The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-12
SWIFT RAIDER MYSTERY SHIP,
 HUNTS LINERS
Passengers See a Trawler Blown to Bits-Big Ocean
 Liner Has Narrow Escape.

Reports of new perils besetting the paths of ocean liners were confirmed recently on the arrival of the steam ship Nieuw Amsterdam in New Y York. Captain Jan Baron, it's skipper, re- ceived daily warnings from the Cape Race wireless station to avoid all shipping lanes and converging points, as a German commerce raider was abroad.
 When the Nieuw Amsterdam, which sailed from Rotterdam, was off the harbor of Falmouth a mine sweeper which was entering the harbor ahead of her vanished in a geyser of sea wa ter.
 The luckless trawler, passengers said, was the victim of a new type of U-boat equipped with only one torpedo tube, but capable of planting mines about as fast as the sweepers can rid the seas of them. The mine sweeper is thought to have stumbled on a mine that had just been fixed at the harbor entrance.
 According to Captain Baron, he was especially warned to beware of raid- CT 450 feet long and forty-five feet beam and capable of great speed. She has one funnel and two masts and is equipped with long range guns and torpedo tubes. Captain Baron said that he had not seen the craft.
 Seek Mystery Ship.
 The fact that six ships belonging to the allies are now long overdue has led to the belief in shipping circle that they may have been sunk by this ''in- visible" Flying Dutchman, which all captains deny having seen, although all report having received warnings.
 Germany is using the raider or raid ers-severa1 captains believe there are two, as the wireless warnings first stated that the raider was only $50 feet 1ong-merely to prey upon ships which eIude her submarines waiting off the British and French coasts.
 The new type submarines, used ex- clusively for laying mines, carry only one torpedo, the rest of the space be- ing employed to transport various types of mines. In the coming tow CTS of these undersea craft there is a specially constructed air chamber, through which a diver is enabled to leave the submarine and lay several mines, returning to the submarine, which remains submerged throughout the whole operation.
 Strew Mines by Submarines
 When there is not sufficient time to anchor the mines another method is employed Several of the so-called floating mines which are weighted to remain from ten to fifteen feet below the surface of the water are launch aI oicl l1xyo y,cfr, tod f,1hn which take the place of the regular torbedo tubes on these submarines. Several mines are fired together from the submarine by compressed air, and because of three plungers connected to a percussion cap are exploded instan- taneously on contact These float ing mines have been strewn in$ the paths of oncoming steamers, ieven af- ter their course was believed to have been effectively cleared by mine sweepers. As these mines are com paratively small, one submarine can carry from fifty to seventy-five, not in- cluding many small bombs and shells for the disappearing guns located fore and aft.
 Many vessels, including the giant ship Britannic, are believed to have been destroyed through mines laid by these submarines.
 Captain Baron also told of the Nieuw Amsterdam's narrow escape from be- ing blown up by, a mine while enter ing Falmouth harbor. He said that and hour before the liners arrival in the English port mine sweepers were sent out by the British admiralty to sweep the entrance of the harbor.
 A scant half hour before the liner arrived on Dec. 21 one of the mine sweepers, which was directly in the hath which his ship would take, was blown up, seven of the crew of eleven being killed by the explosion. fAn- other mine sweeper was immediately dispatched to warn the liner to change her course and precede the liner into port.
 Captain Baron stated that the de- struction of the mine sweeper was an other instance of Germany's campaign to carry on an effective blockade of all English ports. It is only revent- ly that mines have been placed direct ly at the entrance of harbors the Ger mans hitherto having contented them selves by placing mines in steamer channels some distance from land. TH o-o D .h1f-o ~ T.o