Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-21
FORCES SUBS TO
STAY UNDER SEA
Aerial Forces Part in Keeping
Ocean Lanes Open Is
Described.
NAVAL k!RpLANES ON lob
U.Bcats Are Practically Helpless as
Long as They Are Forced 20 Stay
Under Water Whalebaek
Carries 80 Moguls.

Carries 50 MoSuis.
American Naval Base, France
Ilydroairplanes constantly watch and
guard this great American port aud
the American shipping approaching or
entering it to prevent attack by sub
marines. One Of the planes lay en-
the water ready to start seward as
the Associated Press correspondent WIS.,
tied the harbor. 1t looked very light
and flmy for this desperate work and
It's gray body gave 1t the appearance
of giant moth settled on the wa
ter.
Overhead, one thousand feet up.
swung a huge lung shaped balloon,
from the basket of which O naval Off
Ger and a sailor peered through marine
glasses.
"They are on the lockout for sub
marine" said the escort. 'Jhelr chief
purpose y TO report the whereabouts of
submarine. and the destroyers then
do the ,est IN forcing it under water.
Even II submarines are off this port,
they are practically helpless, if we can
keep them under water. 1t Is only
when they come to the surface that
they can launch their torpcdoes with
full effect. Torpedoes fired when the
craft is under water may lack dlrec-
zion to make them dangerous, So that,
after all, the problem for the destroy
ers is to keep the submarines under
water ,as well as to destroy them"
Big Whaeback Carries SO Mosuls.
On shore scores Of hydroalrplanes
were ranged In two vast hangers and
there were sheds for balloons.
\ big whaleback from the great
lakes was off to port and to starboard
was o massive freighter,
THAT Is q strange ship" said the
| escort. You will note she has no
upper deck or cabins. The whole deck
rolls back, like the roof Of an Openair
| theater, and the deck becomes an enor'
nous open hatch. It is Ike huge
open bowl, with no obstruction in
lifting out the freight"
The freight In this case was as GU
rlous as the rolling deck, for 1t con
sisted Of thirty-three enormous Mogu
/ locomotives, all set up and ready tC
move, and with their tenders coupled
With the deck rolled back, locomotive!
and tenders were picked up by CLAN
cranes and swung around to tn
nearby quay. Very soon these SANE
locomotives, just out Of the bowels o
a ship, had steam up and were putting
off toward the front.
"The United States ship Garcia" ;
craft that never went to sea and neve
will, vessel" with stone walls, I'm
derground dungeons, twenty miles o
tunnel and vast bulk of masonr,
anchored to mother earth, Is one o
the sights ut this port.
Ancient Chateau 4 United States SHIP
1t IS massive castle standing at TIL
waters edge that bears this strang
name. It Is an ancient chateau. bull
COO years ago In the thirteenth cen
fury, and one of the marveiS of Goth
architectural construction. 1t is use
now as the United States naval bal
racks, and being put to naval uses,
was given a naval christening as III
, e. S. S. Garcia. 1t Is no nickname
but is the accepted title known to al
officers and men.
, Being chrstenad as q United State
ship even the battlements have hecom
decks. When down in the old dungeon
Il sailor guided me upward by saying
This way, sir, to the main deck"
And we climbed up the "hatchWay
Of crumbllng stone to the main deck,
of Gothic masonry twelve feet thick.
The way this castle came to b
named as United States warship wa
this: The United States Garcia Is |
reality small steam yacht used dul
ing the Spanish war. It was rattle
out of date and was tied up to tn
. castle wall. Here It became very us'
full In making out acquisitions for SUI
plies needed in the castle. To make
requlsition for castle would seel
quite irregular And SO everythln
was requsitioned for the Unite
States ship Garcia, and In that wa
the castle got its equipment withol
disturbing any formalltics.