The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-01-11
SEIZED GERMAN
SHIPS IN SERVICE
Damage Done to 1909 Vessels Re-
paired by Processes
Deemed Unique.
HOPES OF FOE ARE BAFFLED
Written Orders Show Central Author
lty Gave Instructions for Making
Craft Useless-Navy Makes
Great Record.

Washington.-Every one OF the 10.
German ships seized by the United
States is in the transport or cargo
service, the damage deliberately don.
to~thelr engines having been repaired
thoroughly.
This information was given out by
the committee on public information in
the course of a statement which again
confirmed the stories of the destruc-
ton secretly performed by German
crews by orders from Berlin.
In the statement the committee says
that s'there is evidence that German
central authority gave an order for de-
struction on these ships effective on
or about February i, 1917, simultane-
GUS with the date set for unrestricted
submarine warfare, and that the pur-
pose was to infiict such vital damage
to the machinery of all German ships
in our ports that none could be oper-
ated for from is months to two years
This pHrpese-ffas been defeated in sig
nal fashion. In less than eight months
all the ships We're in service"
Committee Tells of Repairs.
In describing the means taken by
the government TO repair and reclaim
three ships the public information COM
mittee says:
There is documentary proof that the
enemy believed the damage irrepara-
BILE.
ITO obtain new machinery would
Aave entailed prolonged process of
design, manufacture and installation.
Urged by the necessity of conserving
time, the engineers of the navy depart
ment succeeded by unique means In
patching and welding the broken parts
and replacing all of the standard parts
which the Germans detached from
their engines and destroyed or threw
overheard.
"The mechanical evidence is that
the campaign of destruction was oper-
ated on these ships for more than two
months and that the Germans were
convinced that they were making a
thorough job of it. Their scheme of
ruin was shrewdly devised, deliberate
iy executed, and 1t ranged from the
plugging of steam pipes to the utter
demolition of boilers by dry firing
when the United States shipping
board experts first surveyed the ruin
the belief was expressed that much
new machinery would have to be de-
signed, manufactured and installed.
making IS months fair minimum esti-
mate of the time required. However,
at the navy department, where the
need of troop and cargo ships was an
urgent issue, officers of the bureau of
steam engineering, having faith that !
the major portion of the repairs could
be accomplished by patching and weld
Ing, declared it was possible to clear !.
the ships for service by Christmas, and .
the last of the feet actually took her
nnal sea test and was ordered into
service as a Thanksgiving gift to the
nation.
Many Volunteered Service.
ITO accomplish this end the navy
department secured the services Of all
available machinery welders and +
many of them having been
voluntarily offered by the railroads. F
Most of the time that elapsed be-
tween the date on which work was be-
gun and the date on which the last !,
snip was put into commission after
vigorous tests was, in fact, chargeable T
ess to the actual repair work than
o the tedious task Of dismantiing all n
machinery from bow to stern Of every
NIP for inspection. thus eliminating
very chance of overlooking concealed N
nutilation."
The governments repair forces Je
worked always in apprehension Of con- G.
called explosives They found every Fl
Vhere ON the ships instances Of artfuI G.
lpe plugging Of concealing steel nuts
no bolts in delicate cylinders, OF de- "
ositing ground glass in oil pipes and c.
earrings. of cunningly changed indI- w
ators. of filling fire extinguishers with ~
asolene. The statement goes on to
ay. J.
'Ihe method of patching and weld n.
lg broken marine engines had never =.
eiore been practiced, although the art =
as been known in the railroad Indus
y Tor 10 years. Three methods of w
atching were used; electric welding =,
xiacetylene welding and ordinary me y y,
lanical patching. the latter often later ~
eng welded. Following the repairs. =,
,sts of the machinery were first made ~ ~,
the docks, where the ships were w,
shed firmly to the piers while the pro- Jei
eiiers were driven at low speed. and
ter each ship was taken to sea for Ch
gorous trial tests. The patches and Ar
elds were reported as having given Wi
'mplete satisfaction. NJ.
The former German liners sailing
lder distinctiyely American names Iof
e lifted as troop and cargo ships. FRI
lch is convertible to a completely M
Iuipped hospital ship for return vow. Sal
Q service. The fleet of seized mar.
anthem added 100000 tons TO the 9.
nerican merchant marine. ).