Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-18

each other, and at q safe hailing distance apart, another signal went up from the repeller, and then both vessels almost ceased to move through the water, t,l- though the engines of the Lenox were working at high speed, with her propcl- Ter blades stirring up a whirlpool at her stern.
 For minute or two the officers of the Lenox could not comprehend what had happened. It was first supposed that by mistake the engines had been slackened, but almost at the same moment that it was found that this was not the case, the discovery was made that the crab ac- companying the repeller had laid hold of the stern post of the Lenox, and with all the strength of her powerful engines was holding her back.
 Now burst forth in the Lenox a storm of frcnZied rage, such as was never seen perhaps upon any vessel since vessels were first built. From the commander to the stokers every heart was flied with fEry at the insult which was put upon tl,em. The commander roared through his trumpet that if that internal sea beetle were not immediately loosed from his ship he would first sink her and then the repeller.
 To these remarks the director of the syndicate's vessels paid no attention, but proceeded to state as briefly and forcibly as possible that the Lenox had been de- tained ill order that he might have an opportunity of speaking with her con- mander, and of informing him that his action in coming out of the harbor for tho purpose of attacking a British vessel, was in direct violation of the contract between the United States and the syn dicate having charge of the war, and that such action could not be allowed.
 The commander of the Lenox paid no moro attention to these words than the syndicate's director had given to those he had spoken, but immediately con- menced a violent attack upon the crab It was impossible to bring any of the largo guns to bear upon her, for she was almost under the stern of the Lenox, but every means of offense which infuriated ingenuity could suggest was used against it. Machine guns were trained to fire almost perpendicularly, and shot after shot was poured upon that portion of its glistening back which appeared above tho water.
 But as these projectiles seemed to have no effect upon the solid back of Crab H, two great anvils were hoisted at the end of the spanker boom and dropped, one after tho other, upon it. The shocks were tremendous, but the internal con- struction of the crabs provided, by means of upright beams, against injury from attacks of this kind, and the great masses of iron slid off into the sea with out doing any damage.
 Finding it impossible to make any i'm pression upon the mailed monster at his stern, the commander of the Lenox hailed the director of the repeller, and swore to him through his trumpet that if he did not immediately order the Lenox to be set free, her heaviest guns should be brought to bear upon his float ing counting house, and that it should be sunk if it took all day to do it.
 It would have been q grim satisfaction to the commander of the Lenox to sink Repeller No. 6, for he knew the vessel when she had belonged to the United States navy. Before she had been bought by the syndicate, and fitted out with spring armor. he had made two long cruises in Ter, and he bitterly hated her, from her keel up.
 The director of the repeller agreed to release the Lenox the instant her con- mander would consent to return to port No answer was made to this proposition, but dynamite gun on the Lenox was brought to bear upon the syndicate's yes sel. Desiring to avoid any complications which might cnsue from actions of this sort, the repeller steamed ahead, while the director signaled Crab H to move the stern of the Lenox to the windward, which, being quickly done, the gun of tho latter bore upon the distant coast.
 It was now very plain to the syndicate director that his words could have no effect upon the commander of the Lenox, and he therefore signaled Crab H to tow the United States vessel into port. When the commander of the Lenox saw that his vessel was beginning to move backward he gave instant orders to put on all steam. But this was found to be useless, for when the dynamite gun was about to be fired the engines had been ordered stopped, and the moment that the propeller blades ceased moving the nippers of the crab had been released from their hold upon the stern post, and the propeller blades of the Lenox were gently but firmly seized in a grasp which included the rudder. It was therefore impossible for the engines of the vessel to revolve the propeller, and, unresistingly, the Lenox was lowed, stern foremost, to the break water.
 The news of this incident created the widest indignation in the United States navy, and throughout the country the condemnation of what was considered the insulting action of the syndicate was general In foreign countries the affair was the subject of good deal of com ment, but it was also the occasion of much serious consideration, for it proved that one of the syndicate's submerged vessels could, without firing gun, and without fear of injury to itself, capture a man-of-war and tow it whither it pleased.
 The authorities at Washington took instant action on the affair, and as it was