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PAGE TWENTY-TWO = THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG ananaaas ----jn ----_anae 2.8. 8 8 8 eo SE SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1920, CN I RG NT During the two years preceding the war, Captain Reginald R. Belknap commanded the mine-laying squad- ron of the Atlantic Fleet; although his force was small, consisting prin- cipally of two antiquated warships, the Baltimore and the San Francisco, Captain Belknap performed his duties conscientiously and ably, and his lit- tle squadron therefore gave us an ex- cellent foundation on which to build. Before the World War, the business of mine-laying had been unpopular in the American Navy as well as in the British; such an occupation, as Sir | Eric Geddes once said, had been re-| garded as something like that of "rat | catching"; as hostilities went on, how- | ever, and the mine developed great value an an anti-submarine weapon, this branch of the service began to | receive .more respectful attention. | Captain Belknap's work, however, | merely provided the nucleus out of | which the great American mine force was developed. The "active front" of our mine-laying squadron was found | in the North Sea; but the initial | headquarters lay in a dozen shipyards | and several hundred manufacturing | plants in the United States. . We began this work with practi- | cally nothing; 'we had to obtain ships | and transform them into mine-layers, to enlist and to train their crews; to manufacture at least 100,000 mines to create bases both in the United Sta- tes and Scotland; to transport all of our supplies more than 3,000 miles of wintry sea, part of the course lying in the submarine zone; and 'we had to do all this before the real business of planting could begin. The mere fact that the Navy made contracts | for 100,000 of these mew mines, be- fore it had had the opportunity of thoroughly testing the desi under service conditions shows e great faith of the Navy Department in this new invention. More than 500 con- tractors and sub-contractors, located in places as far west as the Missis- sippi River, undertook the work of filling this great order. Wire rope mills, steel factories, foundries, ma- chine shops, electrical works, and even candy makers engaged in this reat operation; all had their trou- les with labor unions, with the rail- roads, and with the weather--that was the terrible winter of 1917-18; but, in # few months, train loads of mine cases--great globes of ste Je and other essential parts, beghn to arrive at Norfolk, Virginia. Thi? port was the place where the mine parts | were loaded on ships and sent abroad. The plant which was ultimately con- structed at this point was able to han- dle 1,000 mines a day; the industry was not a popular one in the neigh- borhood, particularly after 'the Hali- fax explosion had proved the destruc- tive powers of the materials in which it dealt. Yet in a few months this establishment had handled 25,000,000 pounds of TNT. The explosive was melted in steel kettles until it reach- ed about the density of hasty pud- ding. With the aid of automatic de- vices it was then poured into the mine cases, 300 pounds to a case, and thence moved on a mechanical con- veyor to the end of the pier. Twenty- four cargo vessels, for the most part taken from the Great Lakes, carried these cargoes to the western coast of Scotland. Beginning in February, 1918, two or three of these ships sail- ed every eight days from armed against submarines and man- ned by naval crews. The fact that these vessels were slow made them an easy pray for the under-water enemy; one, indeed, was sunk, with the loss of forty-one men; regrettable as was this mishap, it represented the only serious loss of the whole expedition. The other vital points were New- port, Rhode Island, where the six mine-layers were assembled; and Fort William and Kvle of Loch Alsh ONLY TABLETS MARKED "BAYER" ARE ASPIRIN Not Aspirin at All without the "Bayer Cross" The name "Bayer" identifies the Aspirin, ~the Aspirin by physicians for over nine- | ralgia, years and now made in Canada. bu, ckage | of "Bayer Tablets of Aspirin" which | a few cents. Larger "Bayer" packages. There is only one Aspirin--"Bayer"--You must say "Bayer" (registered In Canada) of Bayer Manufacture of Mono- id. © While it Is well known that only uine p an unbroken Always Aspirin is the trade merk aceticac public against general tn Norfolk, | ade mark, the "Bayer on the western coast of Scotland, which were the disembarking points for the ships transporting the ex- plosives. Captain Belknap's men were very proud of their mine-layers and in many details they represented an improvement over anything which had been hitherto employed in such a service. At this point I wish to ex- press my very great appreciation of the loyal and devoted serviges render- ed by Captain Belknap. An organizer of rare ability, this officer deserves well of the nation for the conspicuous part which he played in the develop- ment of the North Sea Mine Barrage from start to finish, Originally, these mine-layers had been coast-wise ves- Why We Began the Navy had selected as bases the parts of Inverness and Invergordon, on Mo- ray Firth, Scotland, harbors which were reasonably near the water in which the mines were to be laid. From Invergordon, the Highland Railway crosses Scotland to Loch Alsh, and from Inverness the Caledonian Canal runs to Fort William. These two transportation lines--the Highland Railway and the Caledonian Canal-- served as connecting links in our com- munications. If we wish a complete picture of our operation, we must call to mind first the hundreds of factories in