The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-07
DAMAGE TO SHIPS
IN OUR SEAP0RTS
PROVING GREATER
Cecilie Made Helpless at
Boston by !Germany's !
Order, Says Ship Officer

New York, Feb. 7..From Washing
ton there has been received inforna-
ton that last Wednesday afternoon
orders were issued for the Gripping OF
every one OF the 81 German and Aus
trian vessels laid up in American
ports.
This information was corroborated
by reports from many OF these ports
and by admissions made last night In
quarters close to the two big German
lines.
The Gripping was not done by the
cracking OF cylinder heads and the
removal OF fastenings. although this
was done in every instance as means
OF beclouding the actual situation. and
in the reports so far made public this
has appeared to be the principal ex-
tent of the damage.
The real wrecking was done by the
removal from the ships themselves OF
! vital parts OF the engines These were
taken to places where they might be
kept in safety pending determine
ton Of the relations between the
United States and Germany.
Hidden In Case OF War.
If there was to be peace. these parts
aNOuiQ DS I0SSOA III WASAVyS 49,
If there was to be war, the parts
would remain where they were, the
places being unknown to any but
those who had hid them.
This meant that no one Of the big
ger and more valuable ships could be
put into use in less than six months
In most instances the time required
would be nine months, for the engines
in nearly every German and Austrian
ship now on this side the Atlantic is
of Teutonic manufacture and it's parts
could not be replaced from factories in
this country.
The only other way in which the
ships could be made Of service would
be by the installation OF entirely new
equipment. This would be matter
of long preparation and of doubtful
success, because so many of the ships
were designed for the use of the very
engines they received.
Order Before Note Delivered.
The information here is that these
orders were sent out at 2 O'Clock.
Wednesday afternoon. This was in
advance Of the delivery to the State
Department OF the note setting forth
the terms Of Germany's new submar-
inc policy.
This indicates that Germany had
carefully attended to every eventual
ity of .her new program. The in
structions that came to Count Won
Bernstorf must have included in
structions regarding the action to be
taken in regard to the self-detained
vessels, and this action plainly in
volved consideration of the diplomatic
consequences Of the new policy.
Before this Information came from
. Washington the fact had been estab-
lished that four of the thirty-one ves-
sells laid up in the Por- of New York
had been crippled. One of these,
as became known last Friday, was
the Austrian Hhnalaia, lying at, the
Port Newark Terminal, Newark Say.
Port of1cials would not make known
the identity of the others, but it be-
came known that they were craft of
about the Himalaia's size--4,948 tons
lying at ,Hoboken and at One Hun.
dred and Thirty-f1fth street and the
Hudson river. There was reason to
believe that one Of them. was the Al
lemanda.
What actual damage was done to
others Of the fleet of self-detafned
ships is not known in official circles.
1t Is known, however, that all were
IN proper condition at the first Of the
year, when they were inspected with
he consent of the German Consul
General Under the treaty of 1893
with Prussia such inspections may be
made by either nation with the 9TH
er's permission. Until a week ago
this permission was granted here ev
cry time 1t was asked, though It was
sometimes taken under considera-
ton" Now United States officers
may not go below the upper decks Of
the vessels
Four inspections were n1--s Is.
Thursday before the decision was
reached to grant no further permits
sion. In every instance it was found
that cylinder heads were cracked.
parts of machinery had been displac-
ed or that the engines were "appar-
emily out OF commission" None Of
the inspectors who made these re-
ports was a marine engineer or had
any technical knowledge of machin-
cry. They reported conditions that
would be obvious to aLy observer.
Since Saturday men OF the Neutral
ity Squad, in one or two instances
have gone, aboard the ships they are
guarding. No one has been below
decks, and no one has had more than
a cursory view of even the upper
deck. New restrictions were placed
yesterday by the officials Of the North