Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-05-21

n the torI-sio buai shot to unc side In
order O. gct tho crab out q line. tho crab.
iis hack sometimes hidden by the tossing
wavcs. sIed aiso 10 the same aide. When
tho torpedo luai could aim a gun at the
crab and not al the gunboai. a deadly
torpedo ilcw into the IA. hut a tossing
"a AMI shifting tafgvt were uniavor.
able % tho Cinner's aim. II was not
long. however. bcforc the crab had run
the chass which might ~ readily have
ls,,n fatal to u. and was ~ near the gun.
toat that no more torps,loss could h.
fired az H.
OF cour-c the officers and crvw - the
gunboai had watched with most anxious
interest the chase % tho crab The vessel
was one which had bccn fitted cat for
service with dynamite guns. of which
shc carried -omc q very long range for
this class u artillery. and shc had lccn
ordered 90 gct astcrn - the rcTcllcr and
% DO her h-t 90 put few dynamite
lomls on hoard of her.
Tho dynamite gunboat. therefore. had
kept ahead at full spccd. determined to
carry cut her Instructions II she should
D. allowed 60 DO ~. bui her spcci was
no, a. great as that 81 a crab. ami when
the torpedo toat had given up the chasc.
and the dreaded crab was drawing
swiftly near. the captain thought !, time
fof bravery a. give place a. prudence
With the large amount - explosive ma.
tcrial ~ the most TREMENDOUS and ter.
rife character which be- had on board. 1,
would h. the insanity of courage for him
a. allow his comparatively small vessel
20 D. nckcd. shaken and partially shiv
crcd by the powerful jaws u the onoom.
ing TO-. A. be could neither fy nor
fight. BE- hauled down his ilag In token
Il surrender. the frs; instance ~ the
Kind which lad occurred In this war.
When the director ~ Crab .. through
his lookout glass. lchcll this action on
the part u the g,inboai. be- was liitlc
pcrplexcl as o. what u, should next 10.
To accept the surrender of the British
vcss,l and % assume control ~ her. IL
was necessaTy to communicate with her.
The communication - the crabs were
u--Ie cniir,ly by black smoke signals.
and thcsc the captain Of the guntoat
could not understand. The heavy matches
In the mailed roof. which could b. put
Ia usc when the crabwas cruising. could
not H. opCa.d when she was az her fight.
ing depth aud In tossing sea.
A means was son devised q CON-
municaiing with the gunboat. 4 speak.
Ing tube wAs run up through one % the air
pipos Of the crab. which pipe was then
elevated some distance above the sur.
face. Through this the dircctor hailed
the other vessel. and as the air pips was
near the stern q the crab. and therefore
at distance from the only visible por'
ton Il the turtle hack roof. his voice
seemed TO come out Of the depths Of the
ocean.
The surrender vas accepted. and the
captain of the gunboat was ordered 10
stop his engines and prepare 10 L. towcd.
When this order had been given the crab
moved round Ia the bow Of the gunboai,
and grasping the cutwaier with 10
forccps. reversed its engines and began
10 hack rapidly toward the British fleet,
taking with II the captured vessel a.
protection against torpedoes while In
transit
The crab slowed up not far from one
% the foremost Of the British ships, and
coming round to the quarter Of the gun
boat. the astonished captain Of that YES
sel was informed. through the speaking
tube. that II he would give his parole 10
keep out Of this fight. he would be
allowed % proceed 10 his anchorage In
Portsmouth harbor. The parole was
given. and the dynamite sunboat, after
reporting TO the Has ship, steamed away
to Portsmouth
The situation now became one which
was unparalleled In the history Of naval
warfare. On the side Of the British seven
war ships were disabled and drifting
slowly 10 the southeast. For half an
hour no advance had been made by the
British fleet. Tor whenever one OF the
large vessels had steamed ahead. such
vessel had become the victim of a crab.
and the vice admiral commanding the
noet had signaled not 10 advance until
further orders
The crabs were also lying 10. each 10
the windward of and not far from one
Of the British ships. They had ceased to
make any attacks, and were resting
quietly under protection of the enemy.
This. with the fact that the repellcr still
lay four miles away without any apparent
intention of taking part In the battle.
gave the situation it, peculiar character.
The British vice admiral did not in
tend TO remain in this quiesccnt condi-
ton. II was. Of course. useless TO order
forth his ironclads. simply TO see them
disabled and sct adrift. There was an
other arm Of the service which evidently
could be used with better effect upon
this peculiar foe than could the great
battle ships.
But before doing anything else. he
must provide for the safety of those OF
his vessels which had been rendered
helpless by the crabs. and some OF which
were now drifting dangerously near 10
each other. Dispatches had been sent to
Portsmouth Tor tuss, for u would MOI Do