chanced to find a written record
of the damage inflicted. In every other case the search for evidence of
sabotage was blind. This memorandum in the case of the one ship was
evidently left on board through an oversight, and written in German, was
a veritable guide-book for our engineers. In order that the reader may
have some idea of the sort of damage done, the following extracts from
that memorandum of destructiveness is herewith presented:

"Starboard and port high pressure cylinders with valve chest; upper
exhaust outlet flange broken off. (Cannot be repaired.)"

"Starboard and port second intermediate valve chest; steam inlet flange
broken off, (Cannot be repaired.)"

"First intermediate pressure starboard exhaust pipes of exhaust line to
second intermediate pressure flange broken off. (Cannot be repaired.)"

"Starboard and port low pressure exhaust pipe damaged. (Cannot be
repaired.)"

Naval officers are pleased to recall that every single one of these
supposedly irreparable injuries was not only repaired, but speedily
repaired. Patching and welding were the answer to the problem they
presented. Both these valuable methods had never been employed in marine
engineering, although they had been used by the railroads for some
fifteen years. There are three methods; or, rather, three methods were
employed: electric welding, oxyacetylene welding, and ordinary
mechanical patching. After repairs were effected tests of the machinery
were first made at the docks with the ships lashed to the piers, the
propellers being driven at low speed. Later each vessel was taken to sea
for vigorous trial tests, and everything was found to be perfectly
satisfactory. Indeed, it has been asserted that several knots were added
to the best speed that the _Vaterland_--renamed _Leviathan_--ever made.

Of course the crew of the _Vaterland_ had spared no pains in fixing that
great ship so that she could not be used; even so they had less to do
than the engine forces of other craft, for the reason that the vessel
was in extremely bad repair as she was. As a consequence, she was one of
the German ships that were least mutilated. When repairs were completed
and it was time for her trial trip, her commander, a young American
naval officer, was ordered to test the big craft in every way, to
utilize every pound of steam pressure, and to try her out to the limit.
For, if there was anything wrong with the vessel, the navy wished to
know it before s