Gilpin observer., 1917-11-29
kept THE ORE
TRAFFIC MOVING
Effective Work of Navy on the
Great Lakes.
MANYPLoTs ARE FRUSTRATED
WheeIsmen, Captured on Great Lakes
Freiohter, Identified as German
Navy officers-Two Freighters Sunk
In Peculiar Manner-commander
McMunn In Command Of Fleet.

Hidden away in certain little har-
Dor of the Great Lakes is gunboat.
Its coat is battle gray; its guns
peer menacingly from sponsor and
barbette. 1t is not given to reveal the
exact location Of the ship.
Anyhow, its captain is the distinc-
tive feature of the craft, for Command
er w. N. McMunn, N. N. ", is the man
who has "kept the ore traffic moving"
And keeping the ore traffic moving
with the nation ut war has been no
fanciful job. Most of the iron and
much of the copper used in the manu-
facture of armament in this country
Is produced In the lake region and
freighted in the open navigation sea-
son in lake vessels to steel mills.
Traffic In metals this season has been
more than double that of any previous
year, and exact figures not yet hav-
ing been compiled.
Many Plots Frustrated.
Much has been said about the pro-
lection afforded steel mills and NUM-
tions factories, but little has been
printed concerning the equally efficient
protection afforded the ore before it
reaches these industrial plants. This
Is the task to which the navy depart
ment at the opening of navigation on
the lakes last spring assigned Com
mander McMunn. 1t gave him more
than three-score vessels ranging in
size from an open-speed launch to
1,200-ton gunboats. Constant vigilance
on the part of Commander McMunn
and each of his officers and men has
been the price paid to keep the barn
door locked before somebody stole the
horse.
Commander McMunn will talk little
from Washington, however, from time
to time have hinted of German plots,
anti-American propaganda, l. w. w.
agitation all suppressed by this quietly
effective arm of the navy.
There are stories of wheelsmen on
Great Lakes frcighters who have been
taken into custody by naval officers
and who have been identified us Off
GERS of the German navy. There are
two large lake freighters, sunk In q
most peculiar manner so as almost to
close to navigation one of the most Inn
portant lake ports. There Is report
that certain interests In Duluth sent
word to Commander McMunn that II
he ever set foot in that city he would
be shot and killed, and there is the
verified statement that Commander
McMunn replied by going to Duluth and
walking unarmed and unattended up
and down the thoroughfares Of that
city. But no attempt was made to do
him violence.
Good Fellow. and Good Sailor.
| OF him one of his fellow officers re-
Gently said: "Just shaking hands now
with Commander McMunn gives you
the idea that he Is jolly good fel.
low" He is. but other naval officers
tell you that he Is also jolly good
sailor jolly good fighter, and jolly
good business man, and they will tell
you also about his foresight, hind.
sight, energy, and good old-fashioned
all-wool- backbone.
Just word Of history about Com,
mander McMunn who, in addition to
his other duties, is assistant command.
ant Of the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh
naval districts with headquarters at
the Naval Training station at Great
Lakes which has the task Of turning
thousands OF fresh water plowboys
into saltwater sailors. An engineer
known nation wide, an expert in steel.
he enlisted In the Illinois Naval militia
as an ordinary seaman In 1894. Serv-
Ing through the several grades he
emerged after the Spanish-American
war as an ensign, and since has served
In each grade until he reached the
commanders rank. He holds an unlim-
tied masters license and also chief
engineers license Of unlimited tonnage,
and perhaps Is more familiar with the
Great Lakes than any other skipper
operating on them. ,---,sass az,