Norwich bulletin., 1917-04-07
Fifth Company.
OLD GLORY NOW
 FLIES OVER WIELEHAD
Crew of German Liner at State Pier
 Taken to Ellis Island.


 Crew of German Liner at State Pier Taken to Ellis Island.
 At dawn Friday the Stars and Stripes floated from the masthead of the Willehad. Dopularly known as the mother ship" of the Deutschland, which for several months has been lye1g at the state steamship terminal in New London.
 by Collector of Customs JSmes l.. Me- Govern, who at 3.35 Friday morning took possession of the North German Lloyd liner In doing so he made the Jachems: Under the authority vested in me by the United States of Amer ica, hereby requisition this ship
 The taking over of the Willehad is New York and Washington as one of the most interesting incidents in the proceedings preliminary to war The feat was accomplished with clock-like precision. Officers and members of the crew were caught mapping in the broadest sense of the word for all of them were sound asleep when Col lector McGovern. Capt. F. c. Billiard. Lieut.. T. G. Crapster. Lieut.. H. F. R. M. Daniels and R. J. German of the Coast Guard academy.
 Chief Machinist c. E. Briggs of the submarine base, Immigration Inspec- tor g. H. Howes of Portland Me- iector Joseph c. Comstock and In sDector P. J. Dillon. IA cadets and 30 enlisted men from the Coast Guard academy boarded the liner and trans ferred her into the possession of the Urited States.
 The sei7r,re of the ship was practic- ally siml/aneous with the Associated Press iespatch of the passage of the rr-rx.r .1,.ks ks7rx I, sentatives Acting under orders pre- vio,Isly- received. the officers and men above named had secreted themselves at various points about the steamship mentg, arriving by different routes and few minutes apart.
 The storm was at it's height and those of the invading party who were quickly drenched to the skin. Collector McGovern was stationed in the private customs office at the pier awaiting the magic word from the Western Union office. Message after message came in code. telling of the progress of affairs in the house At last there flashed over the woreaa sin gle word which may be interpreted as "Go."
 Tn less than four minutes from that hands of Uncle Sam. The rapidity and success with which the task was accomplished received the highest enconiums from federal authorities No resistance was offered when the officials awakened the sleeping officers and crew of the liner. Collector Mo Govern was the first man to step on board and right at his heels was Chief Machinist Briggs of the submarine base.
 The latter made a quick dive for the engine room. What he discovered has not been given out officially but i1 fI10V fxr ys7ira af1 cannot be questioned that the engines of the ship had been disabled and it is also run1ored that sand was found in some of the bearings. It is said that the damage is not serious and can be readily repaired.
 According to a naval expert, it would have taken not over five min utes for the crew to sink the ship had they been desirous of doing so. There was no evidence, however, that any such action was contemplated. There was more than one humorous incident connected with the seizure of tn vessel An enlisted man from the Goa st Guard service entered a cabin and aroused the sleeping occupant Put on your clothes.' he ordered. The drowsy occupant, an officer, jumped the first article of wearing apparel he put on was his hat.
 Officers and crew numbered S7 men, the total being the same that orig finally came to New London. One sailor, ". Foster. was too i'll to be moved and was permitted to remain aboard the liner. He is suffering from a severe attack of rheumatisn. Later he was taken to the hospital in care of In- spector Dillon.
 The remaining 36 were escorted to the custom house under guard, where they remained for the balance of the night. MaSte of the men had theiI luggage already packed in trunks, c n anticipating they might be called on to move unexpectedly
 At s.30 Friday morning officers and crew, in charge of a detail from the Second regiment in command of Ser geant Binley. were taken to the the liberty of the bill of fare for breakfast They ate heartily, their appetites apparently not being affected by the. unfortunate predicament in which they had been placed.
 While the men were breakfasting their belongings were taken over from the WiIlehad in motor trucks. Their effects nearly blocked the cor ridor of the custom house. In the meantime Immigration Inspector NJ. I F. Brophy of New York had arrived with 15 assistants and the care of the Germans and their baggage was entrusted to them. Inspector Howes formally transferred the cus- tody to the New York official.
 Before the Germans had returned | from the Crocker house their lug gage was once more loaded on motor | trucks and taken to the baggage l room at the Union station. A care l full count was kept of every piece.
 Captain Jachens of the Willehad | did not march with the members of | the crew on their way back from the | hotel, but instead rode in an auto | mobile with Collector McGovern and