Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-05-24

IS FpaBGHT WITH PERIL
qvxygsss skess Ocean in palrs @tts
caassa Seeking EsssessNss-.gses.
nans Uss Submarines ss Lay
satneS~--u, 6. tees,prra-
fsSa fsee8ea.

sas hssyliia IL daily eisavtng heg csa@sss /
AZ sssg!ssafyss eftaeiest and aaasf iastd .
tsgs offensive weapon. Since the early +.
DAYS II 1918 these tnisse gwespefs have I!
aslssslI u{ froiu tae sea thousands ~ 1
taas af fhe highest explosives and /
kprs lhe channels clear for myriad /
At sAlps that sle British people might !
H. amply clothed and fed.
Tiruaah special arrangements with /
the admiralty the correspondent pf Ihe
New York Sun was granted permission
ta inspect silis branch OF tae naval
service lie wax the firss American 10
So forth with the mine sweepers since
the beginning of Germany's narestrtes
ed submarine campaign and watch
thela rip death from the bottom of the
sea
There are few Engiishraen outside
OF naval circles. and possibly "a hana-
fui OF Americans, who realize hew In
tersely Germany has concentrated her
efforts On mine laying In the attempt 10
wipe out the worlds shipping. Anbas-
ssdar Gerard stated the case perfectly
when he told Boston audience re-
Gently that Germany intended pushing
her submarine and mining campaign
across the Atlantic, and then making
America pay for II.
U. S. Cooperation Needed.
II Is as plain as day to every British
seaman who goes into the mine field
that Gerrnuay's desperate efforts, II
successful here, win open way to the
Atlantic coast of the United States,
aad that the United States and Great
Britain through cooperation must stop
the menace on this side or both will
suffer dire consequences.
Ii will be diyulging no naval secrets
TO describe some of the technical de-
tails Of Germany's mine-iaying cam
paign. In the early months OF the war
the Huns adapted the submarine to
the purpose or laying mines. They
have rapidly developed their undersea
craft until today they are capable of
carrying as many as 36 mines, though
the greater number carry L or Is.
These weapons are so constructed
that they can be dropped In the ship
ping lanes TO depth OF SO or SO feet,
where an ingenious valve arrangement
pound base and allows 1t to come to
within ten or twelve feet of the sur
face, though still anchored by wire
cable
ESQ Pounds of Explosives.
The newest German mines are egg
shaped about four feet high and three
feet thick, with four horns so placed
that contact with them causes an in
stant explosion of $50 pounds of the
highest explosives. The horns are
made of soft lead, inclosing u glass
tube closely fitted within the horn so
that pressure of nine pounds breaks
the glass, releasing liquid which sets
up an instant electric connection with
the detonator.
Experience has taught the British
mine sweepers that the high tide cur
rents swing the mines lower in the Wa
ter II the mine cable is set for 9O
feet, allowing the mine to swing about
ten feet under the surface. high tide
currents sweep 1t over until 1t rests
about % feet under the surface
Therefore mine sweeping Is least dan.
gerous at high tide or slack high tide
TO cruise over known mine field due
Ing low tide means almost certain de-
structfon.
None but men who have witnessed q
mine explosion know its horrible eff
fects.
Ii was early in the morning when
the correspondent went aboard the
flagship of q mine-sweeping fleet ano
sailed out OF well protected harboi
into the most dangerous portion OF the
North sea, preceded by seaplane
scout. A thick mist lay over the sea
making the work doubly dangerous
even il mine We're floating on ths
surface it could not be seen more thar
six cable-lengths away.
Travel at Low Speed.
At ii designated point the mine
sweepers were connected up in pairs
by long, heavy cables, which they KEEP
at good depth beneath the surface bl
a clever arrangement of heavy weight.
so constructed as continually to beal
down heavily on the cable. Under th'
most trying conditions the mine sweep
ers kept the proper distance from eslcl
other and proceeded to sweep up th'
course, steaming slowly at not NOR
than four knots.
As the cable tautened under head
way the captain and members OF tn
crew adjusted their cork lifebeits anx
iously watching for signs Of any obsta
Gle. Within i've minutes the skippe
reported through the tube to the cap
tain that he had picked up mine.
was a needless formality, for the cap
tain had already noted the signs an
betrayed in every line of his face tha
he knew his vessels carried betwee,