO given the
schooner captain.
Meanwhile, the Manila had come UP,
20 collide with great big surprise.
Captain Southland. commanding the
schooner. had tackled ship and made
for tho Seeadler, in tho belief that he
was going Ia thc aid OF "A ship in dis
trcss.
They had reported TO him---hc waa
not on the bridge when tho raider
opened fre--that there was a ship
burning. Not tho shot. but the fash.
had carr!cd across the water TO the
American. and he had como down as a
reScuer II wasn't till the vessels were
within haiiinR distance that no saw
Tho German nag.
On tho Manila they were getting
ready 90 lower the boats. but the Car
mans yelled TO them in English:
Never mind the boat; wc'll take you
OF" The words carried clearly from
The moEaphoue across the quarter of
mil" between the vessels
MoTon-BoAT STOVES OFF
WITH A PRIZE CREW
They put out the motor boat with
prize crew. and we stood. Captain
Petersen and !, and the German Of
fcers. watching closely. with the
bouquet Of paper flowers in my hand.
trying to shield |, from tbs rain with
my coat.
whiskcd it out as Captain Southland
came over.
lie looked a. nc in surprise. nodded
over tho Movers and then. gazing
around At ". said:
BY George. forgot my teeth"
He could have said anything else.
and we'd have known he had forgot
ten them.
Won Luckncr capped him on the
shoulder and said
BY George, wc'll have to send a boat
for tho captains teeth"
So. while the prize crew was doing
rs work Oh the schooner. and we on
tho pirate were swapping cautions and
advice and experiences with the mon
from tho Manila. the motor. boat put
back once more. with Captain Southar I'd.
,hat he might search for his false
'coth in the cabin where he had been
sleeping when tho alarm was given
L. IN IL
man
rest OF II. The Germans did a better
JOB than with tho Johnson and n
quicker one than with the Slade They
put bomb IN tho hold Of the Manila
and there was a detonation and n puff
or smoke. and tho white ridge OF surg
Ing water. and that was aii--not even
hit OF hobhlinG wreckaSe visible
10 us on the raider. whose number was
now increased TO ninety -cight--of Ger
mans siSty-cight. from the a. B. John
son nine, from the Slade ten from the
Manila ten also and the ninety-cight
tho Iollandcr taken I'm tho Atlantic,
still busy with the laundry OF the Of
fccrS.
Again there had been brought a
strange meeting In tho middle of the
Pacfic-nine years ago il was that
Captain Southland comma nd ed the Alex
andcr Gibson and I the Edward r.
west. when both were lying in Oak
land Creek. and in those nine years
Nc had not met.
And again were the Germans de.
lighted with loot.
have had the command Of ten
shi-c. but never have l seen Il dirtier
one than the Seeadlcr. or ono with a
runmier looking crew. She looked like
rusty old iron lime juice sailing ship
aud that's about what she was, in fact,
except for tho lime juice part-for we
mustn't give her clearance under false
cclorS.
there was plenty Of time to study
-er and TO pick up her history, after
the sinking Of the Manila. for from
tEat day--which was the Sth OF july
iii we put in at Mopcha on the 3lst
Of the same month. We sighted neither
land nor vessel, except for the Island
of Vostock. zoo miles north of Mopeha,
where we made landfaIl the day he.
fore we put into the atoil whsrc so
much was to happen that neither VIC
nor the Germans expected or hoped for.