The Press., 1889-03-28

i \
 SECTION OF CRAB 4, SHOWING METERS.
 A. bomb proof roof; B, water line; c. interior
 of crab; D. joint of nippers; E. arms of nippers;
 FE, rods of nfppers connecting with electric en-
 zine; 6. teak lining to crab.
 This proceeding astonished the com
 mander and officers of the ScarabRus
 almost as much as the extraordinary at
 tack which had been made upon their ship. They had expected demand to surrender and haul down their flag, but the director-in-chief on board Repeller No. was of the opinion that with her propeller extracted it mattered little what flag she flew. His work with the Scarab@us was over; for it had been or. dered by the syndicate that it's vessels should not cucumber themselves with prizes.
 Towed by the powerful crab, which apparently had no fear that it's disabled adversary might fire upon it, the Scara- b@us moved toward the harbor, and when it had come within quarter of mile of the foremost British vessel, Crab A cast of and steamed back to Repeller No. 1.
 The other English vessels soon came up, and each lay to and sent a boat to the Scarabeus. After half an hours consultation, in which the amazementof those on board the damaged vessel was communicated to the officers and crews of her two consorts, it was determined that the smaller of these should tow the disabled ship into port, while the other one, in company with man-of-war just coming out of the harbor, should make attack upon Repeller No. 1.
 It had been plainly proved that ordin- ary shot and shell had no effect upon this craft, but it had not been proved that she could withstand the rams of powerful ironclads. If this vessel, that apparently carried no guns, or at least, had used none, could be crushed, cap- sized, sunk, or in any way put out of the fight, it was probable that the dangerous submerged nautical machine would not care to remain in these waters. If it re- mained it must be destroyed by torpe- does.
 Signals were exchanged between the two English vessels, and in very short time they were steaming toward the re- peller. It was a dangerous thing for two vessels of their size to come close enough together for both to ram an enemy at the same time; but it was determined to take the risks and do this, if possible; for the destruction of the repeller was obviously the first duty in hand.
 As the two men-of-war rapidly ap- preached Repeller No. l, they kept up steady fire upon her, for if in this way they could damage her, the easier would be their task. With firm reliance upon the efficacy of the steel spring armor, the director-in-chief felt no fear of the enemy's shot and shell, but he was not at all willing that his vessel should be rammed, for the consequences would probably be disastrous. Accordingly l,s did not wait for the approach of the two vessels, but steering seaward, he signaled for the other crab.
 When Crab B made it's appearance, pufing its little black jets of smoke as it answered the signals of the director-in- chief, the commanders of the two Brit ish vessels were surprised. They had imagined that there was only one of these strange and terrible enemies, and had supposed that she would be afraid to Hlake her peculiar attack upon one of them, because while doing SO she would expose herself to the danger of being run down by the other. But the presence of two of these almost submerged engines of destruction entirely changed the situa- tion.
 But the commanders of the British ships were brave men. They had started to run down the strangely armored Amer ican craft, and run her down they would, if they could. They put on more steam and went ahead at greater speed. In such furious onslaught the crabs might not dare to attack them.
 But they did not understand the ua- ture nor the powers of these enemies. In less than twenty minutes Crab A had laid hold of one of the men-of-war, and Crab B of the other. The rudders of both were shattered and torn away; and while the blades of one propeller were crushed to pieces, the other, with nearly half its shaft, was drawn out and dropped into the ocean. Helplessly the two men, af-war rose and fell upon the waves.
 In obedience to orders from the re- peller, each crab took hold of one of the disabled vessels and lowed it near the mouth of the harbor, where it was left.
 The city was now in state of feverish excitement, which was intensified by the Eact that a majority of the people did not understand what had happened, while hose to whom this had been made plain ,ould not comprehend why such thing Ihould have been allowed to happen. Three of her majesty's ships of war, 'quipped and ready for action, had sailed ! 'nt of the harbor, and an apparently in- ignifcant enemy, without firing gun, lad put them into such condition that | hey were utterly unfit for service and l must be lowed into a dry dock. How ould the government, the municipality, | he army, or the @avy, explain this?
 The anxiety, the excitement, the ner. ous desire to know what had happened, nd what might be expected next, spread hat evening to every part of the Domin- on reached by telegraph.
 The military authorities in charge of As defenses of the city were as much J