The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-01-25
ToRPEDoED FROM U-BoAT.
Adventure Resulting From the Use of
New Listening Device.

Perhaps tie most amusing if somewhat
alarming adventure resulting from the use
of ono Of those new listening devices the
Americans employed in their hunt for
submarines occurred shortly before the
war ended The vessel to which the de-
vice was attached had Just sunk prpwl-
ing U-boat with a depth charge, The ex
blosion bad volumned in the listener like
the roar of a l5-inch gun, but was barely
audible in comparison with the terrifying
din that succeeded It,
This was continuous; roaring, deafen-
ing, grumbling-a veritabe bombardment.
The operator at the receiver below decks
flung down the instrument and rushed
up to give warning. Far and wide the
alarmed crew searched along the sur
face, in the water, up in the sky Still
the roaring sound increased in volume;
still they searched in vain.
Then over the gunwae bobbed a drip
ping, spluttcring head, followed By a body
that laboriously sprawled on the deck
Immediately the sound in the listener
ceased as abruptly as it had commenced
Afterward they discovered that the visi-
tor was a German sailor who had been
shot out of the submarine by the force
of the explosion and had scrambled onto
their vessel by way OF the listening de-
vice.
The listener has demonstrated that the
sea is alive with noises that vary from
the passage of whale to the low, regular
hum OF a submarine motor Listening at
the receiver is like hearing the incessant
lnuttering of great electrophone ten
taced to all the corners of the world.
Considering the fact that the inhabi-
tants of the water are more numerous
than those of the land, the incessant ebb
and flow of the tide, the cross currents
in the sea, the grate of the water weight
on the varying forms OF ocean bed, the
surface passage Of ships, some idea may
be gained of the conflicting multitude OF
sounds that din the observers ear Water,
too, is three times more sensitive to sound
than air.
Much valuable work has been accom-.
plished by the listener in the detection
Of submarines, aud amazing scientific and
aquatic discoveries have also been made
In the quieter spells have been heard such
sounds as the continuous rapping OF ami
NAL life; a rfting sound caused by a
school OF whales, porpoises barking like
dogs or chattcring and crying like chill
dren. Whales near by echo the drop
drop, drop of running water tap a sount
with a Characteristic rhythm.
Even tho overhead flight OF an airplan,
sets up audible vibrations at depth o
several fathoms One scientific entlusi
ast in the United States navy is workin.
out chart of the vocal cords Of whales
There are as many variations as with til,
human voice. Another is trying to form
ulate the language Of PROPOSES Nor,
curious than any there is audible at certain
times, invariably before squally weather
the harsh piercing laugh Of some uudis
covered mammalian aquatic like that o
hyena.
There are the varied sounds Of whales
dolphins and seals; OF fishes birds an,
reptiles, OF aquatic animals, several tribe
Of the mammalian class living cntirel
under water; the up and downward me
ton of the larger fishes, not to mention
crabs and Holsters which fasten onto tn
listening device itself
There are audible varying waves am
trcnors OF sound Rarely wave is effec
tive alone. When it Is the sound is hars
and vibrant; sound that gradually tune
down to melody when the sound wave