The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-08
SHIPPERS HUNT FOR
INTERNAL MACHINES
Philadelphia and Saxonia Warned OF
HoIt's Boast That He Had
FIXED" Them.
WIRELESS SAYS .ALL Is WELL"
From Midocean Comes Reply That
ships Have Been Ransacked From
Stern 60 Stern and No Explosives
Have Been Found.

New York, July T.---Officials' of the
American and the Cunard lines were
stirred by the letter OF Holt ASSERT
ing t'hat the American steamship
Philadelphia and the Cunarder Sax
onia might be blown up at sea by
an Internal machine. p. A. s.
Franklin. of the International Mer-
camille Marine, owners of the Ameri-
can line, while doubling that there
could be anybody so crazy as to at
tempt to dynamite a munitioness
ship, such as all the American liners
are, sent a wireless message to Cap
tain Mills. of the Philadelphia, tell
ing him about the threat of Holt.
and this morning received this mes
sage from the Yankee skipper:
Everything on board Identified
The Philadelphia was about 1900
miles east of Sandy Hook, practically
In midsea. when the message was re-
received by Mr.. Franklin. Captain
Mills had spent several hours going
through the baggage of passengers,
and, not improbably. giving them
bit of a scare. Every soul aboard was
required TO identity and open his
baggage 1t may be that the skipper
was diplomatic enough to soothe ev-
erybody with ghost story about
missing jewels or something of that
sort, and that no passenger knew
anything about the dynamite story.
Mr.. Franklin was positive that
there could he nothing explosive
aboard the Philadelphia. and regret
ted that such stories should be sent
out TO brighten the friends OF sea-
Eoers.
The Cunard line local Office sent an
exhaustive wireless message to Cap
Il
all about the letter of Holt. The an
swer came here late In the afternoon.
Captain DigRle had at least six hours
10 overhaul the baggage of all hands
aboard Naturally he did not go into
details IN hts answer. All he said
was:
Thorough search made. Nothing
found"
All Baggage Examined.
This meant to the LEGAL office tina.
every piece of baggage had been ex-
amined and Identified by the owner
The war rule of the Line is not 10
permit any baggage taken aboard un.
less it's owner goes with II. so there
Is little proba bility Of anybody SNUG
Cling in explosives. As to the likelihood
of Internal machines being stored in
cargo, it was said that every ounce
OF cargo was examined and II was
doubted that. enough explosives could
be concealed to do extensive damage
to ship.
TIL saxonia was about 1900 miles
east OF Sandy Hook when her com
niander sent his wireless message. She
is a slow boat and may not get into
Liverpool until next Tuesday.
Among her war material are 2,n00
cases OF cartridges, 40 aeroplanes and
parts, ITO cases of fuses, 400 cases
Of aceoutrements. 72o cases Of empty
projectiies, Is auto chassis, a tractor
engine, so tons of copper wire, 50 small
automobiles AL packages of steel. p
600 barrels of lubricating old. Ito rolls
of steel fencing and $50 cases of field
harness.
Expect ne Further Message.
At the offices of both lines it was
said there would be no more messages
from the Ssxonia and the Philadelphia
until their arrival In Liverpool. The
agents expressed confidence In the safe
" Of the ships, regarding the letter
OF Holt as the result OF deIusion.
According to H. G. Hill, an automo-
bile man who arrived today by the
French liner Espange. several attempts
have been made TO destroy ships car
rying munitions from New York to
Hayre None of these ships have been
passenger carriers. Mr., Hill has sup.
erintended the shipment of many auto
mobiles to the allies He says That
one of the ships. supposed to be the
Bankdaie which sailed hence May S,
carried lot of automobiles. and tina.
In the case of one OF them member
Of the crew discovered n bomb filled
with an infiammable acid. Mr. Hill
contectured that the intention of the
bomb placer was TO have the bomb ex
plode at sea through the motion of
the ship, .s... ..as..ssy,. ....a-a4p4.