Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1915-11-01
U BOATS TRAPPED
BY WIRE NETTING
Declared That Remaining Sub
marine Crews Are In Panic.
OVER 80 PER CENT LOST.


Now Method 10 Said TO Have Resulted
In tho Sinking Of sixty.seven Since
May 5--underwatsr Craft Caught In
Hugo Nets Of Strong Wire Dropped
In Their Path.
The reason why the German govern
ment has consented to change its sub.
marine methods Is because over 30
per cent Of It's submarines have been
destroyed and It's underseas warfare
brought TO complete failure within the
past two months. says the Providence
journal.
The Journal says II is able TO print
the full and accurate story Of the man
ner In which the British navy has ac-
complished this work. The operations
under the present method have lasted
over a period Of four months, and they
would have been brought to q success.
ful completion many weeks ago II the
British naval authorities had realized
that some OF tho mechanical contriv-
ances made use Of were not fit for the
work.
Sixty.seven German submarines.
twenty eight Of which are declared to
have been OF the newest and latest
construction. have been sunk and their
crews destroyed by the British navy
since the tifth day Of May. II Is stat
ed on positive authority that the full
capacity Of the German shipyards for
underseas boats Is not more than three
a month. but that even II Germany
were able to replace her submarines as
fast MS they had been destroyed the
gravest situation she faces In regard
TO this method Of warfare IL the actual
destruction Of the morale OF the officers
and crews OF such vessels.
Submarine crewe In Panic.
Il Is declared that while the sailors
who man German submarines are as
brave and efficient as those OF any ma.
ton La tho world. the authorities have
been unable 10 keep from them the
facts with regard TO the mysterious
disappearance OF dozens OF submarines
with their entire crews and that this
condition has brought about prac-
tical panic among all men In this
branch Of the service. who not only be.
lieve that when they leave the protec.
tion OF thelr own waters they are going
TO destruction. but who have not under.
stood how that destruction was being
brought about,
For several months there has been
considerable publicity with regard TO
the belief that transports from Great
Britain TO the coast Of France have
been protected from submarines main
" by pathways OF wire netting stretch
ed across the channel II has been
known that great quantities OF wire
have been shipped from the United
States and that very large orders for
similar material have been filled In
British factories. This wire has not
been used In the manner suggested
The operations which have resulted In
the practical elimination OF the Ger.
man submarine navy have all centered
about the fact that the periscope Of the
submarine. particularly when travelling
In seas that IRE rough or choppy. has
very greatly restricted range Of VI
sion. This range at the most In clear
water is not more than one mile, ex.
cept when there are vessels on the
horizon using fuel which makes smoke.
when the range Of vision is increased
to from three to ave miles.
Drop Traps In Their Paths.
This fact has been taken full advan.
tage Of. The netting which has been
used by the British navy for the past
two months has been made Of galvan.
lied material with a fifteen foot mesh.
This size has superseded both the nine
foot and the twelve foot mesh which
preceded II and which were found to
be impracticable for the purpose, The
netting has been cut into lengths Of ITO
feet with q depth OF twenty.seven feet.
On top OF this netting are lashed great
blocks Of wood. Oh burning torpedo
boat destroyers, vessels Of great speed.
have been used In pairs, running along
slowly with these sections Of netting
stretched between them, The moment
a submarine periscope Is sighted the
destroyers slow down at distance>of
mile or less, and rs soon as the sub.
marines course is charted by the con.
tinuous movement Of her periscope the
destroyers get ahead Of her path and
cut away the lashings which hold the
ends OF the netting to the vessels.
II Is declared that three times out OF
four, when this has been done. the sub
marine has run directly into this net.
ting which, by the time the submarine
reaches II. has sunk from eight to ten
feet below the surface. and that with
bows once enmeshed the submarine
turns turtle and sinks out Of sight,
At times the destroyers have run for
several miles ahead Of these submn,
rlncs before dropping their nets, In or
der to make sure OF the exact course