The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-05-18

Notwithstanding that so many vessels
had been sent TO different parts of the
coast, there was still in Portsmouth har-
Dor large number of war vessels OF va
rious classes, all in commission and
ready for action. The greater part of
these had received orders 10 cruise that
dav in the channel. Consequently it
was still early in tho morning when
around the eastern end of the Isle OF
Wight there appeared a Britishtieet COM
posed of fifteen of the finest ironclads,
with several gunboats and cruisers, and
n number of torpedo boats.
1t was n noble sight, for besides the
war ships there was another feet hang
ing upon the outskirts Of the first, and
composed of craft, large and small, and
from both sides Of tho channel, filled
with those who were anxious TO witness
from afar the sea fight which was to take
Mace under such novel conditions. Many
OF these observers were reporters and
special correspondents for great news
papers. On some of the vessels which
came up from the French coast were
men with marine glasses Of eXtraordi-
nary power, whose business it was to
send an early and accurate report of the
affair 10 the office Of the war syndicate
in New York.
As soon as tho British ships came in
sight, the four crabs cast off from Repel-
Ter No. II. Then with the other two
they prepared for action, moving con-
siderably in advance of the repeller,
which now steamed forward very slowly.
The wind was strong from the north
west, and the sea high, the shining tops
OF the crabs frequently disappearing
under the waves.
The British fleet came steadily on,
headed by the great Llangaron. This
vessel was very much in advance of the
others, for knowing that when she was
really in action and the great cylinder
which formed her stern guard was lower
ed into the water her speed would be much
retarded, she had put on all steam, and
being the swiftest war ship of her class,
she had distanced all her consorts. 1t
was highly important that she should
begin the fight and engage the attention
of as many crabs as possible while GER
tain Of the other ships attacked the re-
peller with their rams. Although it was
now generally believed that motor
bombs from n repeller might destroy
map-of-war, it was also considered prob
able that the accurate calculations which
appeared to be necessary to precision of
aim could not be made when the object
Of the aim was in rapid motion.
But whether or not one or moro motor
bombs did strike the mark, or whether
or not one or more vessels were blown
into fine particles, there were n dozen
ironclads in that fleet, each of whose
commanders and officers were deter
mined to run into that repeller and crush
her, if so be they held together long
enough to reach her.
The commanders of the torpedo boats
had orders TO direct their swift messen-
gers of destruction first against the crabs,
for these vessels were far in advance of
the repeller, and coming on with IA
pidity which showed that they were de-
termined upon mischief. If torpedo,
shot from u torpedo boat, and speeding
swiftly by its own powers beneath the
waves, should strike the submerged hull
of crab, there would be one crab the
less in the English channel.
As has been said, the Llangaron came
rushing on, distancing everything, even
the torpedo boats. If, before she was
obliged to lower her cylinder, she could
get near enough to the almost stationary
repeiler to take part In the attack on her,
she would then be content to slacken
speed and let the crabs nibble awhile at
her stern.
Two Of the latest constructed and
largest crabs, Q and r, headed mt full
speed TO meet the Llangaron, who, as she
came on, opened the bah by sending q
"rattler" in the shape of a500-pound shot
into the ribs of the repeller, then at least
four miles distant, and Immediately after
began firing her dynamite guns, which
were Of limited range, at the roofs Of the
advancing crabs.
There were some on board the repeller
who, at the moment Che great shot struck
her, with ringing and clangor of steel
springs. such as never was heard before,
wished that in her former state Of ex-
istence she had been some other vessel
than the Tallapoosa.
But every spring sprang back to its
place asthe great mass Of iron glanced off
into the sea. The dynamite bombs flew
over the tops of the crabs, whose rapid
motions and slightly exposed surfaces
gave little chance for accurate aim, and
in shor. time they were too close to the
Llangaron for this class Of gun to be used
upon them.
AS the crabs came nearer, the Liam
garon lowered the great steel cylinder
which hung across her stern, until il Lay