Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-19

roared at her wherever she might be.
 The inmates of Crab K were now very | restive and uneasy, for they were on | short rations, both of food and water. 1 They would have been glad enough to | cast loose from the Adamant, and leave | the spiteful ship to roll to her hearts | content, broadside to the sea. They | did not fear to run their vessel, with its thick roof plates protected by spring armor, through the heaviest cannonade. 1
 But signals from the repeller com manded them to stay by the Adamant as long as they could hold out, and they were obliged to content themselves with a hope that when night fell the other crab would be able to get in under the stern of the Adamant, and make the de- sired exchange.
 But to the great discomforture of the syndicates forces darkness had scarcely come on before four enormous electric lights blazed high up on the single lofty mast of the Adamant, lighting up the ocean for milo on every side of the ship. It was of no more use for Crab c to try to get ill now than in broad day light; and all night the great guns roared, Snd the little crab unanswered.
 Ihe next morning a heavy fog fell upon the sea, and the battle ship and Crab c were completely shut out of sight of each other. Now the cannon of the Adamant were silent, for the only result of firing would be to indicate to the crab the location of the British ship. The smoke signals of the towing crab could not be seen through the fog by her con- >vt cho caa.naI fo Eo i,,cn 1>1n of making signals by sound. Therefore the commander of the Adamant thought it likely that until the fog rose the crab l could not find his ship.
 What that other crab intended to do | could be, of course, on board the Ada l mant, only surmise, but it was believed | that she would bring wi:H her a torpedo to be exploded under the British ship. | That one crab should tow her away from
 possible aid until another should bring a torpedo to fasten to her stern post seemed a reasonable explanation of the action of the syndicate's vessels.
 The officers of the Adamant little un-
 derstood the resources and intentions of
 their opponents. Every vessel of the
 syndicate carried a magnetic indicator,
 which was designed to prevent collisions
 with iron vessels. This little instrument
 was placed at night and during fogs at | the bow of the vessel and delicate arm
 of steel, which ordinarily pointed up
 ward at a considerable angle, fell into a
 horizontal position when any large body
 of iron approached within quarter of a
 mile; and, so falling, rang a small bell.
 Its point then turned toward the mass of iron.
 Soon after the fog came on one of these
 indicators, properly protected from the
 attraction of the metal about it, was put
 into position on Crab c. Before very
 long it indicated the proximity of the
 Adamant; and, guided by it's steel point,
 the crab moved quietly to the ironclad
 attached itself to its stern post and
 allowed the happy crew of Crab K to
 depart coastward.
 When the fog rose tho glasses of the
 Adamant showed the approach of no
 crab, but it was observed in looking over
 the stern that the beggarly devil fish
 which had the ship in tow appeared to
 have made some change in it's back.
 In the afternoon of that al1ay truce
 boat was sent from the repeller to the
 Adamant It was allowed to come
 alongside but when the British captain : found that tho syndicate merely renewed
 its demand for his surrender he waxed fiercely angry, and sent the boat back
 with the word that no further message need be sent to him unless it should be one complying with the conditions he had offered.
 The syndicate now gave up the task of
 inducing the captain of the Adamant to , surrender. Crab c was commanded to continue towing the great ship south ward, and to keep her well away from tho coast, in order to avoid danger to ] seaport towns and coasting vessels, while : the rercller steamed away.
 Wccl, after week the Adamant moved southward, roaring away with her great , guns whenever an American sail came within possible range, and surrounding l herself with circle of bursting bombs 7 to let any crab know what it might ex 3 pect if it attempted to come near. Blaz ing and laundering, stern foremost but s stoutly she rode the waves, ready te 7 show the world that she was an impreg s nablc British battle ship, from which nc 7 enemy could snatch the royal color' l which floated high above her.
 0 It was during the first week of the in
 voluntary cruise of the Adamant tha 3 the syndicate finished its preparation 8 for what it hoped would be the decisiv' D movement of its campaign. To do thi r q repcller and six crabs, all with extraor l dinary powers, had been fitted out witt 7 great care, and also with great rapidity t for the British government was working B night and day to get it's fleet of ironclad
 in readiness for descent upon tn e American coast. Many of the Britisl D vessels were already we'll prepared fo 0 ordinary naval warfare; but to resis e crabs additional defenses were necessary e It was known that the Adamant ha, n been captured, and consequently tn y manufacture of stern jackets had bee1 t abandoned, but it was believed that pro l, lection could be etfectually given to rud s ders and propeller blades by ney method which the admiralty had adopted