THE MINE FIENDS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2267, 29 September 1914, Page 6

THE MINE FIENDS

SWEEPING THE NORTH SEA w . ± ~ " u ». August 12. liver since the Konigm Luiee was caught laying mines in tho North Sea British ships, for the benefit of other .nations besides their own, :|iave been "sweeping" the waters for those deadly machines'. The werk is done partly by torpedo-boats and destroyers, partly by the Special Trawler Reserve. As far as Hull is concerned the latter wae established two or three years ago, but recent events have mado it necessary to increase it, and arrangements are being completed here to enlist about a dozen additional trawlers. As this entoils the engagement of more men an advertisement was published saying, "Wanted, skippers, mates, deck-hands, engine-men, and trimmers, who ' have served or .are serving iir trawlers, to join .Special Trawler Reserve. Candidates to apply at Mercantile Marine Office, Posterngate, Hull." There has already been a rush in answer to this request, because ordinary members of the' Clew of a trawler, engaged in mine sweeping, get, double pay, the.skipper has sixteen shillings daily, and intermediate ranks in proportion. The mines must difficult to detect, and therefore, the most dangerous to ships, are. those which, by some kind of anchorage, are kept just, below the surface of tho sea. . To discover them a couple of ; trawlers steam slowly abreast-but a thousand yards or eveii more apart. •, They carry 'between thorn a strnnij line of steel wire, sufficiently weighted to sink as far ae the ,vessel's allow it. If the , lino, meets the cable of a. mine it drags it to tho surface, and unless the,machine explodes in the operation it is fired by other means— usually rifle bullets. As for floatingmines they cannot always'be seen if tho sea., is rough; consequently the trawlers use a. big net, the top of which floats on tlie surface of the water, wliile the lower edge is a little distance. below. . The portion of this dangerous task which lies nearest to the English coast is allotted to the Trawler R-eservc. Further out it is done by torpedo-boats and destroyers.—"Morning Post."