Morris tribune., 1889-05-08

ran through LH6 FcIcltSs, ai1u - oassNe
gray cloud. half a mile high. occupied
the place vi the British ship.
The cloud rapidly settled down, cover
ing the water with a glittering scum
which spread far and wide. and which
had been the Craglevin.
The British captain stood for a moment
n,otionIess, and then he. picked mp
rammer and ran 1t into the muzzle OF
the cannon which had been discharged
The great gun was empty. The instan-
taneous motor bomb was not there.
Now he was convinced that the gyndi-
cate had not mined the fortresses which
they had destroyed.
In twenty minutes the two British
officers were on board the transport,
which then steamed rapidly westward.
The crabs again took the repeller In tow,
and the syndicate's feet continued its
eastward course, passing through the
wide expanse of glittering scum which
had spread itself upon the sea.
They were not two-thirds Of their way
across the Atlantic when the transport
reached st. Johns, and the cable told the
world that the Craglevin had been anni-
hilated.
This news was received with amaze
ment, and even CONSERVATION. IL came
from an officer in the Royal navy, and
how could it be doubted that great
man-of-war had been destroyed In mo.
ment by one shot from the syndicates
vessel! And yet, even now, there were
persons who did doubt, and who asserted
that the crabs might have placed great
torpedo under the Craglevin; that wire
attached to this torpedo ran out from the
repeIler. and that the British captain had
merely fired the torpedo. But hour BY
hour, as fuller news came across the
ocean, the number of these doubters be-
came smaller and smaller.
In the midst of the great public excite
ment which now existed on both sides of
the Atlantic-in the midst Of all the con-
fiicting opinions, fears and hopes-the
dominant sentiment seemed to be, in
America as well as in Europe, one Of
curiosity. Were these six crabs and one
repeller bound for the British Isles2 And
if so. what did they intend to do when
they got there?
It was now generally admitted that
one of the syndicate's crabs could disable
a man-of-war; that one of the syndi-
Gates repellers could Withstand the
heaviest artillery fire, and that one Of the
syndicate's motor bombs could destroy
vessel or a fort. But these things had
been proved in isolated combats, where
the new methods of attack and defense
had had almost undisturbed opportunity
for exhibiting their efficiency. But what
could repeller and half dozen crabs
do against the combined force Of the
Royal navy, navy which had in the
last few years regained its supremacy
among the nations, and which had made
Great Britain once more the first mari
time power in the world?
The crabs might disable some men-of-
war, the repeller might make her calcu-
lations and discharge her bomb at a ship
or a fort, but what would the main body
of the navy be doing meanwhile? Over
whelming, crushing and sinking to the
bottom crabs, repeller, motor guns and
everything that belonged to them.
In England there was feeling Of
strong resentment that such little fleet
should be allowed to sail with such in
tent into British waters. This resent
ment extended itself not only to the inn
pudent syndicate, but toward the gov
eminent, and the opposition party gained
daily in strength. The opposition papers
had been loud and reckless in their de-
nunciations of the slowness and made
quacy Of the naval preparations, and
loaded the government with the entire
responsibility, not only of the damage
which had already been done to the forts,
the ships, and the prestige of Great
Britain, but also for the threatened
danger of sudden descent Of the syndi-
Gates feet upon some unprotected point
upon the coast. This fleet should never
have been allowed to approach within q
thousand miles Of England It should
have been sunk In mid-ocean, IL its sink
ing had involved the loss of dozen men-
of-war.
In America very strong feeling of dis
satisfaction showed itself. From the first
the syndicate contract had not been popu-
lar, but the quick, effective and business
like action of that body Of men. and the
marked success up to this time Of their
inventions and their operations, had
caused a great reaction In their favor.
They had, so far, successfully defended
the American coast, and when they had
increased the number Of their vessels,
they would have been relied upon to con-
tinue that defense. Even IL British
armada had set out to cross the Atlantic,
it's movements must have been slow and
cumbrous, and the swift and sudden
strokes with which the syndicate waged
war could have. been given by night and
by day over thousands Of miles Of ocean.
Whether or not these strokes would
have been quick enough or hard enough
to turn back an armada might be ques-
ton, but there could be no question Of
the suicidal policy Of sending seven ships
and two cannon to conquer England. Il
seemed as If the success Of the syndicate
had SO pulled up its members with pride
and confidence in their powers that they
had come to believe that they had only
to show themselves to conquer, whatever
might be the conditions Of the contest.
The destruction Of the syndicate's feet
would now be heavy blow 10 the
United States. It would produce an utter
want Of confidence in the councils and
judgments Of the syndicate, which could
not be counteracted by the strongest
faith in the efficiency Of their engines Of
war, and it was feared that it might be-
come necessary, even at this critical
iuncture, to annul the contract with the
syndicate, and to depend upon the
American navy for the defense Of the
American coast.
Even among the men on board the syn
dicate's fleet there were signs Of doubt
and apprehensions Of evil. It had all
been very well so far, but fighting one
ship ct time was very different thing
from steaning into the midst Of hum
bred ships. On board the repelier there