El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-21

And yet experience in actual WaL-
fare has not afforded pracucal u usinb
OnstratiOn Of the usefulness q
observation mines But of their ue-
structive power there can be no ques
tiCn. Many experiments nave DeS1
made with them in the DloWlnB uP -
OLD hulks, and on this side OF tIle w. -,
not long ago miniature snip "a ~ ~
was scattered in smithereens at. OF
Totten IN. " by a mine OF cor
ponding size ignited with an eIectrlS
spark from a distance of a mile anu d
quarter.
From such trials the conclusion has
been drawn that the explosion OF d
NINE containing 500 pounds OF gun
cotton would at least disable ing
stoutest battleship within radius Oh
&c feet, if it did not sink her IN d
"field' defending harbOr channel eaGn
row of galvanized iron spheres Is
strung along one electric caDle, Whlc -1
is attached to the sinkers Cor anchoIsl
and runs along the bottom. The rows
are connected together by nam
electric cable, to which each mine Is
Joined by a branch cable that meets
it just above the anchor. Thus every
raIne in the field" is under direct con-
troll by the apparatus in the casemate
, on shore.
The casemate is an underground
room, lined with concrete and contain
ing all the mechanism for controAng
the mine system. 1t is connected by
telephone, and otherwise electrically,
with the two observation stations IN
which are mounted the telescopes al
ready mentioned for watching hostlle
ships.
Sometimes, for the protection OF
harbors, what are called electro
contact mines are used. They are
much smaller in size, and are commonly
arranged in groups Of five or SIX,
which are connected with each other
and with the shore by one main cable
1t is only when a current of cleo
trscity is turned on that they become
dangerous: under other circumstances
they are dead" and harmless. But
when alive" if a ship hits them, a
circuit is automatically closed and the
water is quickly strewn with her re-
mains Various ingenious means have
been devised for bringing about this
closing of the circuit, one of them be-
ing a little cup partly filled with mer-
curry, which, if tilted by a shock;
causes the mercury to reach metal
bar. This does the business and bang
gees the mine.
It is interesting just now to con-
slider the fact that the very first en-
plOyment of a floating mine was at
the siege of Antwerp by the Spaniards,
in 1855. The beSiegerS being able to
make little or no Roadway in their at
tacks upon the stout walls of the city.
resOrted to a novel and unheard OF
strata gem. Loading ship with a
great quantity of gunpoWder, they set
| her adrift at a time when the wind and
J tide would surely bring her up against
| the sea wall; and when she was toler-
! ably close, two men on board OF her
| ignited a previously arranged fuse.
The idea worked out however, in a
| way not at all in accordance with the
pan contemplated For the sturdy
/ bUrghers of Antwerp repaired the
/ damage done to the wall by the ex-
! plosion before the besiegers could take
! advantage of it, and. adopting the
| suggestion offered them by the enemy,
/ sent out a similar gunpOwder boat
| under full sail against the Spanish
! fleet and blew up one Of their biggest
/ ships.
Land Mines Also Used.
! In recent news dispatches a good
| deal has been said about the use Of
| mines on land, for the Opportune blow
] ing UP of bridges or approaches to
| Qualifications while the enemy was
! passing over them. By such means