Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-04-04
TERMS: $500 PER YEAR
THE AWFUL TORPEDO.
An Uncertain Fight of One Against a
Hundred.

BILE and those who direct its movements
are exposed to the greate.t dangers. A
single heavy shot may shattcrlt TO atoms.
and when it approaches the enemy
hail of balls from the mitrailleuses and
rifles will do terrible execution on board.
Therefore the mere fact oGembarking on
a torpedo boat is a guarantee of bravery.
Figure TO yourself the situation of the
officer in command of such a torpedo
beat who is ordered to sink a ship of the
enemy'S squadron. All his surroundings
constitute 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 hitner
ard thither upon its waves. His adversa-
~ will seek te riddle the boat with a rain
of steel, cast iron and lead. The torpedo
itself, which carries such terror with it,
might be touched with missile and ex-
plode, bursting the torpedo lcat into
atoms.
| The combat commences. The vessels
of the feet have opened ire. Shells
| rain in all directions. One of our cruis-
ers, cannOnaded heavily on the star
board side by font mounting twelve
Krupp cannon, is simultaneously at
tackled on the larboard side by one of
| the enemy's iron c'ads. She has already
suffered severely, and her position be-
| comes critical. A mast signal from the
Admiral's ship is given and a torpedo
beat 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 towards 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
| travelled that distance, the iron clad is
lost. Therefore, the cannoniers point
| their guns with the most scrupulous
care. The first shells pass wide of the
mark but the aim is rectifed, and soon
/
that they throw the water over it. Now
one has fallen right at its PROV. A gey-
ser jet CT water Thirty feet high conceals
the torpedo boat ; tn enemy believes it
has been sunk, and utter a tremendous
cheer. But the projactile has only
rlcochetted and passed over it. The
water falls back in rain, md the brave
little vessel reappears all streaming with
brine, as though it had emerged fiom
the sea.deeps, and rushing on at full
speed in the steam of death.
There are only nine men on the little
vessel, and they are going to attack
sort of leviathan carrying ar immense
crew. 1t is not the fight of one against
ten, but of one against hundred.
Not single word is uttered beyond
the necessary orders. Those men whom
death already touches with his fingers
are silent and grave. And do not sup
pose for a moment that they do not
think of the danger. On the contrary.
they think Of nething else. But it Is
not of their own danger they are think
ing, but of the danger of failuIe. 1t is
not question of their lives. but of the
success of the enterprise. 1t is essential
that the torpedo boat shali reach the
enemy's flank and rescue our cruiser.
After that, if the torpedo boat sinks, so
much the worse.
Every nerve is strained, every eve is
directed toward the object in view.
Now the boat is only five hundred yards
away from the iron clad. The fire of
the mistralleTses mingles with the
showers of shells and sweeps the deck;
everything wooden is splintered to
atoms with grapeshot. An incessant
fire of repeating rifles from the mast tors
of the iron cad piavs over the torpedo
boat and the balls, entering through
the few openings in the decks, have
already disabled three men They may
be thought of in two minutes more-af-
ter the fate of all shall have been decid-
ed.
The torpedD boat has almost reached
its enemy. The success of the expedi-
ton is now assured, for the shell batter
les are powerless to harm the torpedo
boat at such short range. The rifle fire,
terrible as il is, cannot sink her. 1t can
Only XIII sOIllc ol neT tI0W Dul llldJ Is
of no great consequence! Now is the
time when the Captain needs all his
surety of eve and coolness Of will, now
is the time when his men must execute
orders with the rapidity of lightning,
for if the torpedo be fired second too
soon will fa ! to do its terrible duty
ard yet if 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 rea ly 10
touch the enemy's vessel Hand gre
nades flu'Ig upon her deck rebound and
burst; one man is killed; the G. plain
has received terrible wound in the
face but summoniDg all his strength,
he supports himself erect acainst the
iron wall by a sublime eff 'rt of will,
Livid, ,!rr chod with blood. but tcrrible
in his CA !,,plve and bravery. he
keeps his eyes s!IlI upon the enemy
Ready. Let her Cow
The awful missile is launched. An
enormous surge appears In tie water.
and frIghtfIi, crachling noise IL heard,
followed BIZ terrible cry Of distress.
The pigmv has conquered the giant.
"Hari Il s,lrboardW W
And 20 lii l. vessel, -uldcnlv wheel
ing ar u..l. stea'as away ut !u'l sp cd
while ne chemy's iron clad sinKS TO the
boItOn.
Ten = IL t", arCrward tie torpedo
boat has learned t. iis pot be lie the