Morris tribune., 1889-03-27

coming out of the harbor, should make
attack upon Repeller No. 1.
1t had been plainly proved that ordin-
airy 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, OF 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-
NAMED 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. 1t was 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. /, they kept up a
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
1irector-fn-chief felt no fear of the
enemy's shot and shell, but he was not at
all willing that his vessel should be
ranmed, for the consequences would
probably be disastrous. Accordingly lie
did not wait for the approach Of the two
vessels, but steering seward, he signaled
for the other crab. ~ " -
When Crab B made its appearance,
putting it's 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
make her peculiar attack upon one of
them, because while doing 80 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-
ton. - i
But the commanders of the British
ships were brave men. They had started
torun down the strangely armored Amer
lean 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 craba might
not dare to attack them.
But they did not understand the ma
J. 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. Helplessiy the two men
of-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 towed 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
fact that majority Of the people did not
understand what had happened, while
those to whom this had been made plain
could not comprehend why such thing
should have been allowed to happen.
Three of her majesty's ships of war,
equipped and ready for action, had sailed
out of the harbor, and an apparently in
significant enemy, without firing q gun,
had put them into such condition that
they were utterly unfit for service and
must be towed into dry dock. How
could the government, the municipality,
the army, or the navy, explain this9
The anxiety; the excitement, the ner-