The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-23
Marvellous Listening Device Told
Trained Observers Whether Under
sea Boat Was Submerged or Afloat,
Where 1t Was Going and How Fast

A MEXICAN naval experts state
~ with conviction that II the war
had lasted six months longer
German submarine warfare would have
been impossible.
Back of their belief lies . story
shrouded in tho secrecy OF the censor
ahip. The cessation of hostilities now
makes It possible to divulge some OF
the details for the first time The
navy. however. forbids any technical
description of the machine itself.
The doom of the submarine may
properly be said to have been signed
and sealed on a historic day in Octo-
Der, 1917. Off the coast of Cape Cod.
Mass. when a notable group OF Ameri-
can engineers and naval officers COM
pleted the first successful test of ap-
raratus which. up to now. has been the
most carefully guarded military secret
of the Allies-the submarine detector.
When the United States entered the
European conflict the greatest mill
tary problem confronting the allied ma
tons was a successful solution OF the
tremendous difficulties caused by the
Interruption to shipping by German
submarines.
Daniels Names Board.
On the outbreak Of hostilities Score
tary of the Navy Daniels appointed a
special board to consider ways and
means to meet this menace.
Two DrOnna 0f utnaara AND urtov,
eists were formed, one at New Lon
66ff, Conn.,, where the navy had estab-
Hshed submarine base. and another
at Nahant. Mass. Here for many
months experiments were carried on
TO develop some device to locate sub
marines under water.
The General Electric Company Of
schenectady played q prominent part
IN the activities at the Nahant station
In cooperation with the Submarine
Signal Company Of Boston. The Sub
marine Signal Company had. up to
that time. been the only concern which
had made a study Of the propagation
and reception OF sound waves in water
and It very generously offered to dis
close tho results Of its research in Or
suitable submarine detector. notwith-
standing the fact that its heads real
lBsd by 30 doing they were disclosing
much confidential Information which
had been secured through years OF
work and the expenditure Of many
thousands Of dollars.
The work at Nahant was begun and
carried on in conjunction with ex-
perimentatton in the research labora-
tories Of the General Electric Com
pany under It's director. DR.. W. R.
Whitney, assisted by Or. Irving Lang
muir. DR.. w. d. Coolidge and other
research scientists. Experts from the
Western Electric Company Joined this
group later.
Sub sfniings Grew.
Col. r. A. MIllikan. head Of the
department Of physics OF the Uni
vsrsity of Chicago and chairman of
the physics committee of the National
Research Council, with Prof. Max
Mason and others began a separate
undertaking to accomplish the same
object at New London and the activi-
dies OF the two groups later were CO.
ordinated.
In the meantime losses by sub
marine sinkings were increasing and
t. 1>e-.2ri. 1e17-.s4 1nags-r sstroyed
amounted to 874,oo0 tors It was
evident that something would have to
be done at once.
The General Electric Company bent
al its energies to the task The re-
search laboratories were modified or
q var basis and the best talent of the
company assembled. The entire works
were put at their disposal. II they
desired a man working on another
sob he was theirs instantly for the
asking. If casting was desired
quickly the foundry dropped everything
90 rush the Job to completion. Fever
fab activity under high tension marked
each successive step of progress.
Scientific experiments gradually
passed the experimental stage, ant
then the Navy Department through
DR.. Whitney. who was a member o.
abe Naval Advisory Board, placed It,
organization at their disposal foi
making those practical tests which
followed.
Haste. haste and more haste wa,
fhe keynote.
Special reports from the war ION,
supplied by Admiral Sims and the
British Admiralty were gathered. for,
warded to tho @. e. laboratories ant
carefully analysed.
What was the average CRUISING
radius OF a submarine? What was
the condition of the sea bottom ovei
which they operated? Did the sub
marines enter the Atlantic TO the
north OF England and through the
irish Sea or did they sail through the
English Channel" These and a scor,