Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-11
THE AWFUL TORPEDO.
WHAT THE NAVAL ENGAGEMENT or
THE FUTURE MAY BE.
Description of = Rattle Between an Iron
Clad and a Torpedo Boat-An
Uncertain Fight of One
Against a Hundred.


The role of the torpsdo-boat is terrible;
and those who direct its movements are eN-
posed to the greatest dangers. A single
heavy shot may shattur it to atoms; and
when It approaches the enemy a hail of balls
from the matrailleuSes and rifles will do ter
rible execution on boari. Therefore the
mere fact of embarking Oh a torpedo-boat Is
a guarantee of bravery. Figure TO yourself
the situation of the officer in command OF
such a torpedo-boat who 10 ordered to sink
ship Of the enemy'S squadron. All his sur
ruuningS constitute one vast danger. The
very sea that hides and pr ,tects him during
the first part of his expediti may in another
moment tusS his corpse hither and thither
upon its waves. His adversary will seek to
riddle tie boat with a rain of steel, cast-iron
and lead. The torpedo itself, which carries
such terror with it, might be touched by
missile, and explode, bursting the torpedo
boat into atoms.
The combat commences The vessels of
the fleet have opened fire. Shells rain in all
directions. One of our cruisers, cannonaded
heavily on the starboari side by a fort
mounting twelve krupp cannon, is stimuli
taneouly attacked or the larb b,ard side by
one of the enemy's iron-clads She has
already suffered severely, and her position
becomes CTltlCdi- ~ UldSt-SlElltl iTDiu
admirarS ship is given; and a torpedo-boat
starts. The watChful enemy has observed
the signal He knows the danger; and at
once concentrates all his fire upon the little
gray speck which is shooting rapidly toward
him Three miles separate them; and the
torpedo-boat must make that three miles in
ten minutes If it is not sunk before it has
traversed that distance, the iron-clad is lost.
Tbarafnra tina rannnnaarS ppint their Guns
with the most scrupuous care. The first
shells rass wide of tine mark; but the aim is
rectified: and soon the shells fall SO near the
torpedo-boat that they throw the water over
it Now one has fallen right at its Prov. A
geyser jet of water thirty feet high conceals
the torpeio-boat: the enemy believes it has
been sunk, and utter a tremendous cheer.
But the pro ojectile has only ricochetted, and
passed over il. The water falls back in rain,
and the brave little vessel reappears all
streaming with brine as though it had
emerged from the sea-deeps, aud rushing on
at full steam in the face of death.
There are only nine men on the little YES
Sci, and they are going to at ack a sort OF
leviathan carrying an immense crew. 1t Is
not the fight of one against ten, but Of one
against hundred
Not single word is uttered byond the
necessary orders Those men whom death
already touches with his finger are silent and
grave. And do not suppose for q moment
| that they do not think of the danger. On
the contrary, they think of nothing else. But
il is not of their own danger they are think
ing, but of the danger of failure. 1t is not u
question of their lives, but of the success Of
the enterprise. 1t is. essential that the tor
pedo-boat shall reach the enemy's flank, and
rescue our cruiser. After that, if the tor
pedo-boat sinks, so much the worsel
Every nerve is strained, every eye is di-
| rected toward the object in view. Now tho
| boat is only 500 yards away from the iron
| clad The fire of the mitraillsuSes mingleS
with the shower of shells, and sweeps the
! deck; everything wooden Is splintersd to
| ltoms with grape-shot. An incessant tire OF
| repeating rifles from the mast-tops of the
| iron-clad plays over tine torpedo-boat; ami
the balls entering through the few open
| ugs in the decks have already disabled
-lree men. They lie in corner to which
there is no time now to atteni to them
| They may be thought of in two minutes
nore-after the fate of all shall have been
| .ecided.
The torpedo-boat has almost reached its
enemy. The success of the expedition Is
now assured; for the she'll batteries are
| powerless to harm the torpedo-boat at such
short range. The rifie-fire, terrible as it is,
cannot sink her; it can only kill some Of her
crew-but that is OF no great consequence!
| Now is the time when the captain needs
ali his surety of eye and coolness OF will;
now is the time that his men must execute
orders with the rapidity of lightning: for
| if the torpedo he tired second too N it
| T.l 4 l,,tx- a,,l .-,ti
there be delay of a moment the torpedo
| boat must dash itself to pieces against the
sides Of its mighty adversary.
| Now the boat seems most ready to touch
the enemy's vessel Hand -grenadss flung
! upon her deck, rebound and burst, one man
| IS killed; the captain has received a terrible
wound in the face; but summoning all his
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!I !"
| The awful missils is launched. An enor-
nous surge appears in the water; and a
| frightful. cracking noise is heard, followed
| by terrible cry of distress. The pigmy has
| conquered the giant
| "Hard q Starboardp
And the little vessel, suddenly wheeling
around, steams away at full speed while the
| enemy's ron-clai sinks to the bottom.
Ten minutes afterward the torpedo-bo boat
has returned to its post beside the admiral's
| vessel-the admiral sends for the captain in
order TO congratulate him. He is carried to
i'm upon bier. Meanwhile the fight goes
on, A new expedition may pI owe necessary.
| A provisory captain Is at once appointed,
and four men To complete the decimated
crew; and the torpedo-boat is ready to fulfill
| another mission; it has another band Of he-