The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-29
.rnae wave thrown

ancs Size rose 20 The terrible wave thrown
up as gracefully as a stan. sgt her S-sw
must have s7eat an unpleasant Eve min
u;es Ia consequences OF he proximity.
The first raine exploded was nsG-es: the
Fort Schuyler lis Of the SQUAD The sss-
nSi was given ~ Major SRigat 20 SER
ge3nt Carroll. statioasd IN brick house
containing The switchboard ana situated
about so fee; inland. Thsrs was mo-
ment's eraAthless pause. Sad thea came
I sound ike the low rum5t.nE OF a. earth
qaaks that shook ;he gFo1nd s23 set lie
government pier S-trcmose. Then almost
simultaneously huEe conicai-sSapct
mound -oss 70 height os forty - sfty
feet above the Level surface OF tSe Sound.
thriving oGt esoA sss from lts s'des as e
gained force and bursting 20 a shower q
spray at the apex IKE Al aeSvS yGleasa-
The mound seemed 10 :sst IL 6sensser.
and as L suhslded ~ tArew ne water
for hG0dte6s ot yards around inoi violent
coutmoaoa. The waves as they FNorc fell
and icstled on another. disclosed 70 visw
the cleaning bodies % tko1sSaes % csad
and dy ing fish.
Scarcs,y had the eTects % the first sS-
pSosson Gled away When two othe= ninSs
within sixty feet % each other were ser
or. The explosion OF The Two IVES a!-'ost
simultaneous and was 10 al intents aad.s
purposes single spectacle
TIE effect was singular and beautiful.
the water rising 20 q hsiEh, OF loo feet
and maintaining for n brief moment tho
appearance % an iceberg evolves from
the depths by m2Eician's wand Ths
peaks and Tnluarets OF thA watsry Eesg
caught tae rays OF the sua and painted
them into rainbow ce'ors. while fron
every column o. spray shot N.Y. al orlii-
tan. drops that shons like diamonds
bic that accompanied the explosion was
heard Tor a distance OF rzany mloS.
AS IL the case Of The fret explosion tbs
wafer for hundreds Of yards around was
violently disturbed and popuious with
dead fish. Thousands OF bunkers. c-seT-
wise know as Long Island herring"
fioated lifeless on the surface Of the wa
ter and were eagerly appropriated BY the
spectators ia small boats.
For hours after the explosion these
fishermen kept a, their task OF gathering
in the slain Nobody in that vicinity Viii
lacls FOR FISH diet FOR some time 70 GENE.
II had been originally intended 70 cx-
plode some OF The contact nitEes and this
may De donS today For dring these Ser
geant Carroll has caused four RATS 20 be
constructed consisting Of two huge oil
casks dashed together wien big rmbsrs.
Eaoh OF these viii be anchored over .
mine Selected 70 De nrcQ ny coDt4Ct- L p
on each rats there Will Be a small charge
Of explosive which viii be fred rom =
battery contained sn a boat and handled
by Sergeant Carroll. Ths setting OF Of
this explosive viii sever tho raft from
it's heavy anchor, which will fall aud
strike tho mine. tnting il over just
q ship would DO. thus exploding the mine.
The contac: mine Is fred BY oloeiuk The
cir.uit between two batteries placed ons
above the other. inside the mine. These
are connected by vertical stccl tubs
through which passe an insulated spindle.
The lower part OF the tube 10 filled with
mercury which. when the mine tiits.
comes into contact with the spindle. thus
closing the circuit and exploding the
mine.
An attempt was made yesterday 20 Gre
one Of the contact mines. The diver had
gone down and placed the rope leading
from tho 5p5-pound anchor that wss 20
falI and tilt the mine. when The charge
OF explosive that was 20 destroy the raft
50 that the anchor would fail was paced
on the raft. ths propeller drifted over
the raft and got fouied IN the rups Leading
70 the manosuvsrinE ring. II was nscss-
sary 10 cat everything away % rsleass
the propeller and the firing % the mine
by contact had 10 be abandoned
The members Of ne Board Of HArSor
Defence will Wait the pos; today. and the
members Of battery l.. q the ssvsnta
ArtnIsry Will Show what they can DO with
the h.E disappearing rl1ss mounted on
BuIington--rozle csrrfsESa