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Show i 1 Mkgazroe Feator SecteeH I (mm Remarkable Career of the Prince jjj I J AUbama Which CresUted fell A story that rivals the tale6 of gra Captain Kidd for daring and the Sg mysterious sailings of the mythical graft "Plying Dutchman" for ability to njm completely disappear on seas pa- &&m troled by battleships and subma- fjQm rlnes. Is told by the crew of the ffljm German auxiliary cruiser Pnnz MM Eltel Friedrich. 8fB Thi8 mysterious ship sailed from 8M Tslng Tau, China, last November, HH and af,f-'r eluding battleships and MM submarines of the enemy and de- HH stroying a number of French, Rus- H sian, British and one American ship, QBI suddenly appeared at Newport H News, Va., Thursday, .March 11, completing a trip of 30,000 miles' BH Had her daring commander, Captain HH Thierichens. who took his wire and i two children with him on his voyage IHB of destruction, announced on his ar- rival at Newport News that had his M'j ship fallen through the earth and come out in American waters his presence on our shores would not HHj haT occasioned a greater sensation. Hj From the time the Prinz Eitel Triedrich cleared frcm Tsing Tau lasi November until her appearance IH March 11 frequent tales of her dcp- relations were told and numerous captains told rf seeing the M Mysterious vessel steaming alcns ill the night, be;- cabins darkened t.nd only her mast lights burning. That the Prlnz Fredrich was as completely equipped with flags of Rl different nations to deceive her pur- M .ucrs as a theater is with changes of scenery, was revealed by state- mcr.tr of her crew. On her appearance in Newport H I News it was found one side was painted white to give the appearance of a neutral essel aud tin- qthc r dark gray to resemble a battleship In the time the German cruiser was on her mission of destruction three British, three French and one Russian merchantmen and the American owned Steamer William P. Frye, were destroyed. When she hove to in Newport News she had 342 prisoners aboard beside her crew of 200, The prisoners were of various nationalities and were rescued res-cued after their ships wero sunk. On arrival In American waters her prisoners were delivered ashore. The record of destruction of the Prinz Kltel Friedrich includes th destruction of the following vessels: American William P. Frye. British lnvercoe, Mary A. Short, Willerby, Schargost and Cindracoe. Russian Isabelle Brown. French Floride, Perre Loti, Jac-obsen Jac-obsen and Jean How the German cruiser went impartially im-partially and methodically about its business of defending its nation in destroy in ll believed carry ing matters its government had placed under contraband is most graphically told by the captain or the United States steamer Frye, Captain Kiehne, in the following statement: OVERHAULED ON OCEAN. "Despite my protestations that I was the American mnster of an American ship the German cruiser sank the William P Fryp on the morning of January J8, blowing a gaping hole through her vitals w ith a charge of dynamite," taid Captain Kiehne "It was almost becalmed when the German ship appeared about 2 oelock in the afternoon of January 27 My ship was barely moving and I paid no attention to the first order from the Dutchman to lay to. However, How-ever, she bore down on me and I brought my raft to a standstill After learning that I carried a cargo car-go of wheat the German captain lold me that it was contraband aud he intended to destroy it I protested, but no attention was paid to my statement "A German officer and squad of men were sent aboard the bark and I and my crew were set to work throwing the grain overboard. The German sighted another vessel, also becnlmed, and made for her. He returned re-turned about 10 o'clock at night, having sent the other ship to the bottom, as I afterward ascertained. "Evidently the grain was not being be-ing thrown overboard fast enough to suit the German skipper, for ho sent a half hundred of his men aboard soon afterward and the work went on for hours without interruption. interrup-tion. However, it was slow at best and I was informed about 2 o'clock next morning that my ship would be sent to the bottom, which was do&e In the manner described above "While uearing the capes the wireless apparatus on board the Eitel informed us that there were lour British warships in our immediate im-mediate vicinity, two of which seemed very close. However, we eluded them and made this port in safety." A BAILOR'S STORY. How this intrepid ship, converted convert-ed at the declaration of war from a peaceful liner to a cruiser by placing plac-ing an armament upon it, is graphically graphi-cally told by one of Its sailors: "From the time we left Tsing Tau we attacked all vessels of neutral neu-tral nations or of the forces fighting against us, when they camo in sight," said one officer. "We were in constant touch by wireless with approaching steamers and those we found contraband we sunk after throwing