West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-06-02
DRIFTING WAR MINES.
How They Would Imperil Ships
In Many Ocean Pathways.
MAY FLOAT THOUSANDS OF MILES

In American Pacific Coast Waters
from Explosives Set Adrift at Port
Arthur by Russians = Remarkable
Instances of the Course Taken by
Floating objects AIT Sen.
Setting explosives adrift In the ocean
las the correspondent OF the London
Times and the New York Times on
board the Haimun warned tie world
Ia his wireless message the other day
the Russians have done-is new
phase of warfare against which the
whole world will protest In no uneer-
tain terms.
The greatest immediate danger TO
shipping from mines or torpedoes set
afoat In Pcchili strait. between Port
Arthur and Weihaiwei. would be In the
gulf of Pechili, the Yellow sea and the
sea OF Japan between Japan and the
mainland. The summer monsoOns are
now blowing from the sea 20 the land.
the prevailing direction being from
southeast TO northwest Objects set
ahoat at this season near the entrance
to the gulf OF Pechili are likely 10 drift
anywhere through the gulf across the
routes of the thousands OF Chinese
1unks which ply in those waters. No
vessels bound for Chefu, Taku, the
port OF Tientsin or Newchwang would
DE exempt from danger II any driftage
is OF n dangerous character.
Another influence is IN operation
which would bring danger TO the ship
ping movement In the Yellow sea and
the japan sea-. A branch OF the great
Kurosiwo current runs westward
across the Yellow sea to Pechlli strait,
just south of Port Arthur. Here the
current bends around, skirts the south
ern coast OF Korea and then runs up
the Japan sea into the Okhotsk sea,
skirting half OF the east side of SAX
halin island. Explosives set afioat
near Port Arthur at any season of the
year might easily reach all these coasts
which have been the scene OF all the
movements of the war fleets, includ-
ing the Vladivostok squadron.
What might happen next winter?
The fierce winter monsoon blowing off
the land carries much debris from ia
pan and southeast China TO the Phil
ippine Islands and all other parts of
the eastern island world from Formo-
sa to Bornco. Drifting explosives I'm
good condition set afloat In the neigh
borhood of Port Arthur might. for all
we know. bring the same dangers to
| shipping in the East Indies archipela-
| go that now seem TO threaten life and
| property In the more northern waters.
Torpedoes would be just as likely TO
be carried into the channels among the
Philippine Islands as the Asian debris
that now floats In them or is dashed
against the shore.
But the danger might travel farther.
Any floating object from these Asian
coasts may not hug the shore closely
enough to avoid being swept into the
great main stream of the Kuroslwo,
the wide ocean river that sweeps in
vast curve across the north Pacific.
The great circle steaming route fol-
lowed by some Of the steamships be-
/ tween American Pacific ports and ia
pan dip into the southern edge of this
| stream. Although the Kurosiwo grad
Il ually loses the character of current
Il II sets slowly along the coasts of Brit
| ish North America. the United States
l and Lower California, ultimately re-
| Joining the equatorial current. The
| branch that sweeps southwark along
our coasts is known as the California
current. The northward branch wash
es the shores OF our Alaskan islands.
III explosives get into the main
| stream Of the Kurosiwo. who is able
TO say that coastal steamers between
| Alaska and Panama. that deep sea YES
sells along the northern route between
| the American Pacific and Asia. Will
| not be liable TO meet terrible disas-
ter? A few Illustrations OF ocean cur
rents and winds as carrying agents
may help us to answer this question.
Reclus tells OF a Japanese junk that
In 1872 was carried by a typhoon in.
| the KurOsiwO current -Four of the
| nine poor fishermen on board lived to
tell the tale. They barely kept life in
| their bodies with the aid OF rain water
and lsh until after drifting for ten
months they were cast ashore on the
coast Of Oahu. in The Hawaiian Islands.
In the wind drift east of the Kurosl-
wo current their craft had been car
ried to the southeast till they reached
this northeastern group OF Polynesia.
Kotzebue gives specific instances OF
japanese and Chinese seafarers whose
junks were blown away from their ma
tive shores. the mariners actually rv-
Ing to reach the American coast. hay
Ing drffted across the north Pacific into
the Kuroslwo current and the west
wind drift.
The list OF authenticated cases pre-
pared by the late Professor Quatre-
FACES and Otto sitting OF island boat.
men who have been invoiuutarily car
ried 10y currents and winds from one
island TO another Of the Pacific would
I'LL several newspaper columns Not
few OF these involuntary journeys
have extended from 600 70 over 1000
miles
II we turn 20 any other Of the oceans
we also ind q large amount OF con-
elusive testimony as to the great dis
tances TO which currents and winds
carry floating objects. a number Of
objects. FOR example. identified rs be.
longing 20 the Jeanette expedition
were borne on the sea ice some 1900
miles and finally cast upon the south.
west coast or Greenland.
In the course Of three years Prince
Albert OF Monaco launched about 500
thick glass floats upon the mld-Atiantic
between the Azores and Newfoundland
or these floats. 221 were returned to
the prince Thiriy-sovcn Of them were
H. n