The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-05-02

New York. May 2.-Submarine mine No.
was freed from it's moorings i'm tl-
lower bay some time on Saturday night,
and was found drifting off the Jersey
coast. near. Long Branch. yesterday at
ternoon. IL was loaded and capped. and
dragged after it the severed cable which
had formerly bound il TO its connections
at the BOTTOM of the bay. There is no
way to explain its crratic movements.
than to say it was cut loose and set
adrift by some one.
The eath-dealing instrument is now
moored by a rope TO the beach near
North Long Branch. where IL was the
object of much distant inspection by the
populace yesterday afternoon The mine
is a galvanized affair, about three feet
long. with a cable attached at one end.
and a circular cap closing the other. II
is the regulation submarine mine. with
clockwork attachment, and containing
sufficient high explosive TO blow a ship
out OF the water
BENJAMIN Luther an engineer in the
fire department at Long Branch. discov-
cred the thing adrift He was taking a
Sunday stroll on the beach at Gallilee
when he noticed the curious looking OBJ
iect a hundred yards OF shore. He
thought at first il was a beer barrel bJit
its conical shape undeceiYed him. ana
he reported his find TO Copt. Nelson
Lockwood. of the life-saving station al
Gallilee Capt. Lockwood and crew
went after the visitor. and. securing il
with a rope, towed il TO shore. As soon
as the captain got near il he knew whaI
il was.
The derelict was moored, the people
were warned away from the vicinity and
word was sent 10 the officials at Sandy
Hook. There was CONSERVATION at the
Hook. and word was instantly telegraph
ed TO the captain to keep all the people
at a safe distance from the instrument
and to 10 careful in his own handling Of
H. The warning was hardly necessary.
as the visitors To the beach gave the
thing wide birth. The life-saving sta
ton put a guard over ii and awaited in
structions from Sandy Hook.
A message finally came which said that
n boat would be sent for the mine early
this morning. and that in the meantime
nobody must. De allowed TO handle the
affair.
There Is. $40 accounting for the drifting
OF the mine except upon the one hypoth-
esis that the cable was cut. The officers
say that The Gordon OF mines which sur
round the lower bay has been placed with
the utmost care. and with all the modern
appliances. and that such "A thing as one
OF the instruments freeing itself H. i'm
possible. Neither would a ships anchor
have dragged one from its mooTings with
out having disturbed the entire series
and there has been no indication tha
the other mines have been interfere,
with
There will be- an immediate inveStiga
tiou. The cable which is attached 10 m,
lower end Of the conical-shaped barrel o
death il Dot. frayed. there are no raggc,
ends. and in his desutory examination
capt. Lockwood could see no marks or
rhe mine or cable TO Indicate that an an.
Chor had been in contact with them
The people or the Jersey coast are very
much worked up over the appearance of
the dangerous visitor and every floating
log or barrel viii in future be regarded
with proper suspicion.
Torts-y's Cowboy Cavalry.
Judge Torrey. Of wyoming, who is or
ganizing the second cowboy cavalry. was
a. the War Department today and had
conferences with Secretary AIger Cen
eral Miles and Quartermaster General
Ludington. He reports that he has sacuT-
ed the desired humber Of men and will
have them ready for the field in a short
time
His conference with General Ludington
this morning was in regard to furnishing
horses and transportation for his trOoDers
TO some point on the Gulf Coast. It Is
probable that he will follow the command
of Colonel Wood into Cuba.
Inc Cow boy Cavalry.
1t has been decided by the War Depart
ment to allow the cowboy regiment being
organized by Col Wood and Lieut.. Col
Roosevelt 10 go to Cuba at once The ex-
pedition viii be Independent of any other