Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-26

are exposed to the greatest dangers.
A single heavy-shot may shatter it to
atoms, and when it approaches the
enemy hail of balls from the mi
traileuses and rifles will do terrible
execution on board. Therefore, the
mere fact of embarking on torpedo
boat is guarantee of bravery. Fig
ure to yourself the situation of the
officer in command of such torpedo
boat who is ordered to sink a ship of
the enemy's squadron. All his sur
roundiHgs constitute one vast danger
The very sea that hides and protects
him during TIE first part of his expe-
dition may in another moment toss
his corpse hither and thither upon It's
waves. His adversary 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 a missile and
explode, bursting the torpedo boat in
to atoms.
The combat commences. The YES
sci of the fleet opens fire. Shells rain
ia all directions. One of our cruisers,
cannonaded heavily on the starbeard
side by a fort mounting twelve Krupp
cannon, is simultaneously attacked on
the larboard side by one of the
enemy's iron-clads. She has already
suffered severely, and her position
becomes critical. A mast-signal from
the admiraPs ship is given; and a tor
pedo boat starts. The watchful enc
my has observed the signal. He
knows the danger, and at once con-
centrates all his fire upon the little
gray speck which is shooting rapidly
toward him. Three miles separate
them and the torsedo-boat must make
that three miles in ten minutes. Ii
it is not sunk before it has traversed
that distance the iron-clad is lost.
Therefore the cannoneers point their
guns with the most scrupulops care.
The first shells pass wide of the mark;
but the aim is rectified, and soon the
sheels fall SO near the torpedo-boat
that they throw 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
believes 1t has been sunk, and utter
tremendous cheer. But the proiectile
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
a sort of leviathan carrying an i'm
mense crew. 1t is not the fight of one
against ten, bat of one against hun
dred.
Not a single word is uttered be
yond the necessary orders. These
men, whom death already touches
with his fingers, are silent and grave.
And do not suppose for d 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. It is not a question of
their lives, but of the success of the
enterprise. 1t is essential that the
torpedo boat shall reach the enemy's
flank and rescue our cruiser. After
that, if the torpedo boat sinks, SO much
the worsei
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
ire of the mitrailleuses mingles with
the showers of shells and sweeps the
deck; everything wooden is splintered
to atoms with grape shot. An inces-
SAINT fire of repeating rifles from the
mast tops of the iron clad plays over
the torpedo boat, and the balls, enter
ing through the few openings in the
decks, have already disabled three
men. They lie in coraer, to which
they were able to drag themselves, for
there is no time now To attend to- them.
They may be thought of in tws mi4s
utes more-after the fate Of all shall
have been decided.
The torpedo-b boat has almostreached
its enemy. The success Of the expedi-
ton is now assured, for the shell bat
teries are powerlcss to harm the tor
eedo-boat at such short range. The
rife fire, terrible as it is, can not sink
her. 1t can only kill some of her
crew; bat that is of no great conse-
quenee. Now is the time when the
captain needs all 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 tor
pedo be fired a second too soon it will
fail to do its terrible duty, and yet if
there be a delay of moment the tor
pedo-boat must dash itself to pieces
against the sides of its mighty adver
sary.
Now the boat seems almost ready to
touch the enemy's vessel. Hand
grenades flung upon her deck rebound
and burst; one man is killed; the
captain has received 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 eaemy.
Ready Let her gol"