The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-04-04
HENDERSON, n. c., HURSDAY. APRIL 4, 1889

happened. 1t was first supposed that by
mistake the engines had been slackcncd,
but almost at the same moment that it
was found that this was not the case, the
discovery was made that the crab &C.
conpanying 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 tho Lenox a storm
Of frcnzied rage, such as was never seen
perhaps upon any vessel since vessels
were first built. Fromstle commander
to the stokers every heart was filled with
sury ct the insult which was put upon
them. 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 rcpcller.
To these remarks the director of tho
syndicato's vessels paid no attention, but
proceeded to state as briefly and forcibly
as possible that the Lenox had been de-
tanned il order that he might have m
opportunity of speaking with her COM
mander, and of informing him that his
action i'll coming out of the harbor for
the purpose of attacking 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
more attention to these words than the
syndicate's director had given to those
he had spoken, but Immediately COM
menced a violent attack upon the crab.
It was impossible to- bring any Of the
large guns to bear upon her, for she was
almost under the stern of tho Lenox, but
every means of ofense which infurinted
ingenuity could suggest was used against
it. Machine guns were trained to Gre
almost perpendicularly, and shot after
shot was poured upon that portion of its
glistening back which appeared above
the water.
But as these projoctiles seemed to have
no effect upon the solid back Of Crab II,
two great apvils were hoisted at the end
of the spanker boom and dropped, one
after the other, upon it. Tho shocks
were tremendous, but the internal con-
struction Of the crabs provided, by
means Of upright beams, against injury
frorl attacks of this kind, and the great
masses of iron slid off into tho sea with
out doing any damage.
Finding it impossible to make any in1-
preston upon tho mailed monster ut his
stern, tac commander of the Lenox
hailed tho director of the rcpeller, and
swcrc 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.
1t would have been grim satisfaction
to the commander of the Lenox to sink
Repcller No. 6, for he knew tho vessel
when she had belonged to the United
States navy. Before she had been
bought by tho syndicate, and fitted out
with spring armor, ho had made two
long cruises in her, and he bitterly hated
her, from her keel up.
The director of the rcpcllcr agreed to
release the Lenox the instant her COM
Elander would consent to return to port.
No answer was made to this proposition,
but a dynamite gun on the Lenox was
brought to bear upon the syndicate's yes
sci. Desiring to avoid any complications
which ight ensue from actions of this
sort, the repcller steamed ahead, while
the director signaled Crab H to move the
stern of the Lcnox to the windward,
which, being quickly done, the gun of
the latter bore upon the distant coast.
1t was now very plain to the syndicate
director that his words could have no
effect upon tho commander of the
Lenox, and he therefore signalcd Crab
Fl 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 tho crab
had been released from their hold upon
the stern post, and the propeller blades
of the Lcnox were gently but firmly
seized in grasp which included the
ruddcr. It was therefore impossible for
the engines of the vessel to revolvc the
propeller, and, INCREASINGLY. the Lenox
. was towed, stern foremost, to the break
water.
The news of this incident created the
wildest 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 a good deal of com
E1ent, bat it was also the occasion Of
much serious consideration, for it proved
that one of tho syndicate's submerged
vessels could, without firing gun, and
without fear of injury to itself, capture
nan-of-war and tow 1t whittier i,
pleased.
The authorities at Washington tool
instant action on the affair, and as it was
quite evident that tho contract between
the United States and tho syndicate had
been violated by the Lenox, the com
nlandcr of that vessel was reprimcnded
by the secretary of the navy, and en-
joined that there should be no rcpetitions
Of his offence. But as the commander ei
the Lenox knew that the secretary Of the
navy was as angry al he was at what
. bad happened, lic did not feel his repri
nand to be in any way disgrace.
1t may be stated that the Stockbridgc
which had steamed for the open sea Q:
coon es tho business which had detained
her was completed, did not go outside
the cape. When her officers pcrceivet
with their glasses that the Lcnox wa