Bridgeton pioneer., 1915-05-13
An Exploded
Secret
By EMMA BLAKE

New York for CherbOurg, France, in
March, 1915, loaded with munitions of
war for the allies. She had been out
six days, and two of the voyage re.
mained when one of the passengers, a
man, appeared at the door of the cap
tain's cabin on the upper deck, slipped
in hastily, put his finger to his lips to
enjoin silence and stood for a moment
waiting, evidently endeavoring to con-
quer some strong emotion. Then after
turning the key in the door he said
almost in a whisper to the astonished
commander:
Captain lie Moyne, this vessel is in
imminent danger"
How so?' asked the captain, start.
ing.
Write me out promise of immunity,
that l shall be treated in every respect
as any other passenger aboard and
that you will take no action except
such as approve and will tell you"
The captain demurred for some time,
cross questioning the man in an effort
to get out of him something of
what he had to say without making
any promises. But the man shut up
like a clam and would say nothing
further except that there was a strong
probability that the ship would be
wrecked that night. Finally Captain
| LIE Moyne gave in, wrote out bond
| such as the man required, and he told
his story.
He said that in the stateroom next
to his he had heard two men talking.
He could not hear all they said, but had
heard enough to lead him to believe
that they were emissaries of either
the German or Austrian government,
who had been sent to blow up the ship
and send the cargo of arms and ammu.
| milton to the bottom. He had heard
| distinctly one of these men say to the
other, Every well, Wen do it tonight"
The captain started to leave his cabin
| when his visitor took the key from the
lock and held it in a tight grip while
| he added:
Remember your promise-if on ex.
animation you see anything that looks
like an implement of destruction you
will not throw it overheard, but place
| it where it can do no serious damage tc
| the ship
| "Why do you stipulate for that?"
asked the captain.
| Because l do not wish to be re-
sponsible for property destroyed by
mistake. l should never forgive my
self for doing so, and l would lay my
self liable to damages that might take
| all have"
This satisfied LIE Moyne, who had no
more relish for destroying harmless
property than his informer.
The captain obtained pass key and.
accompanied only by tile informer,
went to the stateroom. There they
found box about the size of a suit
case with sliding cover, which was
locked. Putting his ear down to the
box, the captain fancied he heard a
faint ticking. but was not sure. His
informant also listened and declared
that he could hear nothing. But he
was tride deaf and could not hear a
watch tick without putting it close to
| his ear.
The captain was for heaving the box
overheard at once, but the other de-
INJURED, reminding him of his promise
LIE MOyne averred that the lives of the
crew and passengers We're of more
value than any promise, whereupon the
other said:
"1n the first place, captain, If you
don't keep this matter a secret you'll
have a panic aboard your ship; in the
second place you can make all safe
without the risk of laying you and me
liable for damages in the destruction
or what may be valuable property. All
! you have to do is to attach a line to
the box, drop it overheard and let it
float couple of hundred yards astern."
The captain was so anxious to get rid
OF the article that he consented. Two
strong iron handles were attached to
1t, one at either end. Producing line, !
the captain secured it to one of these
handles and ran it through the other
for greater security. The informant sug-
gested that it would be best to take it
to his own stateroom, to be kept till !
after dark, that he might not attract
attention, then drop it over the stern.
To this he added a suggestion that it
had better be put in place of the log
for recording the ships progress, which
was hung out from the stern. The
captain, not wishing it to be known
that there were persons aboard intend
ing to blow up the ship, assented to the
! delay, which was little more than an
| hour
| As soon as it was dark the informant
carried the box to the stern, where he
| found the captain waiting for him. and,
no one being near it was lowered into
the water, the line paid out and the
near end attached to the reel. As
soon as this was done lie Moyne
breathed easier, though he was by no
means sure that the persons who had
| intended TO blow up the ship had not
other contrivances for the purpose.
One morning when the Arago was
sailing near the French coast Captain
| lie Moyne went aft to look for the
/ floating box He could NOT see If even