MR. CLEGG'S ADVENTURES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13803, 1 October 1915, Page 7

MR. CLEGG'S ADVENTURES.

CAPTURED BY GERMAN WAX SHIP. Mr John CJegg, of Dunedin, who ar rives from Wairoa this afternoon, has an interesting story to tell regarding his experiences m -war time. He was on a visit to the Old Country. A\ fortnight before war broke out he and his party were on the Isle of Bute, Rosshire, and on coming to Manchester found that considerable uneasiness was being felt. The conditions were worse m York, which the party reached on 28th July, and found the Stock Exchange closed, and the rate of interest was up to 8 per cent. An attempt to secure a passage to New York, via Liverpool, was unsuccessful, and on reaching London on 31st July Mr Clegg found that the Otway had sailed for Australia that morning, and m an endeavor to catch her at Toulon, the party left London at 9 p.m. on August 1 on- the Dover express, and crossed to France the same evening. They reached Paria at 6 a.m. j on Sunday, August z. The news of Germany's declaration of war on Hussia had just been received m Paris, where great excitement prevailed, ami as France had issued her mobilisation orders, foreigners were given 24 hours to get out oi the country. By a. stroke of good fortune a passage to Marseilles was secured on a iroop train, and tnis reached its destination at <S a.m. on .Monday. TouJon was. gained five hours later, and .Nice at mid-day; On August 4th Germany declared war against France, and without delay .the Italian Dorder was crossed and, Genoa reached at ll\p.m. iNext morning, August fain, the news was received of JMigland's declaration of war against Germany, and as it was naturally expected that Italy would join her allies, Germany and Austria, JUr Clegg and party accordingly tooK passage to Barcelona, (m Spam ;> and from -lucre shipped to Rio de Janiero,* m South America, by the Italian liner Ifuca Degh Abruzzi, of 10,000 tons, ltio was -readied m due course. Considerable dimculty was experienced m getting m touch with, a boat for New Jtork, out at last a passage was secured on Uio British cargo boat Indian Prince, which left JtCio on August 2Stii. Every precaution was taken, as it was known that several hostile cruisers were watching this route, and no lights "were allowed at nights. At a p.m. on September 4th, however, a largo iour-funneljed ship, with the German ensign brilliantly llJuminated, came up m the rear. Sho proved to be the Kronprinz' Wilhelm,an armed merchantman. The Kronprinz enquired, the nationality of the Indian Prince, and on being toid the latter was British, ordered her to steer S.S.E. and not to use her wireless.! Tho Britisher kept to* the course for four days, when her passengers, and eijew, were ordered aboard the Kronprinz, arui the Indian Prince was sunk wit-ii a . cargo valued at £125,000. Shortly afterwards the Kronprinz received an urgent wireless call to go to the assistance of the Cap Trafalgar, another armed merchantman, which, was being engaged by the British aimed merchantman Carmania. Fortunately the Gap Trafalgar sank when tho Kronprinz was still ,15 miles distant. After being eight days on. the Ivronprinz, the passengers ; and crew of the Indian Prince were transferred to >he 'German collier Kdehburg; which landed the party back m, kib, ! after being five weeks at sea. Luckily the fares previously paid were refunded, and Mr Clegg and his companions 1 made another attempt -to reach New York, by the mail steamer Tennyson. Off Pernambtico a cruiser was sighted, and this proved to be H.M.S. Cornwall, and, the following night the. Tennyson passed within. 20 miles of the- Karlsruhe, a wireless ,to this etfec t t being received by the Austrian operator; who did not report it -until ■' the ship iiad ; reached Barbajdoes; Kew York was reached m safety, and the party crossed Canada to the ' Pacific coast, from 'which point the last stage of the journey to New Zealand was, undertaken. Great excjte'incnt' was^prevailing '. m" Vancouver at tile time of Mr Clegg's arrival there, owing to a fear of the-- towii being b'om,barded by the. German cruisers Seharnhorst and Gneisenau,' which had .juat previously met and defeated Admiral Craddock's fleet off the Chilian coast. The German warships,' however, continued ; their journey southward j and came m contact with Admiral fciturdee's fleet off the Falkland Islands with disastrous results.. „■■"' •■■-..■.•■••': Some time ago Mr Clegg ' gave a lecture m /Dunedin oil his experiences, and his efforts M-ere so siicoesful that he decided to toui- the Dominion, and srivo lectures m aid of the Wounded Sol-diers-fund. Mr Clegj^ifr novr, visiting yie. North Island centres^ and will lecture m His Majesty's to-night, under the auspices" of the* Citizen! 5 , Def enco Committee. 'He is the bearer of an open v£t£ r of introduction from Mr R. W. Gibbs, manager of the. Bank of New Zealand, Dunedin, M'Jioj amongst other things, testifies to the value of the lecture and the object for which it is being given. ; Mr W. A. Barton, S.M., who attended* r the lecture at Wairoa, and the mayors of the, towns Mr Clegg lias visited, also recommend the lecture. The yieitor i 3 paying his own travelling expenses, and the proceeds from the lectures go to. 'the Wounded Soldiers' fund. Mr Clegg. will show a uumber of lantern slides, and the Pathe Picture Proprietary will also show some moving pictures.