Ripley County democrat., 1918-01-18
SEIZED GERMAN
Ships IN SERVICE.
Damage Done to l09 Vessels Re-
paired by Processes
Deemed Unique.
HOPES OF FOE ARE BAFFlED
Written Orders Show Central Author.
ltS Gave Instructions for Making
Craft useIess--Navy Makes
u Great Record.

Washington.--Every one Of the 1Of
German ships seized by the United
States is in the transport or cargo
service, the damage deliberately done
to their engines having been repaired
thoroughly.
This information was given ont by
the committee on public information In
the course Of statement which again
confirmed the stories Of the destruc.
tion .secretly performed by German
crews by orders from Berlin.
In the statement the committee says
that "there Is evidence that a German
central authority gave an order for de-
struction on these ships effective on
or about February /. 1917, simultnne.
GUS with the date set for unrestricted
submarine warfare, and that the pur-
pose was to inflict such vital damage
to the machinery Of oil German ships
In our ports that none, could be oper-
ated for from 18 months to two years.
This purpose hns been defeated in sig
mol fashion. m less than eight months
all the ships were in service"
Committee Tells OF Repalra
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.
"To obtain new machinery would
have entailed a prolonged process Of
design, manufacture and installation.
Urged by the necessity Of conserving
time, the engineers or 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 q
thorough job or 1t. Their scheme Of
ruin was shrewdly devised. deliberate
" ySexecuted. and II 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 18 monthsa fnir 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
he accomplished by patching and weld
ing declared II was possible to clear
the ships for service by Christmas, and
the last Of the feet actually took her
final sea test andswas ordered into
service as a Thanksgiving gift to the
nation.
Many Volunteered Service.
ITO accomplish this end the navy
department secured the services Of oil
available machinery weiders and
patchers. many Of them having been
voluntarily offered by the railroads.
"hfost Of the time that elapsed be-
tween the date on which work was be-
gun and the date on which the last
ship was put into commission after
vigorous tests was, In fact, chargeable
less to the actual repair work than
to the tedious task Of dismantling all
machinery from bow to stern Of every
ship for inspection. thus eliminating
every chance Of overlooking concealed
mutilation."
The governments repair forces
worked always In apprehension Of con-
cealed explosives. They found every
where on the ships instances Of artful
pipe plugging Of concenling steel nuts
and bolts In delicate cylinders, Of de-
posting ground glass In oil pipes ami
bearings. Of cunningiy changed indi-
Gators. of filling Gre extinguishers With
sasolene. The statement goes On to
say.
THE method Of patching and weld
Ing broken marine engines had never
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