Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-19
STEEL NETS BAR
TRAVEL ROUTES in
MEDITERRANEAN
Steamers Must Pick Their Way
Through Maze of Steel
Traps

CORFU.-(Correspondence of The
Associated Press -TraIel in the
eastern Mediterranean during these
war days is no easy matter, for the
usual routes of travel are now barred
by long lines of steel nets, set to
catch submarines but at the same.
time establishing a vast labyrinth of
danger and obstruction for any sort
of travel. The nets stretch clear
across the main channels, from ISL
and to island, and from the shore
islands to the mainland, sometimes
ten and fifteen miles away. Through
these nets the privileged steamer
for all the regular lines are aban-
doned-must pick its way, during the
brief interval that an opening is
made daily to permit the passage OF
friendly shipping.
Seen from the deck of the steamer,
these torpedo nets stretch away for
miles. The visible part above water
consist OF steel cylinders, about IL
feet long and three fet in diameter,
like a good-sized log. These are
chained together about 80 feet apart,
ard at intervals of every 800 feet a
large anchored buoy holds the chaia
in an unbroken straight line. Thus
the chain runs for miles-cylinders
and buoys-with the meshes OF the
steel net hanging under water from
the chain. to gather In submarines
Just as fisherman make their hauls
Of herring.
One gets occasional glimpse OF this
of this underwater net, as 1t comes
to the surface on the station ships.
These are small trawlers, or steam
fish-launches, every mile or TWO
apart and two of them are at either
side of the narrow passage admitting
friendly ships 1t is their business
to raise the net at stated intervals,
and to look over the papers of the
ships that pass. III.
AS we moved through the passage
the steel net was plainly visible
drawn up on the station ship. 1t
looked to be about IL to Is feet
across. The strands OF steel wire
were very hea.Y-about one-elghth
inch and the mesh rather open. as
submarine is such large game thai
a fine net is not needed to take It.
II was seen, too, that each OF the
station ships had its own armor OF
steel nets. Long iron rods extended
from the upper decks, from which
hung the nets, making a curtain OF
steel entirely circling each boat, thus
protecting it from attack while it
remained in charge of the nets. Each
ship, too, it was noted, had a rapid
fire gun mounted fore and aft.
One line of these nets stretched
from the upper end Of the island OF
Corfu over to the mainland OF Alba
MIA; it seemed endless, and its fur
| Their reaches were lost In the dis
lance. Another line swung around
the harbor of Corfu, whore the allied
Ewarships are gathered and the gov
eminent of Serbia is located since
II was driven from home. Further
south third line of these nets ex-
tend from the southernmost point OF
1.-THE island over to the mainland. Back
/ Of the nets could be seen the huge
warships and the frowning fortresses
constructed on the heights by the
Venetians. 1t seemed strange that
strands of steel wife could protect
such fortresses and monster ships
and it indicated to what an extent
wire ENHANCEMENT ron land and wat.
er--llas taken its place for the firs'
time in this war.