the cargo into the sea and giving rescue to the crew. "We sailed the sea like phantoms. In the day time we appeared as a neutral marine vessel and by our speed were able to elude all other ships. When we met a vessel that we believed carrying contrabands and it failed to stop at our hail, wo invariably fired on It and sank or damaged it. We are Germans. Wo work for our nation. It was our order to enforce the rule against the carrying of contrabands and wo did It. If any persons lost their lives it was their fault, not ours. "On the Kaiser's birthday we sank two alien vessels and felt proud of it We watched the approach ap-proach of all vessels most of the time beneath deck Our prisoners were stored away when danger was in sight and were in perfect safety that is in this far: Wo were - m ready to light to the last and if all aboard were killed it would only-result only-result alter se had mad.- our last and most determined stand. "Some ol t ho tim we sailed as a neutral vessel as war ships ap-proaehed ap-proaehed and was a warship when neutral vessels approached. What rules wo may or may not have obeyed, we enforced our orders of strict neutrality If a ship had anything aboard that had been declared de-clared contraband by our government govern-ment we dumped the cargo in the sea." How this mysterious vessel succeeded suc-ceeded in dodging inimical craft still remains a wonder, if it came through the Suez Canal and thence by way of Gibraltar it would have passed the greatest English fort in the world, one shot from which would have silenced and sunk It forevor. Yet this daring ship passed In the waters now declared a war zono and one in which the battleships and cruisers of tho allies always were patrollng and searching. On her arrival in American waters, wa-ters, Washington was visably stirred. stir-red. Gunboats were sent to guard her although her commander announced an-nounced he was only in for repairs and intended resuming bis trip When the Prinz Eltel Fricdrlch dropped anchor she was covered with barnacles, her iron parts w'ero worn and she showed evidence of having had a tempestuous journey-in journey-in this the most adventurous of sea journeys. The ships plates were sprung when she arrived and her cabins and decks were in bad condition. con-dition. During the time she was at sea the Prin- Eitel FrfeariCh Was practically prac-tically without information from its OWn government. It had been assigned as-signed to the one particular duty of destroying merchantmen carrying contraband but had the great conflict con-flict been settled, its commander might still be searching the seas for prey. The wireless apparatus helped this ship wonderfully in its great trip of destruction By refraining from sending messages to the home government it was able to learn the messages being sent by alien ships and avoid the cruiser:? and fleets of rival nations. The commander has tho papers of the American Frye, which was sunk January 27 The German commander command-er insists tho Frye was carrying a shipment of wheat to England against the strict order of his gov ernment. that it was sunk in course of business and its papers will bo held until he is definitely Instructed by his government. INTERNATIONAL LAW. The Prinz was hold at Newport News under the following rule international law: 6 or "If any ship of war or nrivn of their beligerant shall after n timo this notification toVect enter any port, harbor, roadstead or waters of the United States 8UCh vessel shall be required to depart and t0 put to sea within 21 hours after her entrance into such port, except in case of stress of weather , or her requiring provisions or things necessary for the subsistence of her crew or for repairs. In eitb-ei eitb-ei 01 these cases the authorities of tne port shall require her to put to sea as soon as possible after the expiration of 24 hours "No ship of war shall be permit per-mit ed while in any United States port harbor, or roadstead to take on supplies except provisions as may be requisite for the subsistence of her crew, and except so much coal only as may be sufficient to carry such vessel, if without sail power, to the nearest European port u ,,er own countr'; and no coal shall be again supplied to any such ship in tho same or any other United Unit-ed States port until after the ex-priation ex-priation of three mouths, unless such ship shall have entered an Eu- 1 ropean port of the government to ' Which she belongs." There is no doubt that li" the Prinz Eitel s captain should elect to leave his refuge aud the United States should permit him to do so. it the German ship will run Into ft cordon of warships from which it would be unable to escape. Wireless dispatcher picked up report re-port the! six British cruisers and two FYench cruisers are headed for tho Virginia coast rrom the pomt3 where they have been on duty in Atlantic At-lantic waters. The British' ships . the rarouia. E,eX, Lancaster. ?i2?2 1 rw,ck Bristol, ulnle Cartes?11 Comlc ai,d UeS |