Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1915-10-02
BRAVEST OF BRAVE
Nine Sweeper Risks Life Every
Time He Puts to Sea.
Work Is Never Mentioned Because In
formation Would Be Valuable to
Enemy-AIways Engaged in
Forlorn Hope.

LiverpooI.-In comparison with It's
population, Liverpool has given more
soldiers, sailors and war workers to
the nation than any other part OF the
empire.
The bravest of them all are the
mine-sweepers. The mine-sweeper
earns. but he does not get. a Victoria
cross every voyage. He is always
engaged In a forlorn hope, a work so
dangerous that 1t is a wonder he re-
turns safely to his home so often. 1t
is not alone in the Irish seas that he
Is risking his life so that ships may
pass to and fro in safety: in the North
sea, no longer the German ocean; in
abe Dardanelles. In the English chan
mel and the Arabian rivers and Per-
sian gulf, you will find Liverpool sail
Ors engaged In the perilous task OF
minesweeping and so rendering cas-
fer. one cannot say easy. the work OF
our submarines. destroyers. cruisers
and battleships.
AT present the British grand feet
is resting in a spot unknown even to
the censor for strange as II may APP
pear. there are scores OF kilograms
which pass between the fleet and the
admiralty. and messages from our
armies, which reach Whitehall with
out the censor passing a line Of 1t, or.
for the matter of that. even seeing a
word OF it.
These messages record in so many
curt words the days doings OF an
arm of the feet Sometimes the ad-
mirGlty and the military authorities
consider that it is worth while send
ing these messages to the press: more
often than not they don't
One OF the messages seldom pub.
lished is the work of the mne-sweep-
er. To announce that so many mines
had been cleared on such d day in
such an area would be valuable infor.
nation to the enemy
Competent authorities estimate that
Germany has scattered about ten
thousand mines in various waters con.
trolled by the British fleet Although
a large number Of them have un-
doubtedly been laid by trawlers flying
neutral flags. many of them have been
Just thrown into the water at Helgo
land, at Ostend and at different points
of the Baltic. and allowed to drift out
with the tide, in the hope that they
would sink one Of the British ships OF
war or ships of commerce
In the Baltic alone Denmark. Nor.
way and Sweden have picked up hun,
dreds of these mines which have been
washed on their shores uuexploded
And yet for her vast expenditure OF
over FIVE million dollars in sea mines,
Germany has little or nothing to show
beyond the destruction OF a few trawl.
ers and few neutral ships. as in
rare cases where British trading ships
have been sunk by drifting or sta.
tionary mines. the damage done mas
been OF more or less harmless char.
acter The mne-sweeper. as one OF
the most valuable sections OF the
navy, can claim fun credit for this.
Aiost OF the work Ia clearing the
seas of mines is done by trawlers.
which usually act in pairs We have
quite large feet OF trawlers and
drifters engaged in this work. which
is one Of the reasons why fish is so
scarce and dear They set out al
night so as to be in their working
area by daylight, then they fish for
mines by a long rope STREET he'd be-
eween the two trawlers Proceeding
81 very gentle pace. they lift the
mine, which is usually about a foot
and half or two feet below the sur
face.
It is no uncommon thing to find
half dozen stationary mines brought
20 the surface by one rope Once in
sight a well-aimed rifle shot explodes
them thec The trawlers proceed witt
their work until another shot Is
Eeeded