The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-08-14
The Awful Torpedo.

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means.--RocheSter Union
The Awful Torpedo.
WHAT THE NAVAL ENGAGEMENT OF TIE
FUTURE MAY BEAN UNCERTAIN FIGHT
OF ONE AGAINST A HUNDRED
The role of the torpedo boat, reads a
translation from Figaro in the New
Orleans Times Democrat, is terrible,
and those who direct its movements
are exposed to the greatest dangers.
A single heavy shot may scatter it to
atoms, and when it approaches the
enemy hail OF balls from the mitrail-
leuses and rifles will do terrible execu-
tion on board. Therefore, the mere
fact of embarking on torpedo-boat is
guaranty of bravery. Figure to
yourself the situation of the officer in
command of such a torpedo-boat who
is ordered to sink ship of the enemys
squadron. All his surroundings con-
stitute one vast danger. The very sea
that hides and protects him during the
first part of his expedition may in an
other moment toss his corpse hither
and thither upon its waves. His ad-
yersary will seek to riddle the boat
with rain of STEEL cast-iron and lead.
The torpedo itself, which carries such
terror with it, might be touched with
missile and explode, bursting the tor
pedo. boat into atoms.
The combat commences. The YES.
sells of the fleet have opened fire.
Shell rains in all directions. One of
our cruisers, cannonaded heavily on
the star-board side by fort mounting
twelve Krupp guns, is simultaneously
attacked on the larboard side by one of
the enemy's iron-clads. She has al
ready suffered severely, and her posi-
ton becomes critical A mast signal
torpedo boat starts. The watchful en-
emy has observed the signal. He
knows the danger, and at once con-
centrates the fire upon the little gray
speck which is shooting rapidly tow
ard 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 transversed
that distance the iron.clad is lost.
Therefore, the cannoners point their
guns with the most scrupulous care.
The first shells pass wide of their mark
but the aim is rectiied, and soon the
shells fall so near the toIpedo-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 torpedo-boat; the enemy
believe it has been sunk, and utter q
tremendous cheer. But the. projectile
has only ricochctted and past over it.
The water falls back in rain, and the
brave little vessel reappears all stream
ing with brine, as though it had
emerged from the sea deeps, and rush
ing on at full steam in the face of
death.
There are only nine men on the little
vessel, and they are going to attack a
sort of leviathan carrying an immense
crew. 1t is not the fight Of one against
ten, but of one against a hundred.
Not single word is uttered beyond
the necessary orders. Those men
whom death already touches with his
fingers are silent and grave. Aud do
not suppose for moment that they do
not think of danger. On the contrary,
they think of nothing else. But it is
not of their own danger of failure.
1t is not question of their lives, but
of the success of the enterprise. 1t is
essential that the torpedo boat shall
reach the cneny's flank and rescue our
cruiser After that, if the torpedo
boat sinks, so much the worse
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
tire Of the mitrailleuses minglcs with
the showers of shells and sweeps the
deck; everything wooden is spllntcr,d
to atowS with grapc-shot. An inc"s-
SAINT fire of rep, a,ing rifles from the
mast tops Of the iron-clad plays over
the torpedo boa', and the balls enter
ing through the few openings in tho
decks, have already disabled three men,
They lie IN corner, to which they
have been able TO drag themselves, for
there il no time now to attend to thrm.
They may be thought of in two min
utes morc-aftcr the fate of all shall
have been decided.
The torpcdo-b boat has almost reached
its enemy. The SUCCESS of the cxpedi-
tion is now assured, for the shell bat.
teries are pow, rless to harm the tor
pedo-bo at auch short range. The
rifle fire terrible as it il, can not sink
her. 1t can only kill some of her crew;
but that is of no great consequence
Now il the time when the captain
needs all his surety Of eye and cool
ness Of will; now is the lime that his
men must execute orders with the
rapidiiy of lightning, for if the torpedo
be fired a second too soon it will fail
To 10 its terrible duty, and yet if there
be delay of moment the torpedo
boat must dash itself to pieces against
the sides of its mighty adversary.
Now the boat seems almost ready to
touch the enemy's vessel. Hand
grenades flung upon her deck rebound
ana burst; one man is killed; the cap
lain has received q terrible wound in
the Gec, but, summoning all his
strength he supports himself erect
against the mon wall by a sublime eff
ort # will Liyid, drenched with
blood, but determined in his calm re-
FOlye AID bravery.