all parts of the country working day and night making the numerous parts of these instruments of des- | Captain Belnap, describing his first morning at his new Scottish base. "I arose and looked out. What a glori- ous sight! Green slopes in all fresh- ness, radiant with bloom and yellow gorse, the rocky shore mirrored in | the Firth, which stretched, smooth and cool, wide away to the east and south, and in the distance snow-cap- ped Ben Wyvis, Lying off the en- trance to Munlochy Bay, we had a view along the sloping shores into the interior of Black Isle, of noted fer- tility. Farther out were Avoch, a white-washed fishing village, and the ancient town of Fort-rose, with its ruined Twelfth Century cathedral. Across the Rirth lay Culloden House, learning the American steps. Ama- teur theatricals, in which both the men from the warships and the Seot- tish girls took part, cheered many a crew after its return from the mine- fields. Baseball was introduced for the first time into the country of Wil- liam Wallace and Robert Burns. Great crowds gathered to witness the matches between the several ships; the Scotch quickly learned the fine points and really developed into "fans," while the small boys of In- verness and Invergordon were soon playing the game with as much en- thugiasm and cleverness as our own re nl at home. In general, the behavior of our men was excellent and made the most favorable impression. These two mine assembly bases at Inverness and Invergordon will ever remain a monumental tribute to the loyal and energetic devotion to duty of Captain Orin G. Murfin, U. S! Navy, who designed, and built them, hand; these Americans had come this long distance to do their part in lay- ing the mighty barrage which was to add one more serious obstacle to the illegal German submarine campaign. Though the operation was a joint one of the American and British navies, our part was much the larger. The proposal was to construct this explos- ive impediment from the Orkney Is- lands to the coast of Norway in the vicinity of Udsire Light, a disgance of about 230 nautical miles. f this great area about 150 miles, extending | from the Orkmeys to 3 degrees east | longitude, was the American field, | and the eastern section, which extend- | ed fifty nautical miles to Norway, was taken over by the British. Since an operation of this magnitude required the supervision of an officer of high rank, . Rear-Admiral Joseph Strauss, | with extended experience in the ord- nance field of the Navy, came over in March, 1918, and took command. The] NGQ\ IT ---- | | | sels; two of them were the Bunker | Hill and the Massachusetts, which for | vears had been "outside line" boats, { running from New. York to Boston; | all had dropped the names which had served them in civil life and were re- christened for the port part with {names which eloquently testified to {their American origin--Canoaacus, i Shawmut, Quinnebaug, Housatonie, | Saranac, Roanoke, Aroostook and | Canadaigua. This change in name | was entirely suitable, for, by the time |our force had completed 'their al- | terations, the ships bore few resem- (blances to their former state. | cabins and 'saloons had been gutted, {leaving the hulls little more than | empty shells; three decks for carry- ing mines had been installed; on all | these decks. little railroad tracks had {been built on which the mines could | be rolled along the lower decks to the elevators and along the upper | mine deck to the stern and dropped | into the sea. Particularly novel de- | tails, something entirely new in mine- layers, were the elevators, the pur- | pose of which was to bring the mines j rapidly from the lower decks to the launching track. So rapidly did the work progress, and so well were the crews trained, that one night in May, 1918, the whole squadron of ten ships { weighed anchor and started for their destination in Scotland. Already our contains proper directions' for Colds, | Headache, Toothache, Earache, N Lumbago, Rheumatism, Neuri- | tis, Joint Pains, and Pain generally. Tin boxes of 12 tablets cost but ig means Bayer compared this business with ticularly useful anti-submari "rat-catching.'" ne device, and these jacki A But the war RAINY DAY AT THE SCOTTISH BASE There was a time when mine laying was not recognized as a very creditabl showed that high ex pl es grew fond of their work and very proud of it. barrage makers. men the most cordial reception and the small boys e truction and their attendant mechan- isms; then thousands of freight cars carrying them to the assembling plant at Norfolk, Virginia; then an- other small army of workmen at this Joint mixing their pasty explosives, heating it to a boiling point and pour- ing the concoction into the spherical steel Sans; then sther Froupa of men moving the partially prepa mines to the docks and loading them on the cargo ships; then these ships quietly putting to sea, and, after a voyage of ten days or two weeks, as quickly slip- Ping. into the Scottish town of Fort illiam and Kyle; then trains of freight cars and canal boats taking the eaige Scrons Scotland to Inver- ness Invergordon, where the mines were completed and placed in the immense storehouses at the bases and loaded on the mine-layers as the necessity arose. Thus, when the 'le organization 'was once estab- | on a working basis, we had -errupted communications and a usinuous flow. of mines from the American factories to the stormy wa- ters of the North Sea. » Famous Towns The town in which our officers and men found themselves in late May, 1918, are among the most famous in Scottish history and legend. Almost every foot of land is asseciated with memories of Macbeth, Mary Queen of Pi Aspirin