, 1885-01-25
THE AWFUL TORPEDO.
WHAT THE NAVAL ENGAGEMENT or
THE FUTURE MAY BE-
Description Of . Battle Between an IroH-
Clad aud a Torpedo Boat-An
Uncertain Fight OF One
Against n Hundred.

ITimea-Democrat Translation nom k18nrol
The role of the torpedo-boat j terrible;
and those who direct its movements aro OK
posed TO The greatest dangers A single
heavy shot may shatter 1t u atoms; and
when it approaches the enemy d hail Of balls
from the mitrailleuses and rifles win do ter
rible execution on board Therefore the
nero fact Of e~mbarking ON a torpedo-b boat Is
a guarantee OF bravery. Figure to yourself
the situntion Of the officer In command Of
such a torpedo-boat VIII is ordered to sink a
ship OF tho enemy's squadron. All his sur
~roundings 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 hither and thfther
upon its waves. His adversary viii sock to
riddle the boat with a rain of steel, castiron
and lead The torpedo itself, which carries
such terror with Il, might DO touched by a
missile, and explode, bursting the torpedo
boat into atoms.
The combat commences. The vessels OF
the feet have opened fire. Shells rain In all
directions. One Of our cruisers, cannonaded
heavily on the starboard side by a fort
mounting twelve Krupp cannon, Is stimuli
taneously attacked on the 1arboard side by
one Of the enemy's iron-clads. She has
already suffered severely, and her position
becomes critical. A mast-signal from the
admiralis 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. 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 scrupulous care. The first
shells pass wide Of the mark; but the aim Is
rectified and soon the shells fall so near the
torpedo-boat that they throw the water over
II. Now one has fallen rightat its prov. A
geyser jet of water thirty feet high conceals
the torpedo-boat: the enemy believes it has
been sunk, and utter a tremendous cheer.
But the projectile has only ricochetted, and
passed over 1t. The water falls back In rain,
and the brave little vessel reappears all
streaming with brine as though 1t 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 attack a sort OF
leviathan carrying an immense crow. 1t Is
not the fight Of one against ten, but OF one
against a hundred
Not a single word is uttered byond ths
necessary orders Those men whom death
already touches with his finger are silentand
grave. And do not suppose for a moment
tnhI lut| 90 not lnink Oh lno uhuEeI. VI
the contrary, they think OF nothing else. But
it is not Of their own danger they are think
ing, but Of the danger of failure. 1t is not 9
question of thoir lives. but OF the success Of
the enterprise. It 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 tho worsei
Every nerve Is strained, every eye is d.
rected toward the object In view. Now the
boat is only 800 yards away from the iron
clad. The fire OF the mitrailleuses mingles
with the shower OF shells, and sweeps the
deck; everything wooden is ~splintered to
atoms with grape-shot. An incessant fire Of
repeating rifles from the mast-tops of tn
iron-clad plays over the torpedo-boat; ana
the balls, entering through the few open
ings in the decks have already disabled
three men. They lie in a corner to which
they were able TO drag themselves; for
there Is no 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 III
enemy. The success of the expedition Is
now assured; for the shell batteries are
powerless to harm the ~torpedo-boat at such
short range. Tho rihe-fire, terrible as 1t Is
cannot sink her: It can only kill some Of her
crew-but that Is of no great consequence
Now is the time whom the captain needs
all his surety of eye and GOODNESS Of will;
now is the time that his men must execute
orders with the rapidity of lightning; for
II the torpedo DO fired a second too soon ii
will fail to do its terrible duty; and yeti
there be a delay Of a moment, the torpedo
boat must dash itself to pieces against the
sides Of its mighty adversary.
Now the boat seems almost ready to touch
tho enemyis vessel Hand -grenndes 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 win.
Livid, drenched with blood, butsterrible IN
his calm resolve and bravery, he keeps his
eye still upon the enemy.
Ready Let her gol !"
The awful missile is launched. An enor-
nous surge appears in the water; and q
frightful, cracking noise is heard, followed
by a terrible cry of Distress The pigmy has
conquered the giant
Hard q starboardl'
And the little vessel, suddenly wheeling
around. steams AWAY at full speed while the
enemyis iron-clad sinks 10 the bottom
Ten minutes afterward the torpedo-boat
has returned TO its post beside the admirals
vessel-the ad mirnl 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 piove necessary.
A provisory captain Is at once appointed,
and four men ~ complete the decimated
crew; and the torpedo-boat Is ready to fulhn
another mission; it hiss another band Of he.