The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-08-25
The British Ironclad on the Big shoot.


oHAoN AtteJfupi'
Even In her most peaceful dress, when gay
with bunting and ct rest in English waters,
the British ironclad has grim and ferocious
look, aud something of the snarling grin Of
the lioness Is never wanting. But 10 picture
a squadron Of such ships engaged In giving
battle is TO figure one of the most stupendous
scenes of fire and thunder and destruction
which the world has TO offer. 1t Is no longer
the flaming roar of the old line-of-battle ship
the successive explosions Of ahundred and
one guns dating their scarlet tongues into
white universe of smoke, through which the
towering structure Of hemp and sail and
wood forks out Its wounded heights-bus
single ear.splitting thunder-shocks, sound
as of the rending Of the very deep by some
enormous submarine convulsion, as the vast
weapon disgorges its mass of powder In .
food of fire, and launches Its deadly missile
with fury that rivals the electric rush Of
thunderbolt from the sulphurous heart Of
ponderous storm-cloud. Yet even here We
get but one side of the terrific picture. We
see these huge ships standing motionless
upon the cleaning waters whose depths
tremble with the shock and turn blood-red
with the fash of the fiery explosions which
break from their sides and decks and tops;
we mark the superb symmetry of the spars
which rule the blue Egyptian sky above the
rolling, fuctustlng, cleaning billows Of
powder and smoke which hang low In the
stagnated air; but looking shoreward, whitb-
er those grinning monsters are pointing their
deadly lips which seem to open and shut
with every crashing boom, the Imagination
must follow the eyes If the whole picture Of
fury and devastation 10 TO be beheld. The
entire line OF the tortuous shore 10 commaDd-
ed by the guis Of the iron-clads, from the
forts which lie to the westward and south
ward of the breakwater light, around past
Phsros to the sandy spit Of Pharallon. II
the old bombsrdmcnts made memories Of
horror and anguish which descended from
sire to son through many long progression,
those old batteries Of thirty-two pound round
shot and primitive shells, whose smouldsring
fuses were often innocucus--what must this
bombardment Of Alexandra be, with Ito
shells Of ton and half exploding like .
fred coal mine, and the air dark with iron
hail speeding from the gigantic armaments
Of the British ironclads! In Michael Scots
famous novel there Is description Of bom-
barded city; aud be speaks Of shot crashing
through the roof Of house and rolling upon
the floor of room like skittle-baIl. In
those days there were little more than skit-
tle-balis, grandly - they did their work
when launched from British cannon. We
have changed all tha.. War nowadays rides
on the tempest, and directs the storm. II ID
no longer the dull thud Of . shot str,klns
wall, the crash Of glass, the overthrow Of
breakfast table, and safe retreatin cellar.
1t Is rain Of fire similar 10 that by which
the ancient city was destroyed; Il b the isv-
cling Of acres of structures; terrific power
that makes moles, bastions, and eaythwofks
the idlest mockery, and that renders ths
study Of fortifcations-sc far - ironclads
have relation to it-a new science.