Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-21
The Great War Syndicate.
By PRANK R. STOCKTON.

Ao" 6tiieisIiy OeueSed tidt LiotoI bombs from n repeller might destroy q man -ofwar it was also considered prob able that the accurate calculations which appeared to be necessary to precision of aim could not be made when the object of the aim was in rapid motion.
 But whether or not one or more motor bombs did strike the mark. CT whether or not one or more vessels were blown into fine particles. there were a dozen ironclads in that fleet. each of whose commanders and officers were deter mined to run into that repeller and crush her. if so be they held together long enough to reach her.
 The commanders of the torpedo boats had orders to direct their swift messen- gers of destruction first against the crabs, fer these vessels were far in advance of the repcller. and coming on with ra- pidity which showed that they were de- termined upon mischief. If torpedo, shot from torpedo boat, and speeding swiftly by it's own powers beneath the waves, should strike the submerged hull 1f crab. there would be one crab the less in the English channel.
 As las been said the Llangaron came rushing on. distancing everything, even the torpedo boats. If, before she was obliged to lower her cylinder, she could get near enough to the almost stationary rcpeller to take part in the attack on her, she would then be content to slacken speed and let the crabs nibble awhile at her stern.
 Two of the latest constructed and L., lx,, r ID c,,n speed to meet the Llangaron. who, as she came On, opened the ball by sending a ''rattler" in the shape of a pound shot into the ribs of the repeller. then at least four miles distant, and immediately after began firing her dynamite guns, which were of limited range, at the roofs of the advancing crabs.
 There were some on board the repellef who, at the moment the great shot struck her, with ringing and clangor of steel springs, such as never was heard before, wished that in her former state of ex- istence she had been some other vessel than the Tallapoosa.
 But every spring sprang back to its place as the great mass of iron glanced off into the sea. The dynamite bombs flew over the tops of the crabs, whose rapid motions and slightly exposed surfaces gave little chance for accurate aim, and in short time they were too close to the Llangaron for this class of gun to be used upon them.
 As the crabs came nearer, the Llan- garon lowered tho great steel cylinder which hung across her stern, until it lay almost entirely under water, and abaft of her rudder and propeller blades. She now moved slowly through the water. and her men greeted the advanc- ing crabs with yells of defiance, and a shower of shot from machine guns.
 The character of the new defense which had been fitted to the Llangaron was known to the syndicate, and the directors of tho two new crabs under stood the heavy piece of work which lay before them. But their plans of ac- tion had been well considered, and they made straight for the stern of the British ship
 It was. of course. impossible to en- deavor to grasp that great cylinder with it's rounded ends: their forceps would slip from any portion of it's smooth sur face on which they should endeavor to lay hold, and no such attempt was made. Keeping near the cylinder, one at each end of it, the two moved slowly after the Llangaron, apparently discouraged.
 In short time. however, it was per ceived by those on board the ship, that change had taken place in the appear ance of the crabs: the visible portion of their backs was growing larger and larger: they were rising in tine water Their mailed roofs became visible from end to end, and the crowd of observers looking down from the ship were amazed to sec what large vessels they were.
 Higher and higher the crabs arose, their powerful air pumps working at their greatest capacity, until their pon- derous pincers became visible above the water. Then into the minds of the off, cers of the Llangaron flashed the true object of this uprising, which to the crew had seemed an intention on the part of the sea devils to chamber on board.
 If the cylinder were left in it's present position the crab might seize the chains by which it was suspended, while if it were raised it would cease to be de- fense. Notwithstanding this latter con- tingeney, the order was quickly given to raise the cylinder, but before the hoist ing engine had been set in motion Crab Q thrust forward her forceps over the top of the cylinder and held it down. Another thrust, and the iron jaws had grasped one of the two ponderous chains by which the cylinder was suspended.
 The other end of the cylinder began to rise, but at this moment Crab R, appar- ently by single effort, lifted herself foot higher ou1 of the sea; her pincers flashed forward. and the other chain was grasped.
 The two crabs were now placed in the most extraordinary position. The over- hang of their roofs prevented an attack on their hulls by the Llangaron, but their unmailed hulls were so greatly ex- posed that few shot from another ship could easily have destroyed them. But as any ship firing at them would be very likely to hit the Llangaron, their direc- tors felt safe on this point.
 Three of the foremost ironclads, less than two miles away, were heading di-