DIY History | Transcribe | World War I Diaries and Letters | Conger Reynolds newspaper clippings, 1916-1919 | 1918-01-28 Clipping: ""In Flanders Fields"" Page 2

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Conger Reynolds newspaper clippings, 1916-1919

1918-01-28 Clipping: ""In Flanders Fields"" Page 2

these ships had been interned their German crews
had been living on board them, and when it became
pretty certain that the German submarine campaign
would bring America into the war, systematic efforts were made, under instructions from the German Government, to damage the machinery of the ships beyond repair--a task which was undertaken in the most whole-hearted manner.
"As the American dock officials were watching to prevent overt injury, the crews could not employ explosives to blow the ships up, or to smash the machinery to pieces, but as much mutilation and destruction as possible was effected by other means. In the first place, such things as valves and other fittings of a special character were thrown overboard or otherwise done away with. It is worthy of note that this was done mainly in the case of such parts as were likely to be on hand as spares in the home ports; so that in case the United States did not, after all, enter the war, the ships could be commissioned again quickly when hostilities ceased. On the other sand, it was expected that the absence of these special fittings would render it difficult, if not impossible, for the Americans, without them, to make the ships fit for use. Quite apart from this, the mutilation of the machinery was carried out in vital parts, and was done with great thoroughness. The vast cylinders of the big engines- which would, no doubt, have been blown up by the dynamite had the Huns dared- were broken systematically by boring holes in curved lines so as to mark out a huge piece of the cylinder walls, and then knocking out the pieces thus marked by battering the weak spots with a ram rigged up for the purpose. Where the more delicate machinery was involved, parts were forced up by jacks until they were bent or broken, and the damage done to the boilers was very extensive. In addition to the breaking of valve-chests, circulating pumps, steam and exhaust nozzles on main engines, etc., many of the boilers were "dry fired;" that is to say, they were emptied of their water and the fires lit and stoked up, the great heat generated thus warping, cracking, and melting the boiler-tubes.
"With devilish ingenuity, much damage was done in a way which it was hoped would bring destruction to the ships and those in charge of them, if any a steam-pipe would be plugged by disjointing the pipe and inserting a solid piece of brass, sawed off flush with the joint, the pipe then being reconnected, thus showing no evidence of having been tampered with. Rod-stays on boilers were broken off, but the external nuts were soldered to the exposed surface, this making it appear as if they were still in place. In other cases the threads of bolts in vital positions were destroyed, the bolts being replaced and held by one or two threads only, left for the purpose. These threads, of course, would have promptly given way had any pressure been put upon them. Again, it was found by the United States authorities that

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these ships had been interned their German crews had been living on board them, and when it became pretty certain that the German submarine campaign would bring America into the war, systematic efforts were made, under instructions from the German Government, to damage the machinery of the ships beyond repair--a task which was undertaken in the most whole-hearted manner. "As the American dock officials were watching to prevent overt injury, the crews could not employ explosives to blow the ships up, or to smash the machinery to pieces, but as much mutilation and destruction as possible was effected by other means. In the first place, such things as valves and other fittings of a special character were thrown overboard or otherwise done away with. It is worthy of note that this was done mainly in the case of such parts as were likely to be on hand as spares in the home ports; so that in case the United States did not, after all, enter the war, the ships could be commissioned again quickly when hostilities ceased. On the other sand, it was expected that the absence of these special fittings would render it difficult, if not impossible, for the Americans, without them, to make the ships fit for use. Quite apart from this, the mutilation of the machinery was carried out in vital parts, and was done with great thoroughness. The vast cylinders of the big engines- which would, no doubt, have been blown up by the dynamite had the Huns dared- were broken systematically by boring holes in curved lines so as to mark out a huge piece of the cylinder walls, and then knocking out the pieces thus marked by battering the weak spots with a ram rigged up for the purpose. Where the more delicate machinery was involved, parts were forced up by jacks until they were bent or broken, and the damage done to the boilers was very extensive. In addition to the breaking of valve-chests, circulating pumps, steam and exhaust nozzles on main engines, etc., many of the boilers were "dry fired;" that is to say, they were emptied of their water and the fires lit and stoked up, the great heat generated thus warping, cracking, and melting the boiler-tubes. "With devilish ingenuity, much damage was done in a way which it was hoped would bring destruction to the ships and those in charge of them, if any a steam-pipe would be plugged by disjointing the pipe and inserting a solid piece of brass, sawed off flush with the joint, the pipe then being reconnected, thus showing no evidence of having been tampered with. Rod-stays on boilers were broken off, but the external nuts were soldered to the exposed surface, this making it appear as if they were still in place. In other cases the threads of bolts in vital positions were destroyed, the bolts being replaced and held by one or two threads only, left for the purpose. These threads, of course, would have promptly given way had any pressure been put upon them. Again, it was found by the United States authorities that