Bridgeton pioneer., 1915-07-15
BOMBS FOUND ON
-FOUR FREIGHTERS
None Exploded, However, on
Ships From New York.
THEIR ORIGIN A MYSTERY.

the Finding of Chemicals In Cargoes
of Vessels Bearing Munitions For the
AIIies-Vain Hunt For cIews on
Both Sides of Atlantic.
Attempts made to blow up four
freight steamships sailing from New
York for Havre in April and May by
concealing bombs in the holds became
known through the arrival of H. c.
Hill, passenger on the French liner
Espagne, who was in Havre when two
of the explosives were discovered. The
vessels were all English freighters
that had been chartered by the French
line to carry auto trucks, tractors and
munitions of war to Havre for the
French government.
The first steamship was the Devon
City, sailing ON April 27, followed by
the Lord Erne and the Cressington
Court on April 20 and the Bankdale on
May s. These ships were loaded at
case two bombs were placed on hoard
in different parts of the snip amid the
cargo, so that if one explosive missed
fire the other might burst.
Mr.. Hill, who handled one of the
bombs found in an autotruck case at
Havre on May 2S, said it consisted of
two metal cylinders covered with wax.
One cylinder was filed with sulphuric
acid and the other with some high
chemical explosive. the idea being that
the acid would eat through the metal
and set the explosive off when the ship
was in midocean. The second bomb on
the Bankdale was found at Havre on
May 80, hidden in a sack of wheat,
where it would have been smothered
even if it had exploded, Mr.. Hill said.
Cews Sought In Vain.
French detectives at Havre searched
the cargoes of all ships coming from
United States ports because similar
bombs had been found on the Crossing
ton Court and the Lord Erne, which ar.
rived there on May II and Is, re-
s0ectively, but no clew could be found
among the crews as to the manner in
which the explosives had been placed.
Captain Proctor of the Devon City
found two bombs wrapped up in paper
on top of the cargo down No. hold
four days after leaving New York on
April 27. He threw one of them over.
board and kept the other as Il souvenir
after carefully removing the contents
to avoid any mistakes later, he ex
planned. Whoever had taken the bombs
on board the Devon City did not have
time to secrete them in the autotrucI
cases or wheat sacks.
The finding of these explosives on the
four British freighters was reported tC
Washington from Havre, and the piers
in South Brooklyn were visited by Sc
cret service agents to get some clew
but without success.
1t was after the receipt Of this mes
sage from Havre that stringent in
structions were issued to the employ
ees at the French line piers not to al
low any strangers on board the liners
on sailing day. This order referred
also to the officers and crews of Other
vessels Of the company that might be
in port at the time, even though the
men were in uniform. The agents OF
the Holland-American line issued simi
lar instructions, and all the steamship
companies prohibited any package be
ing taken on board their ships without
its first being opened on the pier fol
examination.
Washington officials Silent.
The authorities in Washington re
quested that the finding of the bombs
should not be made public, as it might
serve to defeat the ends of justice In
warning guilty persons.
Sir Courtenay Bennett, British con
sui general in New York, admitted thai
he had received report of the bombs
being secreted on the four steamships
but did not know If any clew had beer
discovered in Washington or Havre re
garding the identity of the offenders.
Mr.. Hill said that he was the Euro
pean representative of an automobile
company of Springfield, Mass, and had
been in France for the last eight
months with the allies.
"The finding of these bombs in the
cargoes of the British steamships ar
riving from New York did not create
so much excitement at Havre as il
would have under normal conditions, >
he continued. "The war was brought
very near to the French seaport by
such incidents as two steamships be
ing torpedoed and sunk within ten
miles of the city, where the wrecks
lie now, and the continuous arrival OF
the trains filed with the wounded
from the front"