Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-02-27

one has fallen right at its prov. A
geyser jet of water thirty feet high
conceals the torpedo boat; the enemy
believes 1t has been sunk. and utter a
tremendous cheer. But the projectile
has only ricochetted and passed over
it. The water falls back in rain, and
the brave little vessel reappears, all
streaming with brine, as though it
had emerged from the sea depths, and
rushing on at full steam In the face of
death.
There are only nine men on the lit
tie vessel, and they are going to attack
sort of leviathan carrying an i'm
mense crew. 1t is not the fight of one
against ten, but of one against hun
dred
Not a single word is uttered be-
yond the necessary orders. Those
men, whom death already touches
with his fingers, are silent and grave.
And do not suppose for moment
that they do not think of the danger.
On the contrary, they think of nothing
else. But it is not OF their own dan
ger they arc thinking, but of the dan
ger of failure. 1t is not question of
their lives, but of the success of the
enterprise. 1t is essential tkat the
torpedo boat shall reach the enemy
flank and rescue our cruiser. After
that, if the torpedo boat sinks, so much
the worsel
Every nerve is strained, every eye is
directed toward the object in view.
Now the boat is only five hundred
yards away from the iron clad. The
FIRE of the mitrailleuses mingles with
the showers of shells and sweeps the
deck; everything wooden is splintered
to atoms with grape shot. An lnces-
SAINT fire of repeating rifles from the
mast tops of the iron clad plays over
the torpedo boat, ana the balls, enter
ing through the few openings in the
decks, have already disabled three
men. They lie in corner, to which
they were able to drag themselves, for
there is no time now TO attend to them.
They may be thought of in two min
utes more-after the fate of all shall
have been decided.
The torpedo-boat has almost reached
its enemy. The success Of the expedi-
ton is now assured, for the shell bat
teries are powerltss to harm the tor
| pedo boat at such short range. The
rifle fire, terrible as it is, can not sink
her. 1t can only kill some of her
crew; but that is of no great conse-
quenee. Now is the time when the
captain needs all his surety OF eye and
GOODNESS of will; now is the time that
| his men must execute orders with the
rapidity of lightning, for if the tor.
pedc be fired a second too soon it will
| fail to do its terrible duty, and yet il
there be delay of a moment the tor
pedo boat must dash itself to pieces
against the sides OF its mighty adver
sary.
Now the boat seems almost ready tc
touch the enemy's vessel. Hand
grenades flung upon her deck rebound
and burst; one man is killed; the
captain has received a terrible wound
in the face, but, summoning all hi:
strength, he supports himself erect
against the iron wall by sublime
effort of will. Livid, drenched with
blood, but terrible in his calm resolve
and bravery, he keeps his eye still
upon the enemy.
Ready! Let her go!'
The awful missile is launched. Al
enormous surge appears in the water
and frightful, cracking noise is
heard followed by terrible cry o
distress. The pigmy has conquered
the giant.
Hard a starboard!"
AID the vessel, suddenly wheeiias
around, steams away at full speed
while the enemy's ironclad sinks t.
the bottom.
Ten minutes afterward the torpedo
boat has returned to its post beside
the admiral's vessels. The admira
sends for the captain in order to con
graduate him. He is carried to hin
upon a bier. Meanwhile the fgh
goes o.. A new expedition ma.
prove necessary. A provisory cap
tain is at once appointed, and fou
men to complete the decimated crew
and the torpedo boat is ready to full
fill another mission; it has another
| hand of heroes In direct If