The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-09

July v she IL said TO nave passed out
at Sandy Hook at IL 80 o'clock that
night. although no mention Of her sailing
was made In the usual shipping infor-
nation and II was evident that some at
tempts at secrecy were being made.
Guards have watched the piers at
which vessels were loading munitions at
0is port with greater care than usual
since the fire on board the Touraine of
the French line. At the same time, as
an official Of the Internationa Mercan-
tile Marine Company pointed out last
night. no effort has been made to look
through every package put aboard, as
this would TAXI too much time.
In the absence OF details upon which
a definite theory of the explosion and
IRE could be based varying opinions
were expressed In shipping circles yes
terday. one suggestion being that the
explosion was that Of some OF the dyna-
mite purchased by Holt. or Muenter-not
yet all accounted for, Struggled on the
Minnehaha by Holt or an accomplish.
Another suggestion was that 1t might
he the work of a German spy.
The Touraine fire was believed to have
been the work of a spy, and definite In
formation was obtained by THE SUNS
London correspondent after the Lust
tania disaster that German spies were
aboard the Cunarder with the purpose OF
einklnR tne Nessel III mluoCean III pos
sible. the submarines being stationed to
carry out the destruction II the spies
failed.
Hollis seemingly vague idea Of just
what ship was to be sunk led some to the
belief that the actual placing of the ex-
plosive might have been lone by some
~accomplice. since otherwise Holt might
Ia been expected to be more explicit in
his naming OF the vessel In his letter to
his wife.
Munitions Further AT.
Oficials OF the line here said yesterday
that No. 3 hold. In which the explosion
occurred. was filled with foodstuffs and
general cargo. the ammunition and other
explosive materials being stowed away
further aft. This fact. In view Of Capt.
Claret's report that the fire was under
control. gave the line officials confidence
that the vessel would he able to make
port. II is admitted that II the fire
SHOULD reach the hold in which the high
explosives are stored II probably would
cause an explosion which would tear the
ship to pieces.
The New York offices Of the line noti-
fed the Halifax offices and the Canadian
Marine Department caused a Govern
ment vessel TO be made ready to proceed
to the aid Of the Minnehaha as soon as
Capt. Claret sent word OF his course or
asked for help.
The manifest OF the Minnehaha on file
at the Custom House shows that the fol-
lowing munitions and other things were
aboard 2,s00 cases loaded shrapnel
shells, liza cases loaded cartridges,
1000 cases cordite. 400 cases trinitro-
tuluol, 5000 barrels of lubricating oil, IS
barrels Of petrolatum. 81 cases rifles. s26
ana s,Vt. NsAlcatt1Aa an R,Anrv,
5000 plates spelter, $50 cases and bum
dies brass rod and sheets, 432 motor
trucks. 1 motor ambulance. 1900 bales
cotton duck for uniforms. 230 horses. sac
kegs horse shoes, 20 bales absorbent cot
ton, 10 barrels ~salacylic acid. 95 barrels
boracic acid, SO boxes formaldehyde, Is
cases auto parts. 100 cases magnetos. .
cases fuses. so bundles copper wire. "a
plates zinc. 10 crates air guns. 5000 bar
rels wax. 24.i6l bushels Canadian wheat.
10,O 900 cases canned and frozen meat.
$4,000 barrels -four, &c hogsheads rum.
5000 boxes cheese and 1000 crates live
poultry.
More Than $50 Aboard.
Under normal conditions the Min
nehaha has sixteen officers and l5S
men. This includes forty-one stewards
in the passenger department and since
she has been carrying no passengers re-
Gently her usual complement may be
decreased by twenty-five or thirty. She
carries. in addition, seventeen men in
charge OF the shipment OF horses. The
hostlers. according to officials OF the
line, are all British subjects.
The officers OF the Minnehaha are
Captain, +. II. Claret first officer, II.
Pierce second officer. j. =. Hodson (:
third nfficar ~ NapsnnIdas hnrsa fore.
man. +. Johnson purser. e. a. Wills (:
surgeon, X. j. Cowan cheif steward, ".
Hart second steward. W. Nutter chief
engineer, j. j. kehoe second engineer,
G.. Barron third engineer, J. Gentle (:
fourth engineer. J. Herd nth engineer,
H.. Webster. She also carries two wire
less operators.
Two Americans sailed as members OF
the Minnehaha's crew. II. V. Kent OF
New York and Frederick 4. Williams OF
West Orange. The latter formerly was
in the United States army and later was
a sergeant in the New Jersey National
Guard. 1t was said yesterday that he
planned to take examinations for "A lieu
tenants commission in the British army.
So confident were he officials of the
line here last night that the vessel would
reach port that they left the general
Offices in Bowling Green at the usual
hour. Further word from the Min
nehaha, they said. would be received
probably at Halifax, the despatch from
Capt. Claret received early yesterday
afternoon indicating that he was in
touch with the Cape Race wireless
station.
y. w. Thomas. superintendent for the
I~nternational Mercantile Marine Com
pany. said yesterday afternoon that the
Minnehaha was especially well equipped
to tight fires and that he believed the
fire could be prevented from reaching
the ammunition holds.
The Minnehaha. familiar to thousands
OF Americans who have travelled by the
Atlantic Transport Linz ships as "A COM
Portable vessel, was taken over by the
British Government for a time as a
transport. She was released two months
ago and was returned to the general
trade. Sundays sailing was the second
from New York since her return to
commercial service. On both occasions
she was heavily .aden with munitions
and did not carry any passengers.
One official Of the line said yesterday
that the difficulty in getting a bomb
aboard the Mnnehaaa probably would
have been greater than on some other
o~ceangoing ships, because for the mos;
part the cargo was made up OF large
consignments from "A very few shippers,
thus making II less easy to secrete u
small package.
RumOrs of Other Bombs.
Reports have been current in shipping
circles recently that ~uneXploded bombs