Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-02-11
SUBMARINE MINES.
HOW THEY ARE CONTROLLED BY
The USE OF ELECTRICITY.

| TIE OS6 Or eleS HtOiiYs
ne Most Modern Development In the Ar
Of Naval warfare-Piantsd ~ the Bss-
TEN OF Haybors. They AHord Proseettes
Against the Largest B.ttIsships.
| Electricity a. . means for control
ling the engines OF war plays an i'm.
portant part This is especially the
case with submarine mines and tor
pedoes. which are kept under thorough
| control and made to act at the proper
| time through the influence OF the cleo
| trio current Submarine mines have
been extensively used in modern waf.
fare. notably during the civil war in
this country and during the Franco
| Prussian conflict. The last decade,
| however, has seen extensive improve
| ments in the method of firing mines
! due to the rapid development of cleo
tricity.
Probably the simplest form OF mine.
and the one most extensively used I'M
til electricity came into general use.
was that known as the contact mine,
which consisted OF an iron case con-
tanning an explosive attached to .
cable, the latter having its lower ex-
tremity fastened to an anchor of some
sort The iron case was provided
with a number of firing pins. any one
Of which being brought in contact
with the hull of ship fired a percus-
sion cap and exploded the charge. As
will readily be seen, these contact
mines are not in any way under CON-
troll, and were alike dangerous to
friend and foe. With a view to reme-
dying this evil, what is known as the
electro-contaet mine was invented. In
this device the firing pins on the case
containing the explosive. instead of
exploding percussion cap when
brought in contact with an object, act
as switch by closing one opening in
an electric circuit Another switch il |
located in this same circuit at a sta
ton on shore, so that in order to fire |
the mine it is necessary to close the |
land switch at the same time that one |
of the pins has been driven In by the |
hull OF a vessel
Numerous electrical inventions have |
been patented from time to time for !
controlling and firing submarine |
mines. One of these inventions con-
sists of an ingenious arrangement for /
holding a mine down near the bed OF
a bay or other body of water, to ena-
BILE friendly vessels to pass over it in
safety. The device consists in a loop
fastened to the anchor and to a point
on the cable near the mine. In a hol-
low opening in this loop a small
charge of an explosive is placed, which |
can be fired from the shore by means
OF a spark from an electric battery |
In bursting, the loop is destroyed and
the mine Immediately rises the full
length OF its cable and to within few
feet Of the surface. The mine itself
may then be fired from the shore in
The ordinary manner
In deep water, or where q strong |
current exists, recourse is had to what
g known as ground mines. These
consists of large charges of gun cotton |
,r other high explosives held in q
lear the ground by means OF mush-
com anchors. Mines of this chara1
er being too far below the surface to
De fired by coming in contact with the
sulls of vessels. arrangement has to |
De made to ascertain exactly when a
/
when to fire it. This is accomplished
~ very simple method, although an |
extremely ingenious one. An electric |
ircuit extends from the mine to two
tatfons OH land at no great distance |
rom one another. At each of these
tations a break occurs in the electric
ircuit, and. in order to explode the
nine, both of these breaks must be
losed simultaneously. A telescope is
mounted at each station on a pivot, |
which permits of its being swung in 3
direction, and so arranged
hat when pointed at the mine IT
loses the circuit at that station. Thus
Ill that is necessary to do is to keep |
10Th telescopes pointed at an enemy's
-essel as it advances, and when the
after passes over the mine both
witches will be closed, the circuit
Completed and the mine exploded.
Innumerable other devices have
'een brought out, in which electricity
nvariably plays an important part, for
arrying on warfare of this nature
What is known as the observation
nine. an improvement over the elec-
ro-contact mine. is one OF these. In
mine of this character the firing
mechanism and the explosive are in
wo distinct and separate receptacles,
laced one above the other on a cable.
he contact buoy which contains the
ring pin floats few feet below the
urface OF the water. the mine itself
eing located several feet below it.
With mines of this description there
re always two separate and distinct |
lectrical circuits leading to the
hore. One is known as the firing cir
uit, while the other. in circuit with
he firing pins on the upper receptacle,
ings bell at the shore station when
yer one Of the pins is driven in by
oming in contact with an object
- Thousands of /
~ n sick and suffer
~ ~ ing people are
tA\ II Z like the ppoT /