Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-18
RISKY TO DESTROY MINES
Great Dangers Confront Those Who
Are Detailed TO Dispose Of
Sea Obstacles.
CARRY TERRIFIC CHARGES

CCorrespondence OF The Associated PressD
AMSTERDAM, Jan. 6.-The sea mine
is problem even after Il has been
washed ashore and fot those who must
destroy It this terrible enemy OF ship
ping offers the sane danger II does TO
the crew Of the vessel II happens 90
wreck. This is the discovery made by
the men under Lieutenant c. ]. Canters,
OF the Amsterdam torpedo boat station,
who has been charged by the Dutch
government with the destruction of the
mines that arc washed ashore along the
Netherand coast
So far no serious accident has come
to the men who render the stranded sea
mines innocuous by eXploding them
where they are found. But there have
been many narrow eSoapes due mostly
to the fact that the English mines
canont be taken apart, as can the French
and Dutch mines. In case OF the latter
the shell OF the mine consists Of two
half-sphoros united by flange and
rilots. while the English mine-shelI is
cast in one piece and then loaded through
q "manhoe."
While Il would be possible to remove
the cover OF the manhole, this IL con-
sldcred too dangerous for the reason
that the very sensitive initial charge OF
the mine lies close to the aperture. This
leaves but one method In which the mine
may be destroyed--eXplode It, case and
all. The fragments OF the shell fly FAR
and wide; ona of them, weighing six
pounds. was recently found 600 yards
from the scene OF the explosion
Majority English Mines.
l. OF eighty-three mines on which reports
have been made so far by Lieutenant
Canters, seventy were Of English origin,
or nationality as 1t Is expressed here;
four were French and eight Dutch. while
the remaining one could not be identi-
field These figures show that the task
of the mine destroyers has been no
pleasant one. Being hit by fragment
OF the shell was chance the men took
every time they attempted the disable
ment of an English mine.
The French sea mine is more easily
!. disposed or In this case the shell Is
broken open with light charge OF
; picrid acid; the charge OF gun cotton is
: then removed and exploded without scat
, ,tering a hail OF iron IN all directions
/ The operation resembles almost that Of
; opening a walnut with a knife and in
, a way Just as easy.
The mine is so placed that the equa-
) torial seam rests we'll in the sano. To
: one side OF the seam is then placed the
bit Of picrid acid. about the size. shape
; and color Of a piece of laundry soap.
Into this has been inserted a small initial
+ charge OF illuminate. A fuse about 400
ccntimeters long and burning about i0a
: seconds, sets off the charge.
The flange has then been broken and
l 10 separate the halves OF the shell is
comparatively easy. The gun cotton
charge is then taken out. and after the
shell OF the mine has been carried off.
the huge mass Of trinitrucellulose Is ex-
ploded in a manner similar TO that em-
ployed in the case OF the she'll
The Dutch mines. when It can be as
certained that their firing mechanism
has been damaged, are dispersed OF 10
the same way.
The English mines are exploded us
ually by placing a heavy charge under
, them. They may be exploded by fir
ing a shot into them. The bullet pene-
trates the shell easily enough. as a rule.
/ and strikes the charge with sufficient
force TO produce the shock needed To
set Il off In gun cotton, as In nitro
giycerine. both helms what is known 20
chemists as chemical mixture explp-
slves. there exists an unstable eduil-
ibrium between atom and molecule. This
4 the striking bullet upsets and an ex'
losion results.
a Contrary to what has been claimed 80
g far not n single mine OF proven German
% origin has stranded on the Dutch coast
G The mine entered as of unknown origin
K may have been German, however. II
' lacked all marks. and was formed q
q two halves.
= A torn cable has shown in q majority
{ OF cases that the mines which hae
a drifted ashore had Deen anchored anc
4 that the cable had been too weak e
hold them In place.
There is no special condition which
would cause all wildcat mines 4
drift upon the Dutch coast. ii is as
serted. In fact. it is believed here tina
4 many OF the mines have been carries
"a 20 through and beyond the channel by tn
/. currents in that body Of water. Thos
which have done so will remain soourg
u to navigation for many months, because
81 unlike the floating OF free mines. thos
which are kept IN place by anchors hay
y no device that causes them to sink ate
- a fiFna-