The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-03
MYSTERY BROODS OVER THE
WATERS OF THE NORTH SEA
The World Waits to Hear the Echoes Of the First Roar
of Mighty Guns Which Soon Will Be in Acatlon IN
Conflict of the Leviathans.

the Straits of Dover, gradually widen
ing to 345 miles between ST. Abb's
Head, on the English coast. and the
coast Of Denmark. Then 1T narroWS
to 27O miles between D~uncansby Head
and the coast of Norway. The total
area Of the North Sea is estimated at
about 1922 500 square miles. Its aver
age depth is variously estimated at 4S
to 81 fathoms-2SS to $50 feet. In
the south and east portion lies a broad
coastal strip which is nowhere deep
er than 20 fathoms, or 100 feet. The
"Dogger Bank mentioned some
weeks ago as the scene Of a skirmiSh
between English and German ships,
is a brOad shOal extending east and
west in the middle of the sea for
about one-third the distance between
England and the Continent. The
Dogger Bank is only 60 feet deep in
some places, increasing at other
points to twice the depth. 1t is a
great fishing ground in more peace
full times, and even at present fishing
boats are v%enturing out to it, some
times with disastrous results to them
selves. 1t is a favorite spot for the
trawlers because Of it's shallowneSs
and soft bottom. Huge catches are
made here during all the fall and
winter months of halibut, soles, tur-
bot, cod, paddock, whiting and other
AAOAA. oA0 =
caught by the thousands here and
elsewhere in the North Sea in drift
nets.
The great British fleet, under Ad-
miral Jellico, which is now doing duty
in the North Sea, set sail from the
British town of Portsmouth, on the
English Channel. Thence it steamed
through the straits at Dover and up
into the North Sea. To take up it's
l C1nnnCo6 nnCIfinn If rp11Ct hoyn coil Al
past the German fortresses and naval
depots at Borkum, Cuxhaven and
Heligoland. The fleet would have
skirted France, which has it's MOI h
eastern boundary just beyond the
straits of Dover, Belgium and Hol-
land, before approaching German
territory. The Hague, home Of the
movement for universal peace, lies
almost opposite the English town O.
Harwick, about a hundred miles dis
tant. The German coast, from HOl.
land to Denmark, is cut up with 6
multitude of bays and estuaries. TIL
German AVA authorities have made
the most of these natural advantages
German ships can lie safe at Wi.
h~elmshaven, on the River Weser; a
Cuxhaven, at the mouth Of the Rive
Elbe; at B~runsbuttel, where the grea
Kiel Canal debauches on the Elbe; OF
the brOad bay at kiel, and in the lie
of the great fortress at Heligoland.
:. The German Stations.
!, Of all the Kaiser's great naval sta
tons on the North Sea, Wilhelms
haven. or Wilhelmshafen, as tn
Germans call it, is the most import
: ant. 1t lies on n Northwestern
shore of the Jade Busen, a long, sha]
: low basin, united with the sea by tn
Jade, a channel three miles long. TIL
naval depot covers four quare mile!
, There are twO harbOrs. The old hal
Dor has both an inner an
outer basin. Southeast of it is
large new harbor, covering ITO acre
o in commission. 1t is connected wit
the new harbor entrance by a loo
ST. feet long. On the north it
connected with a fitting-out basi1
1892 feet long by 446 feet wide, whic
o is connected with the outer basin h
y another huge lock, and through tt
. outer basin with the Did harbOr Ell
trance, the whole system constitutir
a irritable maze Of basins and char
nels large enough to float an in
mense fleet Of deep-sea fighters. r.
Gently a third entrance has been col
- structed still further north. This
, provided with two immense lock
one Of which can be used as an exit
: dock in case OF There
= - - "a = \
ftting-out basin, provided with thr'
A. large drydocks. Additional docks,
p a size to accommodate the large
war craft Of the present day, we
= CONSTRUCTED recently.
I'd There is also a seperate harbor +
y. the torpedo fiotilla. The three e
n frances are sheltered by long "a
n massive moles. The entire dockya.
is enclosed by huge walls. entered
:. IA immense iron gates, and is stron
ly fortified at every point. There a
also depots for artillery and mines,
meteorological observatory and a 81
&C nal station. Several important nav
n. schools, including schools for warra
officers and engineers Of the Germ;
fleets, r located at Wilhelmshave
x C~uXhaven, a smaller port than w
"a. helmshaven. is of no less importan
IT. St~rategically. Cuxhaven belongs
the State Of Hamburg, and comma
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