The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-10-13
AMERlC A WAS RE ESP0N SHELF: FOR SEA MINE FEEL ! D ) Insisted on North Sea Bar rage Against The
 Germans.
HELPED TO LAY
 AND REMOVE THEM
Admiral Strauss Command &d Yankee Tars Who
 Swept Them Up.

Wash. .lgton, D, C.. Oct, 1s-The clearing of the North S>A mine field has been accomplished, As America 3nsls-ed on this barrage against the Germans and contributed to laying 1t down. so she has done her share by way of finishinf the job, Secre- tary of the Navy Daniels ackuOwI- edged this terse military message from Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss:
 Finished sweeping North Sea bar rage of American mInes.'
 From the arTnistice until early last spring the Navy Department laid its plans for gathering up the mines it had sowed, Then the mine sweep ing fleet of four thousand officers sud seamen steamed into ENir2,wau, ~,5lenCe it began the work of sweep 4a5 up rocco Anerican-laid mines. II has been completed, and while ac- counts of the work have been ulea gre, it has como to light that there have been several casualties, and that the tales of heroism will rival the most N-aIorous accomplishments of the war.
 To lay this field of mines and pre- vent the operation of German sub marines out of the North Sea, was a HercuIean task. People in this coUn- 
 transatlantic submarine Deutschland sole out of the North Sea under the nose of the British through the pas sage betwe cen Scotland and Scandina- via. With American boys being transported across the Atlantic by the millions President Wilson was unwilling to take this chance on the subs" and insisted that the north passage of the sea be blocked. I'm mediately plans were developed by the Navy and the work of laying down 10000 mines started. The American forces laid 57,0O of these. This practically put an end to Ger nan operations through this open 5.-~ as it was almost impossible for an unw2 rned ship to make passage, and it was upon the knowledge of this successful bott1ing up that Ad- 1niral Jenicoe predicted the actual control of the German submarines After the a.rmistice came the work of clearing the mines, rated as one of the most hazardous undertakings of the war. Rear Admiral Strauss, who had directed their laying, was chosen 10 clean them out In the British Navy men are given special bonuses for mine operations and additional bonuses for every mine cleared. In our Navy the men work flor the hon or of America and the American Navy" And when they go out to invade a mine field they go out to ride over tons on tons of destruction that explode, not by contact, but by cOnta zion. All a vessel has to do is to get within the vicinity of the latest type of American mine. and BLUNGl-up she goes. A column of aIaba ster rises from a vast sea base of +Ide, the seams of the ship are rtpT open and often parts of the craft itself are hurled skyward.
 This is what the American mine sweeper had to brave. The ships of the fleet were fitted with an electri- cal device that minimized mine ac- ton to a certain extent and careful handling of the craft and cautious operations avoided any great num- Der of casualties. Two officers and ten men are the known casualties. The few stories that have drifted back from the isolated fleet indicate these casualties have been princiDal- ly among officers and volunteers who have gone out into imminent danger themselves after ordering other members of the crews out of the dan ger zone
 One of the most remarkable stories of the expedition was the saIvaging g by Captain R. c. Bulmer of the U. S s. Pelican after she had been rip ped open by a. mine. This vessel was worth a million dollars to the govern ment and five vessels were utilized in 3. high sea, filled with mines tC cradle it in. At one time, when it looked certain the Pelican was going to lose it's fight and go under, the twelve seanen who had volunteered to man her gathered in the stern for just one care-free moment tC sing Hail! HaiII The gangs al here and snatch a cup of coffee and a sandwich. Then plunging back tc their pumps and driving their re lief back to the other ships they rode the ship through the crisis and brought her safely into drydock a Kirkwau. Shortly afterwards Cap, tain Bu1ner lost his life in an ex pIosion. The name of Iieutenan Bruce of the L. s. s. Bobo1ink vii go down in Naval history as will tha. of Captain Bulmer. When the drag wire of hte Bobolink became foulet with a mine he drove his crew for ward and with another officer ant sailor attempted to extricate tHe wire. The mine exploded before til wire could be released, killing Bruce In a similar manner L. e7ltGnant liar Tner of the U. s. s. Patuxent was in tured.
 ''It is with the gFeatest of p1easur, that the Secretary of the Navy con gratulateS the officers and the meI of the North Sea Mine Detachmen on having so creditably completed the stupendous task of clearing tn North Sea of the mines planted b. our Navy during the war. This R7 os arduous and dangerous work, one o the greatest and most hazardou tasks undertaken by the Navy, an, which has been carried on witt GheerfuIness and integrity, will g
 Town in the annals of Naval Histor. as one of the Navy's greatest achieve ments. Every loyal citizen of tn United States and everJ officer an, man of the Navy must look witt pride upon these men who have one again fulfilled the glorious tradition of the service which they represent
 Of the thirty-six submarines an
 mine destroyers that composed Ad IniraI Strauss's fleet only five avoid ed accident in some form. but littl serious damage resulted. The ship are all repaired or in dry dock, ant the American Navy has accomplishe
 another feat that her allies though was almost impossible.