The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-10-25


9mHHATEVER plans Germany may be
HVWYs making for the next war; if in truth
ENAH 4 she is will be capable of car
E" u rying them Dat it is certain that the
wv submarine VIII play part in her
schemes.
~ eE3 vi The submarine Is dead. The o.
x&6mH boat peril has vanished forever. never
XdVb&Y to be resurrected
H&&U The collarse Of submarine warfare
M during the closing months Of the Eu-
WATW ropean conflict and the prediction that
IT'S resumption may never be seriously
feared xEafu, was the result of the invention In
tie United States of wonderful listening device,
ar submarine detectOr, which came very close to
driving the Hum submersible from the ocean. and
AoulL have done so, in the opinion Of naval ex-
perts. had tine war continued through another
hummer
As soon as the United States entered the war
the aavy department formed a special board to
develop ways and means for combating the Uboat
peril, then growing to alarming proportions.
This board consisted largely of officers from the
hureau OF steam engineering, of which Rear Adj
nfral H. s. Griffin is chief It called to its assist
ance In advisory capacity many noted engineers
and scientists from Industrial concerns, including
the General Electric company, represented by DR..
W. H Whitney. director of that cOmpany's re
search laboratories
Commander G. s. Mcdowell, q. S. N, served as
executive secretary of the board while the other
a<iyfsory members were Col r. B. Jewett OF the
Western Electric company, and Prof. r. 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
cDmpany Of BOston started experimental field
station at Nahant, Mass, and were later Joined by
experts from the Western Electric company.
Out ct the activities of these two groups Of
scientists there was developed the American
listening Device an instrument which proved to be
able successfully to detect submarines while SUBJ
merged within range of anywhere between 8 and
IL miles
Even with the signing of the peace treaty little
<zn yet be known of the details of this device 1t
n. however, an instrument using the principle of
Sound wave transmission through water in a
md stirling way and 1t depends for Its d.
Tecfion- 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 as the instrument was re
HoIved-
As soon as the device was consideret practical
l1te General Electric company undertook its man
ufhcture on a large scale in Lynn, Mass, develop
Eng three kinds Of listeners: One which was hung
overheard from the deck Of submarine chasers an
other which could be trailed off the stern and
ttIrd which protruded through the hull OF the
vessel American destroyers, chasers and subma-
Mines were ut once equipped with the instrument.
When the submarine detector had been turned
out In suffcient quantity. the navy department be-
Meved that the allies should get the benefit of the
anwentfon ut once. special service party, In
charge af Capf r. III. Leigh of the bureau of steam
<uxfneerfng, WIS formed to take samples OF the
appnrxfm abroad and test it under actual condi-
tanus before the British admiralty. The instru-
u,euf was likewise demonstrated to the French
nud Yfxsfan nayfes. The party consisted, besides
Ckutafn Leigh, Of Lieutenant Carter. q. s. NJ, En-
sasn WsacA, U- s. N. r. r. Elk enlisted men. G. E.
EseIefh. G. r. Scott and 7. P. Collins OF the Cen
xa Electric company. representing the Nahant
nss.Ut and w. z. Nelson Of the Western Electric
Gsmunny. vino ems connected with wireless devel-
o.ent They sailed November % 1917. and
1nned - Bx1tish grand fleet at Scapa Flow in
h OrkneT Islands during the first week Of the
1hl1Oudnx nsC0th-
4 TIE admiralty and the supreme war council
snsxt1y a36erwzrd adopted the American device
"a from that time on submarine patrol work was
eevsautf0ntzed.
DercnAlve tactics which had been employed
uenre IDA were now no longer the sole reliance.
me rz.r ans carried into the enemys territory.
rig ss,4rs instead Of patrolling the steam
ing for Stray sub to poke its