The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-07-17
AMERICANS RAN AWAY
FROM PHANTOM SHIPS
The Big American Pacific Liners We're Afraid the
Russian. Had Enlisted the FooI.kjller in
Her Navy Department.


away from phantom Russian warships
off the harbor Of Yokohama, much as
they were running from phantom
Spanish warships in the war with
Spain off the New England coast in
1898, at the time when shore cottagers
put out their lights at night for fear
a Spanish shell might land in their
homes before morning. And the queer
part of it is that the Americans are
the ones who are doing the running.
For months not a steamship has arriv-
ed at Yokohama from the United
States that has not been loaded down
with war supplies.
When the Baltic fleet reached south
ern China the scare began. The man
ayers of the American lines to Yoko-
hama at once proceeded to get fright
ened.
1t is a long way from Yokohama to
Kamranh Bay, but somehow the Amer
itctI liiLoSCIo lliouShI liietI 1eo1Si1
might have called in the fool-killer for
work in her Navy Department ana
that he might have arranged it so
that a sensible man would get in
charge They conceived the idea that
Russian warships might be lying in
wait off Yokohama to gather in car
goes worth millions and ships like the
great Manchuria of the Pacific Mail
line, also worth millions, that would
be invaluable as transports.
Therefore the Pacific Mail line took
to running it's steamships without
lights when approaching the coast of
Japan. The latest vessel to be run
in this way was the Manchuria, which
left San Francisco on April is, and
arrived at Yokohama on May 6. OF
course the navigation laws of the
United States prohibit this, but the
penalty is a fine which is merely NOM
inal compared to the value of con-
traband cargo, and hence the risk was
taken of being found out.
The value of the Manchuria and her
cargo was close to s5,000,00O. 1t was
too fine a prize to risk letting the Rus
slams get. All they would have had to do
was to detach a torpedo boat, let it be
in the route of the Manchuria until
she came along and then put prize
crew of three or four men on it and
send the prize, passengers and all, to
Vladivostok.
Therefore the Pacific Mail people,
proceeding on the theory that the Rus
sian fool-killer might be at work, took
no chances. Five days ahead of the
Manchuria was the Doric of the Paci-
fic Mail line, also loaded to the gun
wales with war supplies, but as to
whether the same precautions We're
taken with her as with the Manchuria
the writer knows nothing except from
rumor, and that says that she too was
run without lights.
The Manchuria had this kind of war
supplies on board: two submarine boats
a large amount of quicksilver to be
used in making explosives, several sets
of gun-carriages, a lot of railroad ma
terial for use in Manchuria, lead for
making bullets and leather for army
| use, besides other material for sup
plies for the Japanese army.
To crown all this she had in her
'strong box s1,5Oo,000 i'll specie for the
Japanese Government, a pretty fine
| prize for a Russian gunboat or torpedo
| boat to capture. One shot from a rifle
| would have done the trick. The Man
chura is a sixteen knot boat and would
| NO hoy To
| Among the passengers on the shiI
were:
| Manister Rockhill on his way tc
China Consul General Rodgers on his
way to Shanghai, COnsul-General Mil
Ter on hrs way to Yokohama, an(
Consul General Sammons on his way
to Newchwang. 1t was agreed gen
orally on board that Russia would re
gard these gentlemen merely as dis
tinguished American citizens and tina
their presence would not in the leas
affect the determination to send al
hands to VIadivostok in the event O
capture.
OF course, it was also believed tina
) Russia. as a friendly act. would releas
these gentlemen and their families a
lated intently as to the po -sibilty tina
they might not reach their official post
for some time.
, In addition to these gentlemen Their
sailed on the Manchuria a Mr. Gable
agent for the company that builds tn
Holland submarine boats. He wa
booked for Yokohama and his nam
/ was so entered on the passenger list.
He found it convenient however, t
get off at Honolulu and remain Their
until the next steamer. 1t was sal
|, that he probably would not care to b
3 found on the same ship with some c
3 his boats which would be reckoned a
s | contraband of war. He had just com
s from st. Petersburg where he had gon
Z to sell submarines to the Russian Gov
Z eminent.
The scare about the Manchuria be
s gan before the vessel left San Frar
s cisco. The newspapers there printe
6 the fact that she carried war supple
{ and Of course the Russian spies an
3 agents in that city knew PRACTICAL
everything that went in her hold. Yo
IS can't load a great ship like the Mar
churia. one of the largest in the worl,
~ / in 40