Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-28
NEW WORLD OF WARFARE,
Startling Development of Mines
| and COunternlines.

xvnrld of warfare No sooner did the plac-
ing of mines become science than human
ingenuity evolved schemes to destroy the
destrovers Countermining consists in
the destruction of an cnemy's mine field
Inv LAYING across that field other mines,
which. by intentional explosion. destroy
the mines planted by the foe New and
strange boats crawl about the bottom OF
the sea and ghostly battles between divers
contending over mines are among the
probabilities of the Immediate future.
The Argonaut is the name of a new sub
marine boat intended to destroy mines.
Mr.. Lake, the inventor of the unique
craft, says:
II do not claim any of the destructive
work within the bounds of a torpedo boat
in connection with the Argonaut, bcclcse
she was not built with that object in
view. The Argonaut could not discharge
a torpedo. nor could she even carry one. l
notice that l have been quoted rs claim
ing for my invention all the merits of the
submarine war craft that cost possibly
three times as much. Such is not the case.
I merely can show that the ArgoDauit is
CAPABLE of doing work entirely unique and
which is not covered by any other vessel
aioat
Now, we will suppose that l am order
ed to rid the harbor of all the mines which
may or may not be under its waters. To
begin, the boat is quietly launched and l
carry with me five men. l have an en-
oineer and four divers The tanks ill
and down we go. Maintaining speed of
about two miles an hour, the Argonaut
passes slowly into the proposed protected
region at a depth below the surface which
a.
matter how closely they may scrutinize the
water.
In the lookout house the man at the
wheel will have turned on the i. coo can
die power seamhlight, which has sufficient
penetration to illuminate the water for at
least so feet ahead and under peculiar
conditions even much farther. As soon
as mine is sighted we will locate its con-
Meeting wire with the land battery which
fires it. This is of course on the suppose
ton that it Is not contact mine, one to
be exploded simply by running into it, but
of the kind which destroyed the Maine
and the kind almost invariably in Use for
larbor defense. 1t would not be necessary
for a diver TO leave the boat to cut the
wire We would stopthe engines and bring
the Argonaut to standstill immediately
over the cable. Then the air pressure
would be raised to IA point slightly exceed
ing that Of the surrounding water
"Of course Il slightly anxious moment
invariably ensues when the bottom trap
door is opened but there would be no
cause for alarm. The door would swing
up, and with Il pair Of ships made for the
purpose the fatal wire would be cut before
YOU could wink. Not IL drop of water
would enter, and the Argonaut would be
off to look up more mines"
Many Kinds of Mines.
Submarine mines are of a number of
varieties, but the simplest is that known
as a contact mine which o1plodcs on inn
pact with an object This consists Of ali
iron case containing the explosives and a
cable attached to an anchor, by which it
is held in place This case has a number
Of projecting points, on the end OF which
are firing pins. When q ship hits enc OF
these pins the latter is driven in, cXplod-
ing Il percussion cap and thus bursting
the charge
In anch0rng these mines care must be
taken that they are not too near the sur
face when the tide is low. An immersion
of at least ter feet is necessary to give the
charge sufficient force to destroy q heavy
ship. As it has been shown that q saong
current reduces considerably the efficiency
of the contact mine since it may be forced
down SO far by the action as to render 1t
useless, some mines are placed on the bot
tom. These are called ground mines and
are not so dangerous as the contact mines.
The latter mine Is almost as dangerous to
friend As 10 enemy, and il by chance it
should go adrift and strike some merchant
vessel entering the harbor the conse-
quences would be disastrous.
There is another kind of mine called the
electro contact mine, which is fired by an
electric cable leading from the shore.
When an enemy is in sight and friendly
ships are passing in and out of the har-
Dor, the torpedo may be arranged so that
If the mine is struck it will not explode.
This is done by an arrangement OF the fir
ing pins on springs.
Another type Of mine is that known as
the observation mine, in which the firing
mechanism and mine proper are III sep
aiate eases. Whenever the firing pins arc
driven in, the signal circuit is closed ard
BEL rung at the shore station. Under
meath each bell is u key for closing the fir
ing circuit The observer standing at Il
keyboard ON seeing a certain bell ring
'''u INC DupN tj}cEc illt tHAAS'
sponulhg mine has been struck, and i'm
mediately he touches the proper key, thus
closing the firing circuit and causing tbs
ilne to explode 1t is not necessary III
using TINS type of mine for the observer to
see the enemy at all. The mining case
mate may he IN Il bank on shore, whore it
would NOT he possible, iii fact, for the CD
server to Sc the enemy. lie simply watches
the keyboard and waits for q signal. From
I'VE to seven mines usually constitute q
group, and groups arc placed in two OF
more lines, rs a rule, 50 that when shit
passes between the groups on one line il
must certainly pass over the mines in the
next lines. All mines are located so that
the explosion of one group will not affect
the adjoining group
submarine mines are loaded with such
nigh explosives as gun cotton, dynamite OF
explosive gelatin, all of which are supe
iiof TO gGnpowder in that they are moi
"i,ected by moisture. A mine may have
noie IN it and the explosive become wet
sun II Is not rendered useless, as ordinary
euhpowder would be The enornou: