Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1889-05-22


present British rulers had allowed them
selves to be frightened by mines and
torpedoes, artfully placed and exploded.
Therefore the syndicate intended to set
right the public mind upon this subject.
The note concluded by earnestly urging
the designation, without loss Of time, Of
O place Of operations.
This answer was received in London in
the evening, and all night it was the
subject Of earnest and anxious delibera-
tion In the government Office. It was att
last decided, amid great opposition,F
that the syndicate's alternative must be
accepted, for it would be the height of
folly to allow the repeller to lombard
any port she should choose. When this
conclusion had been reached, the work
Of selecting place for the proposed
demonstration Of the American syndicate
occupied but little time. The task was
not difficult. Nowhere in Great Britain
was there fortified spot of SO little inn
portance as Caerdaf, on the west coast
| Of Wales.
Caerdaff consisted of large fort on
promontory and an immense castellated
structure on the other side Of small
/ hav. with q little fishing village at the
| head Of said bay. The castellated struct-
ure was rather old, the fortress some
what less so; and both had long been
considered useless, as there was no prob
ability that an enemy would land at this
point on the coast.
Caerdaf was therefore selected as the
spot to be operated upon. No one could
for moment imagine that the syndicate
had mined this place, and if it should be
destroyed by motor bombs it would prove
to the country that the government had
not been frightened by the tricks of
crafty enemy.
| An hour after the receipt of the note
| in which it was stated that Caerdaff had
been selected, the syndicate's feet start
! ed for that place. The crabs were ele-
waited to cruising height, the repeller
taken in tow, and by the afternoon of
the next day the feet was lying off Caer-
daft. A note was sent on shore to the
officer in command, stating that the
bombardment would begin at 10 o'clock
in the morning of the next day but one,
and requesting that information of the
hour appointed be instantly transmitted
to London. When this had been done,
the feet steamed six or seven miles off
shore, where it lay to or cruised about
for two nights and day.
As soon as the government had Sc
lected Caerdaf for bombardment imme-
date measures were taken to remove the
small garrisons and the inhabitants of
the fishing village from possible danger.
When the syndicate's note was received
by the commandant of the fort he was
already in receipt of orders from the war
Office to evacuate the Notifications and
to superintend the removal Of the fisher
men and their families to a point of
safety farther up the coast.
Caerdaf was place difficult Of access
by land, the nearest railroad stations be-
ing fifteen or twenty miles away, but on
the day after the arrival OF the syndi-
Gates feet in the offing thousands of
people made their way to this part Of the
country, anxious to see-f perchance
they might find an opportunity to safely
see-what might happen at 10 o'clock
the next morning. Officers of the army
and navy, government officials, press
correspondents In great numbers, and
curious and anxious observers of all
classes, fastened to the Welsh coast.
The little towns where the visitors left
the trains were crowded to overfowing,
and every possible conveyance by which
the mountains lying back Of Cardiff
could be reached was eagerly secured,
many persons, however, being obliged
to depend upon their own legs. Soon
; after sunrise of the appointed day the
forts, the village and the surrounding
lower country were entirely deserted;
and every point of vantage on the the lr2oun-
tains lying some miles back from the
coast was occupied by excited spectators,
nearly every one armed with field
glass.
A few of the guns from the fortifca-
tons were transported to an overlooking
height, in order that they might be
brought into action in case the repeller,
instead of bombarding, should send men
in boats to take possession Of the evacu-
, ated Notifications, or should attempt any
} mining operations. The gunners for this
battery were stationed at a safe place to
the rear, whence they could readily
reach their guns if necessary.
TO BE CONTINUED.
L