Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-07-15
BLAST ON STEAMER
CAPTAIN OF MINNEHAHA SAYS
HE GOT WIRELESS WARNING
OF HOLT PLOT,
BEGAN TO SEARCH Ar ONCE
Vessel With Munitions of War for
the Allies Reaches Halifax Still
Manifestations Were Exploring
Hold When Explosion Occurred.

Halifax, y. S. July 10.-The
| steamer Minnehaha of the Atlantic
| Transport line arrived in the harbor
with a fire still burning in her cargo,
the flames having spread from No. 3
! hold into No 4. The ship is hot from
stem to stern and the damage is be-
! lieved to be extensive.
| Captain Claret reported at Ala
o'clock on the afternoon of July Z
there was heavy explosion on board
and a violent shock, which caused the
ship to tremble. The fire followed.
The ship anchored in the outer har-
Dor in the face of a heavy blow. Late
in the afternoon it was believed the
| fire had been extinguished. The loss
| cannot be estimated, as it is impos-
stble to enter the holds, from which
! deadly gases are rising.
The ship was diverted from her
course from New York to London
when the fire was discovered.
Got Wireless Warning.
The wireless warning sent over the
Atlantic telling Of Frank Hollis threat
| that a vessel would sink July was
received by Captain CIaret of the
Minnehaha early in the morning of
the seventh.
The lifebOats we're swung out, the
fire hose made ready and the search
begun. 1t lasted all forenoon and IN
til the explosion occurred in No. 8
hold in the afternoon. Two sailors,
| G. Leonard and F. Right, who were
standing on a hatch above the spot
where the explosion occurred, were
hurled into the air, but escaped with
bruises.
The deck cargo over the burning
hold was wrenched away and a steam
pipe inserted For "a hours the flames
progress was arrested. They then
| reached No. 4 hold
Captain Claret was firmly convinced
| a bomb caused the explosion. The
explosives on the ship, including the
cordite and loaded shrapnel shells,
were separated from the fire by strong
bulkheads.
Warning Was Shouted.
One of the officers said as the Min
nehaha was passing down New York
harbor on her outward voyage a
launch passed by and it's occupants
shouted, ''Minnehaha, down, down."
and pointed to the water.
This officer said he had felt the
steamer would meet with trouble after
he had seen the work of loading her.
The explosion, he said, occurred at
Ais o'clock in the afternoon of July
and when the hold was opened up
there was strong smell of gas.
Glen Cove, N. Y, July Frank
Holt, the Cornell professor who shot
]. P. Morgan in his home here last
Saturday, committed suicide here last
night by jumping from jail window
to the concrete floor OF the courtyard
about fifty feet below.
Holt was under the guard of Jere-
miah Ryan, jail attendant. The pris-
oner apparently was sleeping soundly
and Ryan, hearing a noise on the 9TH
er side of the cell tier, left his place
in front of Hollis open door and start
ed to investigate.
Ryan heard a noise, which, he said,
resembled an explosion, and hastily
returned to Hollis cell only to find
it empty.
Holt had slipped through the open
cell door and climbed to the top of
the cell tiers to an open window
through which he plunged to the mar
row courtyard below.
Holt ended his life after he knew
that positive proof had been obtained
that he was Doctor Muenter of Har-
ward. the wife-murderer, and that the
house in Central Park, L. l., where he
had stored 100 pounds Of dynamite
for the manufacture of bombs had
been located and searched by the
police.
The reports were that Holt had
placed a percussion cap IN his mouth,
then chewed upon it Until it exploded
and the TOP of his head was blown
off
District Attorney Smith searched
Hollis cell and found letter. This
letter, which Holt must have written
before he attempted suicide in the
morning when the pencil with which
he tried to sever an artery was taken
from him, was addressed to ITO My
Bears"