The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-01-13


were purchased by a machinist ana
boiler maker and stored in the Erie
basin, where they remained sever2'
years, neglected and uncared f0r'
Soon after the war broke out they
suddenly became the objects of great
activity. A number Of workmen ap-
peared on the scene, the decks were
scraped and painted, the engines ana
machinery overhauled and the boats
soon took on the racy, businesslike
appearance which had distinguished
them when they were on the active
naval list.
Sale Falls Through.
No explanation of this sudden
change could be obtained, so customs
guards were placed in charge of the
boats day and night, with instructions
to forbid them leaving the pier until
the collector had given permission for
them to do so. The owner then ap-
peared and stated that he was nego-
| tiating the sale of the craft and that
they were to be taken up to the great
lakes. 1t was shown to him that all
that would be necessary to make the
vessels effective fighting machines
| would be to mount couple of tor
pedo tubes on the decks, which still
contained the ringbolts and the bases
on which the torpedo tubes had for
| merly been mounted.
Also it was shown to the owner that
as there were two British cruisers on
guard outside of New York harbor,
the possibilities in case these torpedo
boats should fall into the hands OF
irresponsible parties were too serious
to be lightly disregarded, and that II
the vessels were sold they would not
be permitted to leave the custody OF
the customs authorities until the iden-
tity of the new owner and his pur-
pose OF acquiring craft of this type
were fully investigated. The negotia-
tions for the sale of the boats appar-
emily fell through, for at the present
time they are still in the hands OF
the same owner and are still under
the supervision of the neutrality bu-
reau, day and night.
The great fleet of German and Aus
trian passenger and merchant yes
sells CIT of the former and four OF
the latter now tied up at the docks
in the New York harbor has been
under the constant surveillance of the
neutrality squad" These vessels are
not informed. They are merely self
detained" and, so far as the United
States is concerned, are quite as free
to come and go as the ships of any
other nation, if they so elect. All that
the customs authorities demand is
that any cargo taken aboard shall con-
form strictly to our neutrality laws
and the vessels clear according to the
proper formalities.
Vast Amount of Work.
A trip around the harbor in the
launch Neutrality, which is always
ready to respond at moments notice
to an emergency call from Mr.. Ma
lone or any of his subordinates, gives
some idea of the vast amount of work
and the tremendous responsibility in
volved in keeping the port of New
York neutral.
Exorbitant freight rates and the GER
tainty of obtaining cargoes have
drawn ships of all descriptions from
all sections of the globe to these wa
tiers. The oldest sailors say they have
never before seen such a large and
ill-assorted fleet of tramp ships as
there is now in the harbor. Any sort
of craft that will keep afioat is well
coined by shippers.
Millions and millions of dollars
worth of war supplies purchased by
the allies are awaiting shipment. The
volume of exports now going out of
New York from week to week far ex-
ceeds any previous movement of the
kind from any port in the world in
the history of modern times. The
shipyards of Europe, America and
Asia have been ransacked; craft that
had been assigned to the scrap heap
has been resurrected and put into
commission. Some of these ships
have made more money for their own
ers on a single voyage than their
actual worth in the market. The
shippers are not particular what sort
of cargo they carry. Dynamite or gun
powder, automobiles or mules are
all the same to them so long as they
can get the benefit of the high rates
which this wartime traffic bears.
Passing under the shadows of the
great German steamships tied up at
their docks in Hoboken after the man
ner in which an ice company is forced
to stable its horses in the winter time,
a tour of investigation soon leads to
scenes of unusual activity along the
piers at Weehawken. The huge grain
elevators operated by the West Shore
railroad are pouring wheat by the
hundreds of thousands of bushels into
the steel hulks of vessels steaming
under the Norwegian and Danish
flags. A little further along the
French steamship Kangaroo is loading
with tons and tons of steel billets to
be used in making firearms and am
munition.
Freight Piled High.
Across the way another big steel
freighter, scheduled to steam for
vladivostok, Russia. is Viking on
cargo that is of unique character.
1t is composed in part of steel rails,
the steel frames and trucks Of freight
Is