The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-31
GERMAN LINERS NOW
CARRY TROOPS OVER.
! informed ships Repaired and in Com
mission Prove Valuable Addt-
/ ton tn Transport Service.
vNTERLAND LEADS FLEET
TT lde of Prussihn Merchant Marine
Now Called Teviathan. Seems Fast
or Than Ever in Hands OF Amer
lean Engineers.

Washington. Jan. 20.--More than
now in the transport service of the
United States
/ Every enemy vessel seized by this
( government has been overhauled and
fHut in operation. Remarkable records
I'm repairing the great fleet OF leu
toElc liners were made by American
navy yards and ship yards.
{ Many of the conascated merchant
irlen already have carried troo~~ and
supplies to France. Several round
traps have been made 10y some Of the
former German ships
J. The Naterisud made better speed
under American engineers than the
Germans ever got ont Of her,
Giant pi1ntA 10 provide dry docking
/ facilities for the mammoth enemy
s'c0mers are under construction nioue
tho atlantic coast.
Secretary of the Navy Daniels to-
day paid high tributr 10 the American
engineers who made possible the use
iof the tremy tonnage In record time
The Ge~m 51z thought they had left
the Natorland UNIT for further ser
vice. said the secretary. a deternin-
cd EFFORT was made by the German
e. So 10 damage all the war bound
vessels beyond hope o; repair
Lifts Pan Of secrecy.
The ban OF secrecy surrounding the
former. German ships was lifted TO.
day. For the drat time permission
waF given for publication of the ar
rival in France OF large fleet OF the
seized liners, Sixteen landed thou
sands OF American troops and great
carsoes Of supplies on the other side
The former Vnterland. now the
bsviathau. headed the fotilla. The
u her transports were the CoyinEton
Can nFVnati. President Grant. Presi-
trcoin. Powhatan. America Made
waaka, George Washington, Mount
Vernon Agamemnon, AetoIus. Mer-
curry. Poeahoutas, Huron, Antigone
and two former Austrian steamers.
The Baron Won Steuben and the
Baron de kaihe. formerly the Ger
man converted cruisers Kronprtnz
Wilhelm and tho Prince Eitel Fred
ertck, also are enEs~ed rn active ser
vice, It was announced today The
Wilhelm and Ejtel sought refuge In
Hampton Roads after Commensurate
tEt voyages in the Atlantic and Pm
clhc
Ships Good as New.
The confscated merchantmen now
are IN almost perfect condition.
American genius has made them as
good as new Secretary Daniels said
Not moments time was lost In
completing the tremendous task"
The secretary was especially enthu-
siastic about the wonderful work of
the American naval officer who was
responsible for the successful nver-
haulfng of the Vaterland The en-
CINE system vf~ the German pride OF
the seas was extremely complicated /
HAf hfrFT Hha
this country The Germans boasted
that the AnrNricans would not be able
10 operate her because there was not
n engineer In the United States who
could master her engines
70 make 1t certain. as they thought. |
that the Nateriand could not be used.
she was left In a state Of complete
wreck in the interior when the crew
was taken off
BY new process of welding and |
other astonishing engineering feats |
the naval engineer assigned to the
Nateriand virtually rebuilt the en-
gines. continued the secretary. |
Many Of the complications and in /
trlcecies OF the machinery were re-
moved Practical American parts
took their places"
Lcrtathan Hetter Than LIVER.
The nations highest engineering au-
Ni4"t itiNS Nttf1FFu. aFtSF an exhaustive /
inspection that the Ieviathan was a /
far better ship than the former Water !
lnNd.
The same young officer who rebuilt
the FRterland's engines was placed in
charge Of her machinery for service
as transport After her bottom had
been scraped and painted, he ran her
across and back at n rate of speed
two knots faster than her original
owners ever made with her One
round trip from New York to France
was completed within eleven days, a
high naval officer stated
All OF the seized liners are manned
by naval crews
The Germans thought that they
had destroyed their ships" continued
the secretary, But they are all II
available now They are being used
in transport and other service. The
navy is using most Of this tonnage. |
The remainder is engaged In the ser
Vice Of other government depart.
nents
Bliss Alice Quarles.