Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-07
NORTH SEA WATERS
GUARDED BY MINES
British Fleet. Keeps Ocean
Lane Open for Friendly
Ships.
EVERY PASSING VESSEL
is CLOSELY SCRUTINIZED
Torpedo Boats, Submarines and
Cruisers Abound Everywhere
Watching for German Ships.
Special Correspondence OF TIE Star


ANTWERP, October lot was the
retired colonel who first brought home
the fact that the ship was in hostile
waters.
The steamer was i'll the North sea
edge, on it's way to Antwerp The re-
tired colonel saw a torpedo boat de-
stroyer lazily approaching. He dived
into his cabin and came back with
huge chart Then he took up a posi-
ton on the forward deck and began to
peer into it with his kind old eyes.
Hey" came an agonized call from
the bridge. All looked up. There was
the captain of the steamer, frantically
wagging his head.
Get that chart out of sight" he yell
ed. Don't you know it isu't safe to
look at a chart in the North sea-"
Later on it was discovered tina, on
that very day-perhaps thirty miles
| from where the ship was at the mo-
ment-three British cruisers had been
sunk by n German torpedo. The cap
tain explained his outcry about the
chart.
IF they saw you from the destroyer
they might take you for a spy" said
he. and make trouble for us ALL
On every hand were evidences that
the North sea is as carefully policed
as Charing Cross. In some misty nook
of these turbulent waters the British
fleet was waiting for the German fleet
to come out and give battle Mean
while it's sea scouts were everywhere
dozen times on. the days run the
passengers We're made aware that they
had been subjected to close inspection
When Six Destroyers Appeared.
Run up those flags" ordered the
captain.
A small seaman boggled the job anG
the captain berated him in proper sea
language. Three miles away fleet of
SIX destroyers were tearing toward US.
Black bands OF smoke struck down.
ward from each raking funnel. From
the flagship an impatient signal was
swapping i'll the wind.
They might have known u.s." grum-
bled the captain when the destroyers'
curiosity was finally stated. Were not
i stranger in these waters"
No doubt they did. but they are not
ia king any chances in the North sea
Its waters fairly jingle with such dead
ly mines as took Off the Pathfinder and
half a dozen quite pacific steamers
These mines, in the belief of naval Off
GERS, have been laid by steam trawlers
which have been seized by the Germa ms
and over which the English flag is still
fioated. Half the job of the patrol
squadron in the North sea is to look
for other traitorous trawlerS engaged
on the same mission. The other half is
to protect the friendly boats which are
sweeping" for mines.
AT one time we were in the center of
a string of "sweepers" which ran al
| most from horizon to horizon. They
ran in pairs, these 'traWlers. Between
each pair a steel net is suspended. The
theory is that mines, whether noa ting
or anchored. will be caugh, by that
net. Then one of the deStroyers which
are constantly darting about is sig
| nailed. and destroys the mine by a sim
| gle shot
They've netted hundreds of Mines
said the captain.
Keeping Sea Lane Clear.
| 1t was very evident that an eff-rt was
being made to- keep :: pathway clear
between London and neutral ports. Our
steamer was in the midst of that path
way. once i dull sound came from 4
| point quarterine to our course. and a
fountain OF water Spurted into the air
| I've heard dozens of mines exploded
in a single day said the captain
The North Sea is a shallow and muddy
| water. Its shoals in peace times are
we'll buoyed. Those aids to navigation
have now all been removed. In their
place float here and there big red war
buoys. only trusted pilots are author
| lied to take boats through Boats with
| out such pilots are warned that they
| go at owners risk. A narrow lane
has been slashed-as a woodsman
| would say-throueh the sea. Outside
| of it. there is danger everywhere. ,
| If rumor is correct, the British have
| made use of mines as well as. their
| enemies. The difference is that the
| Germans have cast floating mines into
| the sea, with the apparent intention of
! making this watery thoroughfare i'm
passable to vessels of any nationality.
| whereas the British have anchored
mines along routes which might be fol-
| lowed if the Germans ventured out
( upon a raid. The unpleasant feature
| of this plan is that in rough sea
anchored mines often go loose. and a
| bobbing mine has no discretion when
| 1t collides with u steel keel.
Sea Is Well Patrolled.
Vessels are forbidden to clear from