The evening world., 1917-02-01
CHANCE
OF HODOKEN SHIPS
MAKING A DASH
All Rusty and Most of Them
Sunk in Mud-Watch
Against Disablement.


matum was apparently known in ilo-
boken before 70 reached the newspap-
cis OF Now York. The bulk OF the big
fleet flying the German flag. which
has been detained IN port since the
beginning of the war, ~ docked at
lIoboken \ constant watch has been
kept on these vessels by the United
states Government
About 90 per cent. OF the officers
and men Of the crews ot che sixteen
ships tied up in the New Jersey port
Is stlll standing by the craft. The
officers make their headquarters In
the IIofbrau House, on River Street
opposite the piers OF the Hamburg
American Line. This morning II was
said In the cafe OF the hotel that the
officers knew all about what was com
ing off as early as yesterday after
noon.
There was unwontod excitement
among the patrons OF the bar
rumor was current that something
was going 20 happen to the ships.
, Customs officers OF Collector OF the
| Port Malono's Neutrality Squad got
busy last night and with the aid OF
| Chief of Police Hayes and his men,
thorough searches were made of the
piers OF the Hamburg American and
/ North German Lloyd piers.
This morning there appeared at the
pier OF the Hamburg American II
- Id ,.Hl.. a haf
| he had a note for the steward OF the
! Vatcrland. lie was denied admission
and was finally elected by the gate
, wdtchman. 70 reporters at the gate,
who were also denied admission, he
said that word had been received In
/ lloboken yesterday In regard to the
present situation. The message said
/ that there was likelihood of trouble
between this country and Germany.
In the event OF war; he said, the
officers OF the Hamburg American
and North German Lloyd vessels
were 10 disable the machinery OF the
steamers 30 that the u. y. could not
utilize them for at least four or five
months
Not much credenoe is placed in tho
rumor that the feet was preparing TO
er Wilhelm der Crosse in tho early
days of the war. The ships have
been lying In their present berths Tor
more than two years. They are all
lying In the mud The piers have not
been drcdgcd since the ships occu-
pied their positions: so that the ships
are dirty and tightly wedged and
couldn't get away If they wanted to.
The fleet comprises the Naterland,
the biggest steamer in tho world: the
President Lincoln. President Grant,
! NaSsova, Pennsylvania, Pisa and
Armenia Of the Hamburg American
| line; ana the larburg, Magdeburg,
Adamsturr, Kaiser Frederick der
Crosse, Kaiser Wilhelm H.. George
/ Washington. Princess Irene. Grosser
, kurfuerst and lbLrbarossa Of tho
/ North German Lloyd.
/ Deputy surveyor OF the Port Will
lam Buechlor, in charge of the Ho-
bOken district said this morning that
every ship in the Hoboken docks was
submitted to "A search three times IA
day.
1T is hardly possible" he said,
that any explosives could be taken
aboard. We have a guard at each
/ gate and one at the end OF each
pier Armed men are on each vessel
and roundsmen patrol every pier.
/ Systematic Investigations of the ves-
sells are made three times IA day.
kTherc arc eighteen men Of the neu-
! trallty squad, three shifts being made
| i'm the day. Each shift makes an in
! Nestigation.
"There is no change In tho situa-
| lion this morning. The force has not
been Increased. and there isn't a
chance for II dash to sea. None OF
| the steamers could get far In their
] N
1t. They are all foul and have no
| coal The Naterlnnd is shy or coal
! for its electric lighting ana hcatihs
| apparatus ana for the steam neces-
sary TO keep It's engines going IN case
Of fire"
Two Austrian steamers, Ida and
Dora. are interncd at the foot or
! twenty seventh street, south Brooh-
. ly.n. and have been there for two
years. In order to guard them ana
| other ships OF the bclligerent nations
mt Brooklyn piers. detectives or the
! Police Department are on duty along
! 'hc water front from Fulton street 10
/ sixty nfth Street. BAY Ridge dis.
tance OF about two ana one" ha't
miles. ,,-,.
/ Word came 10 Collector Malone
mis- morning that there had been
signs OF great activity last night
aboard the steamship Martha Wash
ington at Brady's Wharf staten
island. and he ordered an extra wt'ch
NM aboard Of her to see that sne
1bcvs the law. This ship of 5000 tons
IA the largest vessel In the Meet OF
the Austrian American Line, whlch
runs between mere and Trieste Al
the beginning OF the war she was
laid up IN South Hr0oklyn.
The ship was COalcd ana pro,
vlsiuued and "A full crew put apohra
Of her "A month ago and she was
moved to Brady's wharf.
Nothing suspicious was round
aboard the i've big liners at one
Hundred and Thirty eighth street
hut carly to-day Police Inspector
Thomas Ryan detailed twenty police
men to keep close watch on the pier
mst urr Riverside Drive. u Is be-
= lieved he did II on the request Of the
Federal authorities. Ills instructions
were: he on the lookout for any
, kind OF trouble"
, WARSHIPS IN PORT ARE
SUFFICIENT FOR NEEDS,