Morris tribune., 1889-05-15

on their hulls by the Llangaron, but
| posed that few shot from another ship
could easily have destroyed them. But
as Gny 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 de
rectly for them, and their rams might be
used with but little danger to the Liam
garon, but, on the other hand, three
swift crabs were heading directly for
these ironclads. ......
It was impossible for Grabs Q and r
J to operate In tho usual way. Their mas
sive forceps, lying fiat against the top Of
the cylinder, could not be twisted. The
enormous chains they held could not be
severed by the greatest pressure, and II
both crabs backed at once they would
probably do no more than tow the Liam
garon stern foremost. There was, more
over, no time to waste in experiments,
for other rams would be coming on, and
there were not crabs enough to attend to
them all.
No time was wasted. 9 signaled to r
and r back again.. and instantly the two
crabs, each still grasping chain of the
cylinder, began to sink. On board the
Llangaron an order was shouted to let
out the cylinder chains, but as these
chains had only been made long enough
to allow the top of the cylinder to hang
at, or a little below, the surface of the
water, foot or two of length was all
that could be gained.
The davits from which the cylinder
hung were thick and. strong, and the
iron windlasses to which the chains were
attached were large and ponderous, but
these were not strong enough to with
stand the weight Of two crabs with steel
armored roofs, enormous engines and
iron hull. In less than a minute one
davit snapped like pipe stem under the
tremendous strain, and Immediately
afterward the windlass to which the
chain was attached was torn from its
bolts and went crashing overheard, tear
ing away portion of the stern rail In
it's descent.
Crab @ instantly released the chain it
had held, and in moment the great
cylinder hung almost perpendicularly
from one chain. But only for a mo-
ment. The nippers of Crab R still firmly
held the chain, and the tremendous lev
erage exerted by the falling of one end Of
the cylinder wrenched it from the rigidly
held end of its chain; and in a fash, the
enormous stern guard of the Llangeron
sunk, end foremost, to the bottom OF the
channel.
In ten minutes afterward the Llanga-
ron, rudderless, and with the blades OF
her propellers shivered and crushed, was
slowly turning her starboard to the wind
and the sea and beginning to roll like a
log of 5000 tons.
Besides the Llangaron three ironclads
were now drifting broadside to the sea.
But there was no time to succor disabled
vessels, for the rest of the fleet was COM
| ing on and there was great work for the
crabs.
Against these enemies, swift Of motion
and sudden in action, the torpedo boats
found it almost impossible to operate, for
the British ships and the crabs were so
rapidly nearing each other that a torpedo
sent out against an enemy was more than
likely to run against the hull of a friend.
Each crab sped at the top of its speed for
a ship, not only to attack, but also to pro-
tect itself.
Once only did the crabs give the tor
pedo boats a chance. A mile or two
north of the scene of action a large cruiser
was making her way rapidly toward the
repeller, which was still lying, almost
motionless, four miles to the westward.
AS it was highly probable that this vessel
carried dynamite guns, Crab 9, which
was the fastest of her class, was signaled
to go after her. She had scarcely begun
her course across the open space Of sea
before a torpedo boat was in pursuit.
Fast as was the latter, the crab was
faster, and quite as easily managed. She
was in position of great danger, and
her only safety lay in keeping herself on
a line between the torpedo boat and the
gunboat, and to shorten as quickly as
possible the distance between herself and
that vessel.