The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-31

if he could get grapnel between its
steel ribs he yet might capture the sea
monster. For some minutes Crab K con-
tented itself with GLIDING him; but, tired
of this, it turned, and raising its huge
nippers almost out Of the water, it seized
the bow Of the boat and gave it gentle
crunch, after which it released its hold
and retired. The boat, leaking rapidly
through two ragged holes, was rowed
back to the ship, which it reached half
full of water.
The great battle ship, totally bereft of
the power Of moving herself, was now
rolling in the trough Of the sea, and
signal came from the repeIler for Crab
K to make fast to her and put her head
to the wind. This was quickly done, the
crab attaching itself to the stern post Of
the Adamant by pair of towing nip
pers. These were projected from the
stern Of the crab, and were SO constructed
that the larger vessel did not communi-
cate all its motion to the smaller one,
and could not run down upon it.
AS soon as the Adamant was brought
up with her head to the wind she opened
fire upon the repeller, The latter vessel
could easily have sailed out Of the range
of motionless enemy, but her orders
forbade this. Her director had been in
structed by the syndicate to expose his
vessel to the fire of the Adamant's heavy
guns. Accordingly the repeller steamed
nearer, and turned her broadside toward
the British ship.
Scarcely had this been done when the
two great bow guns of the Adamant
shock the air with tremendous roars,
each hurting over the sea nearly ton of
steel. One CT these great shot passed
over the repeller, but the other struck
her armored side fairly amidship. There
was crash and scream of creaking
steel, AMI RepeIIer No. rolled over to
windward as if she had been struck by
heavy sea. In a moment she righted.
and shot ahead, and, turning, presented
her port side to the enemy. Instant eX-
animation of the armor On her other
side showed that the two banks of springs
were uninjured, and that not an air
buffer had exploded or failed to spring
back to its normal length.
Firing from the Adamant now came
thick and fast, the crab in obedience to
signals turning her about so as to admit
the firing Of some heavy guns mounted
amidships. Three enormous solid shot
struck the repeiler at different points on
her starboard armor without inflicting
damage, while the explosion Of several
shells which hit her had no more effect
upon her elastic armor than the impact
Of the solid shot.
1t was the desire of the syndicate not
only to demonstrate to its own satisfac-
ton the efficiency of its spring ar1nor,
but to convince Great Britain that her
heaviest guns on her mightiest battle
ships could have no effect upon its ar
mored vessels. To prove the absolute
superiority of their means Of ofense and
defense was the supreme object of the
syndicate. For this its members studied
and worked by day and by night; for
this they poured out their millions; for
this they waged war. To prove what
they claimed would be victory.
When Repeller No. Z had sustained
the heavy fire of the Adamant for about
half an hour, it was considered that the
strength of her armor had been sufii-
GENTLY demonstrated; and, with much
lighter heart than when he had turned
her broadside to the Adamant, her direc-
tor gave orders that she should steam out
of the range Of the guns of the British
ship. During the cannonade Crab had
quietly slipped away from the vicinity
of the Adamant, and now joined the re-
peller.
The great iro1clad battle ship, with
her lofty sides plated with nearly two
feet Of solid steel, with her six great
guns, each weighing more than hun
dred tons, with her armament of other
guns, machine cannon, and almost every
appliance of naval warfare, with small
army Of officers and men on board, was
left in charge Of Crab K, Of which only
a few square yards of armored roof could
be seen above the water. This little YES
sci now proceeded to tow southwark her
vast prize, uninjured, except that her
rudder and propeller blades were broken
and useless.
Although the engines of the crab were
of enormous power, the progress made
was slow, for the Adamant was being
towed stern foremost. 1t would have
been easier to tow the great vessel had
the crab been attached to her bow, but a
ram which extended many feet under
water rendered it dangerous for sub
merged vessel to attach itself in its
vicinity.
During the night the repeller kept
company, although at considerable dis
lance, with the captured vessel; and
early the next morning her director pre-
pared to send to the Adamant a boat
with flag of truce and letter demand
ing the surrender and subsequent evacu-
alton of the British ship. 1t was sup
posed that now, when the officers of the
Adamant had had time to appreciate the
fact that they had no control over the
of their vessel; tn at their
armament was powerless against their
enemies; that the Adamant could be
lowed wherever the syndicate chose to
order, or left helpless in mid-ocean, they
would be obliged to admit that there was
for them to do but TO surrender.
But events proved that no such ideas
had entered the minds of the Adamant's
officers, and their action totally pre-
vented sending flag Of truce boat. AS