Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-02-05
GaIlT XIII S2Tc< NG2ezAe

nected with each other and with the shore by one
main cable. 1t is only when current of cleo
trcity is turned on that they become dangerous
under other circumstances they are dead" and
harmless. But when they alive" If a ship
hits them circuit is automatically closed and the
water is quickly strewn with her remains Varl.
Gus Ingenious means have been devised for bring
Ing about this closing of the circuit one of them
being little cup partly filed with mercury
which. If tilted by shock. causes the mercury to
reach metal bar. ThiJ does the business, and
bang goes the mine
1t is interesting just now to consider the fact
that the very first employment of a floating mine
was at the siege of Antwerp by the Spaniards in
1888 The besegers. being able to make little or
no headway in their attacks upon the stout wallis
OF the city, resorted to novel and unheard-ot
stratagem. Loading a ship with a great quantity
of gunpowder. they set her adrift at a time when
the wind and tide would surely bring Ter up
against the sea wall: and, when she was tolerabIy
close. two men board of her gnited a pre-
viously arranged fuse.
The idea worked out. however. in a way not
at all in accordance with the plan contemplated.
For the sturdy burghers of Antwerp repaired the
damage done to the wall by the explosion before
the besiegers could ta:.e advantage of it, and
adopting the suggestion offered them by the en-.
emy, sent out similar gunpowder boat under full
sail against the Spanish fleet and blew up one OF
their biggest ships.
In recent news dispatches o good deal has bean
said about the use of mines land. for the oppor-
tune blowing up of bridges or approaches to forti-
ncatlons while the enemy was passing over them.
By such means whole regiments are said to have
been annihilated The expedent is by no means
new. but the methods adopted are of up-to-date
and superior ingenuity
Suppose, for example. that piece of road is 70
be mined. The Internal machine is concealed from
view by spreading 1t few inches of earth.
In consists in part of a small electric battery
provided with two wires. of which communi.
Gates with receptacle containing large quantity
of high explosive. while the other runs to an ar
rangement called "springboard." When a man
or horse steps the springboard, piece of metal
beneath the latter is brought into contact with a
ignites fuse.
The same idea is easily applied to a bridge
In the case of fort, system of more scientific
ally constructed mines may render every approach
a waiting volcano switchboard inside the de-
fenses enabling the besiegei to explode hem at
the moment when they likely to kill the great
est number of men.
In modern warfare wholesale killing takes the
place of the old-fashioned military murder by re-
tail. Doubtless, time goes on. improvements
in this direction will steadily progress. The Brit
ish and Germans have both been experimenting
with whereby Qt is hoped) submarine
mines may be set off by wireless apparatus. They
also trying to contrive a submarine fish tor.
pedo" resembling the Whitehead) which can be
steered from shore to attack hostile ship per.
haps miles from land
The Whitehead is an Englishmans invention,
and Is the only kind OF fish torpedo used in the
British navy. oddly enough. the similar DEVILS