The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-13
TO REMOVE
THE MINES.
ThOsein the Delaware Will
Be Blown Up to Pre-
vent Loss of Life.

A series Of submarine mine explosions Is
soon 20 be inausu-ated by the govern
meul Tho exhibition is not 10 be for spec.
taculnr effect but in order I o remove in the
safest and most expeditions manner the
formldnbla mine fields that now block tho
channels Of all principal seaports on the
Atlantic and l'nciiic seabOard.
For several wetks past commercial in.
tcrust5 have been seriously affected by the
interference to merchant vessels through
The severe rules imposed by the War De-
partmcnt cf chips in channels where mines
have Deon planted. At tho b,giuning Of
the war every great city exposed o pJssi-
bic attack by tho Spanish fleet was immu-
dialcly afforded partial protection by these
submarine fields i'll conjunction with tho
coast defense system II, ag!cat expense,
and in some instance, whore there was no
necessity apparently for placing them.
Now hcso mines arc 10 be all removed
and ships will he trvn 10 sail in ana out Of
ports any hour day and night as in peace
times
The decision was reached at the
cabinet meeting yesterday, which consider
cd the numerous requests made by mari.
time organizations and other commercial
bodies from Bal ,imore, Boston, phlla-
deqha and San Francisco. Since the
mine fields were first established there
have been rel ented requests hat regula-
lions relating 10 navigation he amended,
SO that the severity be less felt, but the
War Department has maintained that 50
long Us tbs Spanish feet remained anoab
there always existed possibility OF attack
along tho coast and The mines were ncces-
sary. In but two instances were moliil-
cations made and these wero In the inter-
est of the Fall River Company and the
steamboat men OF Baltimore
prn. pa has nd tD hn
crtcd against the further continuance of
tho mines, and, nnfter the cabinet session
yes erday, Secretary Algcr issued orders
for the removal OF all mines in the navg-
able waters of the United States. This
action Is against the recommendation of
General " ilson, the engineer in chief Of
the army, who urges that they should not
be removed The destruction of tho
Spanish fleet, which wipes the last vestlge
of Spanish naval force from the Atlantic
Oh this side, was the Influence that result
ed in tho Cabinets decision
The mines, as q rule, will be exploded
to avoid the danger Of removing them.
Six men have already been killed while
placing them in position and General Will
son believes u great many more lives
would lie sacrificed were the mines drag.
ged and transported to magazines by small
beats. Tho Secretary, however, has given
chief as to the method Of securing tho
safest removal Of he fields, and somo few
may possibly be taken from the water AID
stored away.
TO mine the various harbors has cost
the government nearly one million dol
lars. There Is moi II city from Portland
around to the Calf exposed to sea invasion
that has not its mine fields. The scene will
be costly and spectacular, but not much
of a Lesson will have been derived by the
expirts rs to the value of mines, and all OF
the money expended OH them practically
goes up in water geysers.
1t will bo some days before the actual
operation of removing or exploding the
mines cnn DO put In operation. Instruc-
tions for carrying into effect the decision
of the cabinet Will Jc sent out Immediate
ly. While tho mines proper are to be re-
moved, all the incidental attachments nee.
essary to their installation and operation
will be retained, such as the cascm ates,
anchors, the cable connections and the
sW itch boxes, 50 that if it is found neces-
snIy to replace tho mlnos it may bo done
on the shortest notice.