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Show : SEEKS SANCTUARY ; IN AMERICAN PORT . KRONPRINZ WILHELM SLIPS ; PAST BRITISH CRUISERS INTO NEWPORT NEWS. ' Converted Cruiser Which Has Sunk Fifteen Vessels in Past Eight Months Seeks Sagety in American Harbor. , Newport News, Va. The German converted cruiser Kronpinz Wilhelm, . the elusive raider of commerce in the South Atlantic, slipped into this port Sunday and asked for fuel and provi-, provi-, sions. Many times reported destroyed, i the former North German-Lloyd liner had evaded hostile warships for eight months while she sent many mer-; mer-; chantmen to the. bottom. Her officers offi-cers said she was forced to steal her way past four allied cruisers off the Virginia Capes to reach this refuge. The auxiliary criuser had been at , sea 255 days, during which time she sank fifteen merchantmen. Twelve of these were British, two French and one Norwegian. Her last victims were the British Royal mail steamship steam-ship Tamar and the British steamer Coleby. Commander Thierfeldt on his arrival arri-val in port explained that his ship was badly in need of repairs. Her bottom, he said, wras foul and her boiler needed overhauling. He stated he would request permission to have the repairs made here. The appearance of the Kronprinz Wilhelm just one day after the interment in-terment of the Prinz Eitel Friedrich, created great surprise. When last heard from the Kronprinz was in the south Atlantic. She had been reported report-ed sunk half a dozen times. Norman R. Hamilton, collecter of customs, reached New port News from Norfolk early in the day after the Wilhelm had anchored in the James river in almost the same place by the Prinz Eitel when she reached here March 10. The -collector went aboard, instructing the commander he must leave port within twenty-four hours unless he needed coal and provisions and time to make repairs. |