Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-02-27
The AWEul TORPEDO.


rible; and those who direct its move
ments are exposed 10 the greatest
dangers. A single heavo shot may
shatter it to atoms, and when it up.
proacheS the enemy hail of balls from
the mitra;lleuscs aud rifles will do ter.
rible execution on board. Therefore the
mere fact of cmbarking ON a torpedo.
boat is guarantee 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 -enemy's
squadron. All his surroundings c0nsti-
tute one vast danger, The very sea that
hides and protects him during the first
part of his expedition may in another
moment toss his corpse hither and
thither upon its waves, His adversary
will seek to riddle the boat with rain
of steel, cast-iron and lead. The tor
pedo itself, which carries such terror
with it, might be touched with missile
and, explode, bursting the torpcdo-boat
into atoms.
The combat commences. The ves-
sells of the fleet have opened fire. Shells
rain in all directions, One of our
cruisers, cannonaded heavily ON the
starboard side by q fort mounting twelve
Krupp cannon, is simultaneously at
tackled 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
from the Admirals ship is given; and a
torpedo-boat starts. The watchful en-
envy has observed the signal. He knows
the danger, and at once concentrates
all his tire upon the little gray speck
which is shooting rapidly towards him.
Three miles separate them; and the tor
pedo-boat must make That three miles
in ten minutes. Ii il is not sunk before
it has travelled that distance, the iron
clad is lost Therefore. the cannoniers
point their guns with the most scrupu.
lous care. The first shells pass wide oil
the mark; but the aim is rectifed, and
soon the shells fail so near the torpedo
boat that they throw the water over il.
Now one has fallen right at its PROV. A
geyser jet of water thirty feet high con-
Goals the torpcdo-bOat; the enemy b.
lieves it has been sunk, and utter tre-
mendous cheer. But the proiectilc has
only ricochetted and passed 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 10 attack Il
sort Of levisthan carrying an immense
crew. 1t is not nle fight Of one against
ten. but OF one against hundred.
Not single word is uttered beyond
the necessary orders. ThoSc men whom
death already touches with his fingers
are silent all grave. Aud Ito not sup
pose for u moment that they do not
think OF the danger. On the contrary,
they think uf nothing else. But it Is not
OF their own danger they are thinking.
but of tue danger of failure. 1t is no,
a question of their lives, but OF the suo.
cess OF the enterprise. 1t is essential
that the torpedo boat shall reach the
encmy's flank and rescue our cruiser.
After that, il the torpedo boat sinks. SO
much the worse.
Every nerve rs strained. every eye is
directed toward the object in view.
Now the boat is only five hundred yards
away from tho ironclad. The fire OF
the mitrailleuses mingles with the
showers of shells and sweeps the deck;
everything wooden sspllnterod to atoms
with grapeshot. An incessant lire OF
repeating rifles from tho mast-tops oil
the ironclad plays over the torpedo
boat; and the balls. entering 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 10 time
now to attend to them. They may be
thought OF in two minutes more--after
the fate Of all shall have been decided.
The torpedo-boat has almost reached
its enemy. The success Of the expedi-
lion is now assured, for the shell batter
les are powerlcss TO harm the torpedo
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 consequence! Now
is the time when the Captain needs all
his surety of eve and GOODNESS of will,
now is the time when his men must ex-
ecute orders with the rapidity Of light
ming, for if the torpedo be fired q sec
ond too soon it will fail to do its terrible
duty, and yet il there be a 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-gre-
nades 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 a 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 gol'
The awful missile is launched. An
enormous surge appears in the water,
and frightful, cracking noise is
heard, followed by terrible cry of dis
tress. The pigmy has conquered the
giant.
lizard starboardr'
And the little vessel, suddenly wheel
ing around, steams away at full speed
while the ouemys iron-clad sinks to the
bottom.
Ten minutes afterward the torpedo
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 him upon a bier.
Meanwhile the fight goes on. A new
expedition may prove 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; 1t has another
band Of heroes to direct it.-Paris Fl
CARO-.
Many tribes generally known as
savages possess argcinbsfited treasure
of knowledge and thoughts; the Fee
fans, for example, whom Darwin con-
sidered the lowest of human beings.
possessing an elaborate language of
1000 words.
Legal Intelligence.