The Ordway new era., 1919-09-26


fshred again. was the result of the invention In
the United States of a wonderful listening device
submarine detector, which came very close TO
driving the Hun submersble from the ocean, and
would have done so. in the opinion of naval ex-
perts, had the war continued through another
snn.ner.
AS soon as the United States entered the
the navy department formed special board to
develop ways and means for combating the U-boat
peril then growing to alarming proportions
This board consisted largely of officers from the
bureau of steam engineering of which Rear Adj
mira H. S. Griffin is chief. 1t called to its assist
ance in an advisory capacity many noted engineers
and scientists from Industrial concerns, including
the General Electric company, represented by DIR.
w. II. Whitney. director of that company's re-
search laboratories.
Commander c. 5. Mcdowell, U. s. ". served as
executive secretary of the board, while the other
advisory members Col. F. b. Jewett of the
Western Electric company. and Prof. X. A. MILL
kan of the University of Chicago.
Development headquarters established at
New London Conn. The General Electric COM
pnny in conjunction with the Submarine Signal
company of Boston started experimental field
station Nahunt. Mass. and We're later Joined by
experts from the Western Electric company
Out of the activities of these groups of
scientists there developed the American
listening device. an instrument which proved to be
able successfully TO detect submarines while sub
merged within range of anywhere between and
12 miles.
can yet he known of the details of this device. II
is. however. an instrument using the principle OF
sound wave transmission through water in
and startling way and II depends for its di
rection- getting qualities the peculiar and little
understood faculty of the human ear to detect the
direction of sound by the shifting of sound from
one ear to the other the instrument was re-
volved.
As soon the device considered practical
the General Electric company undertook its man
ufacture "a large scale in Lynn. Mass. develop
Ing three kinds of listeners: One which hung
overheard from the deck of submarine chasers an
other which could he trailed on the Stern and
third, which protruded through the hull of the
vessel. American destroyers chasers and subma-
rines at once equipped with the instrument.
When the submarine detector had been turned
out sufficient quantity the navy department be-
lieved that the allies should get the benefit of the
Invention at. special service party. in
charge of Capt II. II. Leigh of the burenu of steam
engineering formed 10 take samples of the
apparatus abroad and test II under actual condi-
tions before the British admiralty. The instru-
ment was likewise demonstrated to the French
and Italian naves. The party consisted besides
Captain Leigh of Lieutenant Carter, U. S. N. En-
sign Wech. q. S. N. II. F., six enlisted men. G. f.
EyeIeth C. +. Scott. and T. +. Collins OF the Gen
eral Electric company. representing the Nahant
group and w. l.. Nelson of The Western Electric
company who connected with wireless devel-
opment They sailed November % 1917 and
ioined the British grand fleet Mt Scapa Flow in
the Orkney islands during the first week of the
following month.
The admiralty and the supreme war council
shortly afterward adopted the American device
and from that time on submarine patrol work was
revolutoniZed.
Defensive tactics which had been employed
since 1914 were longer the sole reliance.
The war was carried into the enemy's territory.
Fighting ships, instead Of patrolling the steam
ship lanes looking for stray Sub" to poke Its