imitations, the Tablets of Bayer Company Cross. Il and the "Pretender. The national anthem awoke me, says ONE our BASES IN SCOTLAND. The old Highland towns of Inverness and Invergordon became the head These are among the most beautify where Bonnie Prince Charlie slept be- fore the battle. Substantial, but sof- tened in outline by the morning haze, the Royal Burgh of Inverness covered the banks and heights along the Ness River, gleaming in 'the bright sun- shine. And how peaceful everywhere! The Canandaigua and the Sonoma lay near by, the Canonicus farther out, but no movement, no signal ,no beat of the engine, no throbbing pumps." The reception which 'the natives gave our men was as delightful as the natural beauty of the location. For miles around the Scotch turned out to things asant for their Yan- 8,000 officers and men, and the task of providing relaxations, in the heart of the Highlands, far removed from theatres and moving picture houses, would have been a serious one had it for the cordial co-operation people. 'Thé spirit manifested Satire il and romantic places 1 Y learned to play baseball. quarters of several thousand Yankee n Scotland. The Highlanders gave our originally the bases were intended to handle 1,200 mines, but in reality Captain Murfin successfully handled as many as 20,000 at one time. It was here also that each secret firi device wa Sssembled and installed very largely by reserve personnel. As many as 12,000 mines were assembled in one day, which speaks very elo- quently for the foresightedness with which Captain Murfin planned his LU The Serious Work. But, of course, baseball and dane- ing were not the serious business in 1) HIDE 6 occupation for a sailor; some one losives under the water were a par- took its regular turn in acting as "screen" - in these ' excursions--was standing a considerable distance to the south, prepared to make things lively for any German surface ves- sels which attempted to interfere with | the operation. (To be continued) Copyright, 1920, by the World's Work. The copyright'of these articles in Great Britain is strictly reserved by Pearson's Magazine, London; without their permission no quota tion may be made. Published by special arrangement with the Me- Clure Newspaper Syndicate. , Could Not Sleep Mr. Earnest Clark, Police Officer, 338 King St., Kingston, | Ont., writes: "For three years I suffered | from nervousness and sleep lessness. 1 believe my condi- tion was brought about by overwork. I had frequent headaches, neuralgic pains and twitching of nerves and muscles. I had indigestion, easily i was short of breath and tired. I commenced a treat- | ment of Dr. Chase's Nerve Food, and seven boxes of this { medicine cured me of all my | symptoms. I am now feeling one hundred per cent. better | than I was, and have to thank. { Dr. Chase's Nerve ¥ | the good health I am now en- 'ood for | joying." Dr. Chase's Nerve Food, 50 cents a box, 8 for $275, all dealers, or Fdmanson, Bates & Co, Lid, Torents. British commander was Rear-Admiral | Clinton-Baker. , R.N. 1] The mines were laid in a series of | thirteen expeditions, or "excursions," | as our men somewhat cheerfully call- | ed them. The ten mine-layers partici- | pated in each "excursion," ail ten to- | gether laying about 5400 mines at every trip. Each trip to the field of | action was practically a duplicate of | the others; R description of one will: therefore, serve for all. After days, | and sometimes after weeks of pre- paration the squadron, usually on a | dark or misty night, showing no | lights or signals, would weigh anchor, { slip by the rocky palisedes of Moray | Firth, and stealthily creep out to! sea. As the ships passed through | the nets and other obstructions and | reached open waters, the speed in- creased, the gunners took their sta- tions at their batteries, and suddenly from a dark horizon came a group of low, rapidly moving vessels; these | were the British destroyers from the Grand Fleet which had been sent to | escort the expedition and protect it from submarines. lence of the whole proceeding was im- pressive; not one of the destroyers showed a si Dr Chase's a Nerve Food =~ Will stop any headache in 20 min- utes, wi 8 cold in the bud, will relieve monthly of women, and in every case it Leaves you Feeling Good SUMMER MONTHS BRING ASTHMA AND HAY FEVER, AND THESE DiS- TRESSING DISEASES NEED EFFED- TIVE TREATMENT, Dr.J.D.KeLLoca's The absolute si- | al or a light; not one ! of the mine-layers gave the slightest | sign of recognition; all these details | had been arranged in advance, and everything now worked with complete | precision. The swishing of the wa- ter on the sides and the slow churn- | ing of the propellers were the only sounds that ships to their hidden enemies. the shi miles, the now a still more inspiring sight met our men. A squadron of battleships, with scout cruisers and destroyers, suddenly appeared over the horizon. This glorious armada likewise swept on, apparently paying not the slight- | est attention to our ships. They steamed steadily southward, and in an hour or so had entirely disappeared. The hae a hard] 2 d is squadron from Ad- miral Beatty's fleet at Scapa flow had anything to do with the American and British mine-layers. Its busi- ness, however, was to establish a wall of steel t on the high seas, _ | general engagement At any rate, a fleet of converted ex- |- sfaction of knowing that while engaged in their ShgTossng if unmenviable task, fleet of British or American battle. ships--for Admiral al 's forces { could possibly betray the | i After | had steamed a few more | dawn began to break; and | cura Ointment. is treatment is to cleanse and purify, the Oint- ment to soothe i i }