The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1919-09-12

W. its resumption may never be seriously
feared again, the result of the invention in
the United States Of wonderful listening device,
submarine detector. which came very close to
driving the Hun submersible from the ocean, and
would have done So in the opinion of naval
perts, had the continued through another
summer.
AS soon fthe United States entered the war
the navy 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
bureau OF steam engineering, Of which Rear Adj
miral X. 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 Dr.
W. X. Whitney, director of that company's re-
search laboratories.
Commander G. s. Mcdowell, u. S. n, served as
executive secretary of the board, while the other
advisory members Col. f. b. Jewett Of the
Western Electric company, and Prof. Il. A. Mill
kan of the University of Chicago
Development headquarters established at
New London Conn. The General Electric COM
pany in conjunction with the Submarine Signal
company of Boston started experimental field
station at Nahant Mass, and later joined by
experts from the Western Electric company.
Out of the activities of these two groups Of
scientists there developed the American
listening device, an instrument which proved to be
able successfully to detect submarines while SUBJ
merged within range of anywhere between and
- miles.
Even with the signing of the peace treaty little
yet be known of the details of this device. 1t
is, however, an instrument using the principle of
sound-wave transmission through water In new
and startling way and 1t depends for its di-
recton-getting qualities on 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-
volved.
AS soon as the device was 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,
other which could be trailed Off the stern and
third which protruded through the hull of the
vessel. American destroyers, chasers and subma-
rines were al once equipped with the instrument.
When the submarine detector had been turned
out in sufficient quantity, the navy department be-
lieved that the allies should get the benefit of the
invention at once. A special service party. In
charge of Capt r. II. Leigh of the bure;,u of steam
engineering. formed to take samples of the
apparatus abroad and test 1t under actual condi-
lions before the British admiralty. The instru-
ment was likewise demonstrated TO The French
and Italian navies. The party consisted besides
Captain Leigh of Lieutenant Carter. U. s. ~ En-
sign WEIGH. U. s. N. r. F.. six enlisted men. C. f.
Eveleth C. F. Scott. and T. p. Collins o: the Gen.
eral Electric company, representing The Nahant
group and w. l.. Nelson of the Western Electric
company who was connected with wireless devel-
opment. They sailed November %. 1917. and
Joined the British grand feet at 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 submarine patrol work was
revolutonized.
Defensive tactics which had been employed
since 1914 DOW no 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