The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-19
Mines Can be Passed.

Dewey before Manila have proved con-
clusiveiy that il is possible, under cover
OF darkness TO run" field OF mines
withut injury. The harbor OF Havana.
however. Is far better protected, and IL Is
argued, the experience Of the Spanish At
Manila Is likely to induce them 10 make
improvements in the submarine defenses
of Havana harbor.
Three different methods Of destroying a
mine field are known 20 the navy The
one most frequently used is a process Of
counternining. The other methods are
known as sweeping and creeping"
Sweeping, as rule is only carried out
at night, or when the shore batteries are
silent. Countermining can be done under
fire, and frequently is Creeping can be
done from a small boat, and frequently
has been accomplished under fire.
Countermining consists in the destruc-
ton of mine field by laying fresh line
! OF mines acress IL and exploding them
An ordinary line Of counteruine consists
Of twelve 5o0-pound mines of the same pat
tern as those used by the war department
for Observation mines The cable 70
| which they are attached, and by which
they are fired, consists OF a main line
l4O feet in length, into which are forked
| six branches. AS rule the counternlines
launch which is towed by a fast steam
boat, not infrequently a torpedo boat. As
this work general is done in fun view
| and range Of the enemy, it is designed 10
be done as automa tieally as possible, so
| that neither nervousness nor casualties
may interfere with its successful opera
ton.
Accordingly the steamboat towing the
| launch proceeds at its full speed, being
steered on prearranged bearing. AS
soon as the mine field that is to be at
tackled is reached buoy attached to the
| end of cable is thrown overheard, while
the boats rush on. The countermines
have been hung along the thwarts Of the
launch and are arranged so that when a
/ certain tension is put upon their fasten-
ings they are released automatically and
are allowed TO drop into the sea. When
| the entire line has gone overheard the
| towing steamer hoists red nag, or, If at
night, fires rocket.
| This is the signal for the firing batteries
! at the two ends OF the cable to be Join
! ed. A second and similar signal indi-
Ecates the pressing OF the firing key by an
| officer on the steamer, and the cGfsequent
! explosion of the line of countermines
| Almost invariably ii is found that the
/ force of the explosion has been sufficient
tor break the connections of the enemy S
| line of mines. This automatic principle of
countermining shows it's chief usefulness
| In the fact that no one need be on board
1 the launch.
Sweeping is perhaps the most unre-
| liable method known of clearing a mine
! field, but if it is carried out carefully is
| frequently effective. When the federal
feet during the war sailed into Mobile
| bay it was found that the harbor and
river were planted so thickly with impro-
vised mines and torpedoes that the safety
| Of the ships in the attacking squadron was
! menaced. An attempt was made to re-
move them by ordinary means. but II re-
! suited in the destruction of the ship en-
| ployed in the work. The method OF coun-
| termining was well enough known at that
time, but the unreliability Of electrical fir
| ing devices in those days was such that
| all attempts to operate a line Of counter.
| mines failed. In despair OF forcing the de-
| fences of the harbor the government sent
| to New York for Captain z. r. Lowe, an
| experienced diver.
Captain Lowe tried for some time to re-
move the mines and torpedoes by means
of his divers, but falling to accomplish the
work he was reduced to the necessity of
dragging the bottom of theharbor with q
hawser of steel wire. The torpedoes were
pulled from their moorings, and although
two tug boats were blow up In the efforts,
the harbor was cleared so that federal
ships were able to attack the forts with
comparative ease. This experience show
ed the government that while divers were
often Of great use in placing mines, they
We're Of no value at all in removing them.
Two or more boats are employed In the
manipulation Of sweep" Several kinds
Of Sweeps are used in the service, rang
ing from the wire cable used by Captain
Lowe to an arrangement which is pTac-
tically smaller countermine. The one
generally used in the United States navy
is composed of about twenty fathoms Of
two-inch rope or wire cable with charges
of gun cotton at each end and fitted with
arms to catch the mooring ropes Of mines
1t is suspended by lines from three floats
or buoys attached at the centre and ends.
The boats selected for the manipulation
Of sweep are generally those drawing
the least possible amount of water so as
10 reduce the possibility OF their collid-
ing with mine to minimum. Each boat
carries an electrical firing battery
When the boats arrive at the passage
which 1t is intended to sweep clear of
mines each boat takes an end of the ca
bic and, separating, proceeds to drag it be-
hind them. AS soon as resistance lie felt
the boats gradually approach one an
other and the position Of the obstruction
is determined. This having been done, the
line Is pulled so as TO bring the nearest
charge OF gun cotton in contact with the
mine, and the gun cotton is DISCHARGED
This process is repeated until the chan
mel is considered clear Of mines, when Il
Is swept once more to make sure that
none has been missed.
Creeping is considered the most EN-
cacious method Of destroying mines as Il
is directed solely against the cable con-
Meeting the mine cable with the shore bat
teries. Once this is destroyed or cut the
mines are considered harmless Two
"creeps' are used by our navy One Is a
sort OF explosive grapnel consisting of a
charge of three pounds Of gun cotton sur
rounded by three large hooks turned out
ward; the other is simply an ordinary
grapnel, used for fishing up the cable
when 1t is encountered.
In Use one or both Of these grspneIs il
dragged behind the boat which Is doing
the creeping" When an obstruction Is
encountered the operator on the boat
pulls the grapneI line taut and fires the
charge attached TO the hook. This usu-
ally destroys the shore connection. IN
using the non-explosive grapnel the cable
is caught and pulled up TO the boat. Then
IL Is cut, battery attached and the en-
tire field of mines Is exploded harTnIessly
fFOmthe boat
Although creeping" cannot be carried
on with any degree OF success on a rocky
bottom. IL is The method usually adopted
IN warfare. When whole mine fields have
10 be cleared. countsrmininE i the pre-
ferable method. but II il practically hope
The tactics taught in the Usited States
navy are that when circumstances are % |