The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-04-19

he had been sent to perform, and imme-
diately ordered the two crabs to advance
to meet the Adamant, and to proceed to
action according to tho instructions
which they had previously received.
His own ship was kept, in pursuance of
orders, several miles distant from the
British ship.
AS soon as tho repeller had been
sighted from the Adamant u strict look
out had been kept for the approach of
crabs, and when the small exposed por-
tons of the backs Of two of these were
perceived glistening in the sunlight the
speed of the great ship was slackened.
The ability of the syndicate's submerged
vessels to move suddenly and quickly in
any direction had been clearly demon
strated, and although great ironclad
with 9 ram could run down and sink q
crab without feeling tho conclusion, it
was known that it would DO perfectly
easy for the smaller craft to keep out of
the way of its bulky antagonist. There
fore the Adamant did try to ram tho
crabs, nor to get away from them. Her
commander intended, if possible, to run
down one or both of them, but he did
not propose to do this in tho usual way.
AS the crabs approached, the Stern
jacket of the Adamant was let down and
the engines were slowed. This stern
jacket, when protecting the rudder and
propellers, looked very much like the
cow catcher of q locomotive, and was ca
pable of being put to q somewhat similar
use. 1t was the intention of the captain
of the Adamant, should the crabs at
tempt to attach themselves to his stern,
to suddenly put on all steam, reverse his
engines and back upon them, the stern
jacket answering as ram.
The commander of the Adamant had
no doubt that in this way he could run
into crab, roll it over in the water, and
when it was lying bottom upward, like
q footing cask, he could move his ship
to distance and make q target of it. So
DESTROYS was this bravo and somewhat
facetious captain to try his new plan
upon crab that he forebore to fire upon
tho two vessels of that class which were
approaching him. Some of his guns were
somounted that their muzzles could be
greatly depressed and aimed at an object
in the water not far from tho ship. But
these were not discharged, and, indeed,
tho crabs, which were new ones of I'M
usual swiftness, were alongside tho Ada
mant in an incredibly short time and out
OF the range Of these guns.
Crab j was on the starboard side of the
Adamant, Crab X was on the port side,
and, simultaneously, the two laid hold of
her. But they wero not directly astern
of the great vessel. Each had its nippers
fastened to one side of the stern jacket,
near the hinge like bolts which held it to
the vessel, and on which it was raised
and lowered.
In moment the Adamant began to
steam backward, but the only effect of
this mbtion, which soon became rapid,
was to swing tho crabs around against
her sides and carry them with her. AS
the vessels were thus moving the great
pincers of the crabs were twisted with
tremendous force, the stern Jacket on
ono side was broken from its bolt, and
on the other the bolt itself was drawn
out of the side of the vessel. The nippers
then opened, and the stern jacket fell
from their grasp into the sea. Swapping
in its fall the chain by which it had been
raised and lowered.
This disaster occurred so quickly that
few persons on board the Adamant knew
what had happened. But the captain
who had seen everything, gave instant
orders to go ahead at full speed. The
first thing to be done was to get at u dis
lance from those crabs, keep well away
from them, and pound them to pieces
with his heavy guns.
But the iron screw propellers had
scarcely begun to move in the opposite
direction before the two crabs, each now
lying at right angles with the length of
the ship, but neither Of them directly
astern of her, made dash with open
nippers, and Grab j fastened upon one
propeller, while Crab X laid hold of the
other. There was q din and crash of
breaking metal, two shocks which were
felt throughout the vessel, and the shat
tered and crushed blades of the propel-
lers of the great battle ship were power
less to move her.
The captain of the Adamant, pallid
with fury, stood upon the poop. In a
moment the crabs would be at his rud-
der! The great gun, double shotted and
ready to fire, was hanging from its boom
over the stern. Crab K, whose roof had
the additional protection of spring
armor, now moved round SO as to be
directly astern of the Adamant. Before
she could reach the rudder her forward
part came under the suspended cannon,
and two massive steel shot were driven
down upon her with force sufficient to
send them through masses Of solid rock,
but from the surface of elastic steel
springs and air buffers they bounced up
ward, one Of them almost falling on the
deck of the Adamant.
The gunners Of this piece had been
well trained. In a moment the boom
was swung around, the cannon reloaded,
and when Crab X fixed her nippers on
the rudder of the Adamant two more
shot came down upon her. As in the
first instance she dipped and rolled, but
the ribs of her uninjured armor had
scarcely sprung back into their places
before her nippers turned and the