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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



completes the task without a break — a 

 world record up to that time In a later 

 excursion the Canonicus lays 860 mines 

 in 3 hours 35 minutes without a break, 

 making a string longer than from Wash- 

 ington to Baltimore. 



At last, after nearly four hours, the 

 schedule is finished. We stand on for a 

 mile and then three ships drop mark- 

 buoys. The line of ships wheels to the 

 right and plants more buoys to pick the 

 field up by when we return to prolong it. 



Now the ships reform in four columns 

 and start back to base. Below decks the 

 men are cleaning up, securing the gear, 

 and getting a wash for themselves. That 

 done, they drop in their tracks, dog-tired, 

 and the decks are thick with sleeping 

 forms. 



the: crowded-hour club 



We hoped for a quiet afternoon that 

 day, with a few cat-naps, handy to the 

 bridge; but Captain Godfrey had plans 

 for his destroyers which interfered, giv- 

 ing them a smoke-screen exercise about 

 2 p. m., which sent all of us tumbling up 

 to the guns. 



Then an airship claimed attention ; one 

 of our own ships had to drop behind to 

 set up on a loose bearing, and a wide- 

 spread smoke appeared, proving to be a 

 convoy of fifty vessels. Finally, just 

 after the soup at dinner, our next astern 

 saw a periscope and let out the warning 

 shrieks. 



Our ships turned together, on signal, 

 half right, to steer away from the dan- 

 ger quarter, while the Vampire ahead 

 swooped down at 30 knots to drop two 

 depth charges. "Whatever was there," 

 he signaled, "those charges will keep him 

 down for a considerable time." It was 

 then, as we resumed our stone-cold meal, 

 that we changed our name from mining 

 squadron to "Crowded-hour Club." 



Through the day reports had been com- 

 ing in by signal, snowing that everywhere 

 all had gone well, without casualty, and 

 that each ship was prepared to undertake 

 another operation upon receiving the 

 mines. Our first excursion was unques- 

 tionably a decided success. 



There were in all 13 excursions by our 

 squadron and 11 by the British mine- 

 laying squadron. Twice the two squad- 



rons were joined to lay their mines in 

 company. On the first occasion our 

 Rear-Admiral Strauss went out in com- 

 mand of the joint force ; the second time 

 Rear-Admiral Clinton-Baker, R. N. 



SEVENTY THOUSAND MINES LAID 



On one of these joint excursions ten 

 American ships planted 5,520 mines, the 

 four British ships 1,300, making a total 

 of 6,820 planted in four hours. This is 

 the record for number. A few weeks 

 later our squadron alone planted a field 

 73 miles long, making a record for dis- 

 tance. 



The whole barrier contained 70,117 

 mines, of which 56,571, or four-fifths, 

 were ours. The average was three ex- 

 cursions a month, though the intervals 

 between were irregular. We steamed 

 altogether 8,700 miles in 775 hours while 

 on these excursions. 



It might be expected that with so many 

 features alike the excursions would soon 

 have become monotonous, but such was 

 not the case. Each one began, contin- 

 ued, and ended with almost the same zest 

 as the first, and always some unusual 

 event or circumstance brought in new 

 interest. 



The absolute necessity of sustained at- 

 tention and care in details was well un- 

 derstood by all, so that every one was 

 pretty well keyed up from start to finish. 

 After 48 hours of that, scarcely losing 

 consciousness for a moment, we would 

 get a few hours' sleep — too sodden to be 

 really restful — and then on rising feel an 

 indescribable exaltation. 



In this mood I would have the captains 

 and my staff at a conference, followed by 

 a lunch, most memorable and enjoyable 

 mixtures of council table and festal 

 board. 



Cooperation with our Allies was mu- 

 tually all that could be desired, and we 

 formed most agreeable associations. The 

 big squadrons, too, felt much interest in 

 our work and enjoyed being detailed for 

 our support. 



PASSING THE GERMAN FXEET 



On our way home, after the signing 

 of the Armistice, our squadron passed 

 through Scapa Flow, where the German 

 fleet was interned. As our long column 



