New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-01
CRUISER HOLDS UP
MTNNEHAHA SEA
Liner When Off Nantucket
Lightship Stopped and
Scrutinized.
BLUFFS AUTOMOBILE
OUT OF GERMANY
Club Member and His Chauffeur
Outwit Soldiers and Burgo-
masters Successfully.

Officers on the Atlantic Transport
liner Minnehaha reported on arIiVaI
Yesterday that they had received rather
curt treatment from warship AZ d.
m Yesterday, when about thirty miles
west of the Nantucket Lightship' Ing
stranger, which, like a spectre that nau
risen M out of the sea, halted them
suddenly in the dark, is believed 70
have been a British cruiser, but she
would not disclose her identity
The Minnehaha was making ABOUT
fifteen knots at the time and was purh.
ing only sailing lights. Suddenly, on
the port bow, half g mile away, plal9
NJ LIGHTS appeared and two powerful
searcblights were turned upon her. lhe
lights vanished as quickly as they hsu
come, and, flashing with Morse cooe
lamps, the war vessel asked:
. "Who are you" i,
Captain Claret signalled in reply:
"Who are your" .,.,
The warship ignored the question,
but came back with the demand: "GiVe
your name and destination" or,
The liners captain answered: Inc
Minnehaha, bound for New York"
The war vessel Immediately threw on
her searchlights again, and after max
ing a careful survey OF the liner
steamed away. ,,o
The Minnehaha had on board i72
passengers, every stateroom being
taken. Among them was Lewis G. Van
Ripper, of this city, who had spent three
days in Germany after war was de-
clared, bluffing German army othcers
and buying up gasolene for his motor
car, which he managed to take out OF
Germany without capture.
Mr.. Van Ripper, who lives at the New
York Athletic Club, was in Bremen on
July 81 with his chauffeur, David Nj.
Thomas, who speaks German huentiy'
On August / both men started out IN
Mr.. Van Riper's $4,000 automobile for
Berlin to get passports. On arriving
in Hanover their car ran short OF gas
olene and they drove into garage
where forty other cars had been taken.
Unable TO get petrol, the men left
their car and boarded a train for Ber-
lin. -,
Before leaving the car, however, the
chauffeur disconnected his batteries
and did few things with the meehan,,
ism that no German mechanic could
put together. Moreover, he locked his
ignition.
The travellers returned to Hanover
on a troop train. On going to the gar,
age they found that all the cars had
been Communicated except theirs,
which the German mechanics were
vainly trying to start. =,
Finally, Mr.. Van Ripper bribed the
men to let him take -his-ca after
Thomas had spent five hours buying
benzine in pints and half pints at
apothecary shops until he had accumu-
lated fifteen gallons.
They were halted at Leer, but
Thomas blufFed the authorities that
their passports not only gave them
clear right of way TO the Dutch border
but required them to furnish gasolene
as well. The bluff worked and the
cars tanks were Geplenished SUI
fciently TO get the to Neusehauz, on
the Holland border. Here the burRo"
master held up the car because the
owner had no license to travel through
Holland, and said he would have TO
charge a duty Of per cent OF the
cars value. Thomas said he could not
afford it as the car was worth Sl,OOO.
The burGomaster insisted that, the
$4,000 Locomobile was worth Sl,5OO,
and the duty was paid with feigned re-
luctance. Mr.. Van Ripper left his car
in a responsible garage in Rotterdam.
Also on the Minnehaha was the Rev.
Luther 3. Wilson, Bishop Of the Metho-
cist Episcopal Church, resident in New
York. He was ere of many clergymen
who weat to Constance to attend the
international Peace Conference. lie
said that through the courtesy Of the
Rev. DR.. Schultze, pastor to the Ger
man Emperor at Potsdam, many Of the
delegates were enabled to pass through
Germany by special train, which made
TO changes until it reached the Dutch
border.
The Anchor liner Columbia arrived
yesterday from Glasgow with 800 pas
sengers.