The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-05-02
SECTION SEVEN.

Five minutes afterward small but
carefully aimed motor bomb struck the
nearly swamped vessel, and with the
roar Of all her own torpedocs she passed
INTO nothing.
The British vice admiral had carefully
watched the repeller through lis glass,
and he noticed that simultaneously With
the appearance of the cloud in the air.
produced by the action OF the motor
bombs, there were two puifs CT black
smoke from the repelle-'. These werel
signals to the crabs to notify them that
= motor gun had been discharged, and
thus to provide against accidents in case
Il bomb should fail to act One puff sig
nified that bomb had been discharged
to the north: two. that it had gonc east
ward, and SO on. Ii. therefore, Il crab
should see T. signal Of this; kind, and per-
ceivc no signs OF the action OF L bomb it
would be careful not 70 approach the re-
pcller from the quarter indicated. 1t is
true that in case OF the failure OF bomb
to act. another bomb would be dropped
upon the same spot, but the instructions
CT the war syndicate provided that every
possible prccaution should be taken
against accidents.
OF course the vice admiral did not I'M
derstand these signals, nor did he know
that they were signals. but lie kneE' that
they accompanied the discharge of a
motor Gun. Once he noticed that there
was short cessation III the hitherto con-
slant succession Of wate: avalanches, and
during this lull lie had seen two puffs
from the repeller, and the destruction at
the same moment, Of the deserted torpedo
beat. 1t WAS, therefore. plain enough to
him that if q motor ',oiilb could be placed
SO accurately upon one torpclo boat, and
with such terrible result, other bombs
could quite as easily be discharged upon
the other torpedo boats which formed
the advanced line OF the fleet. When
the barrier Of storm and cataract again
began TO stretch itself in front of the
repeller, he knew that not oiilT was it
| impossible for the torpedo boats to send
| their mis5ivcs through this raging tEr-
moil, but that each OF these vessels was
itself in danger Of instantaneous dcstrac-
| ton.
/ Unwilling, therefore. to expose his
vessels to prolitless danger. the vice
admiral ordered the torpedo boats to re-
tire from the front, and the who'll, line
of them proceeded to 4 point north Of the
fleet, where they lay to.
When this had been done the rcpc.ler
ceased the discharge of bombs, bat the
sea was still heavins and tossing after
the storm, when u dispatch boat brought
orders from the British admiralty TO the
flag ship. Communication between the
British fleet and the shore. and con
sequently London, had been constant,
and all that had occurred had been
quickly made known to the admiralty
and the government. The orders DOW
received by the vice admiral were to The
effect that it was considered iudicious to
discontinue the conflict for tlic day, and
that he and his whole fleet should return
10 Portsmouth to receive further orders.
! In issuing these commands the British
| government was actuated simply by mo-
tives Of humanity and common sense.
The British fleet was thoroughly pre-
pared for ordinary naval warfare, but
an enemy had inaugurated another kind
of naval warfare for which it was not
! prepared. 1t was therefore decided to
withdraw the ships until they should be
prepared for the new kind Of warfare. To
allow ironclad after ironclad to be diSa-
bled and set a1rift, to subject every ship
in the fleet to the danger of instantaneous
destruction. and all this without the
possibility OF inilicting injury upon the
enemy, would not be bravery; it would
be stupidity. It was surely possible to
devise q means for destroying the seven
hostile ships now in British waters.
Until action for this end could be taken,
it was the part Of wisdom FOR the British
navy to contine itself to the protection OF
British ports.
When the fleet began to move toward
tie Isle of Wight the six crabs, which
bad been lying quietly among and under
, tho protection of their enemies. with,
drew southwark, and making q slight
circuit, joined the rcpeller.