The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-04-04
SECTION FOURTH.


stantly transmitted to London, placed
the British government in the apparent
position of being held by the throat by
tho American War Syndicate. But if
the British government or tho people Of
England or Canada recognized this posi-
ton at all it was merely as temporary
condition. In a short time the most
powerful men-of-war of the royal navy,
Us well rs Il fleet Of transports carrying
troops, would reach the coasts Of North
America, and then the condition of
affairs would rapidly be changed. It
was absurd to suppose that q few me
diu;n sized vessels, however heavily
armoret. or n few new tangled suhcl1-
rinc machines, however destructive they
might he. could withstand en- armada of
the largest and finest :rnored vessels in
the world. A ship or two might be dis
ahicd, although this was unlikely, TOW
that the now method CT attack was ur-
dcrBtood: but it would soon be the ports
Of the United States, on both the Pacific
and Atlantic coasts, which would lie
under the guns of IN enemy.
But it wns not in the power Of their
navy that tho British government e1d
the people of England and CanaGn pl:ced
their greatest trust. but in tie incapacity
Of their petty foe to support its ridicu-
lous assumptions. The claim that the
city lay under the guns of the American
syndicate was considered ridiculous, for
few people believed that these vessels
had any guns. Certainly there had been no
evidence that any shots had been fired
from them. In the opinion Of reasona-
BILE people the destruction of the forts
and the explosions In the harbor had
been caused by mines-mines of a new
and terrifying power-which were the
work Of traitors and confederates. The
destruction of the lighthouse had
strengthened this belief, for its fall
was similar to that which would have
been occasioned by a great explosion un-
der its foundation.
But however terrifying and appalling
had been the results of the explosion of
these mines, it was not thought probable
that there were any more of them. The
explosions had taken pl:oe at exposed
points distant from the city, and the
most careful investigation failed to dis
cover any present signs of mining opera
tions.
This theory of mines worked by con-
federates was received throughout the
civilized world, and wasuniversally con-
demned. Even in the United States the
feeling was SO strong against this appar-
ent alliance between tho syndicate and
British traitors that there was reason to
believe that q popular pressure would he
brought to bear upon the government
sufficient to force it to break it's contract
with the syndicate and to carry on the
war with the national army and navy.
The crab was considered an admirable
addition to the strength of n navy, but a
mine under fort, laid and fired by per-
fidious confederates, was considered un-
worthy On enlightened people.
The members of the syndicate now
found themselves in an embarrassing
and dangerous position; position in
which they werc placed by the universal
incredulity regarding the instantaneous
motor, and unless they could make the
world believe that they really used such
a motor bomb, the war could not be pro
secuted on the plan projected.
1t was easy enough to convince the
! enemy of the terrible destruction the
syndicate was able to effect; but tomake
that enemy and the world understand
that this was done by bombs, which
could be used in one place as we'll as an.
other, was difficult indeed. They had
attempted to prove this by announcing
that at a certain time bomb should be
projected into a certain fort Precisely
! at the specified time the fort had been
DESTROYED. but nobody believed that q
| bomb had been fired.
Every opinion, official or popular. con
cerning what it had done and what
might be expected of it. was promptly
forwarded to the syndicate by its agents
and it was thus enabled to see very
plainly indeed that the effect it had de
sired to produce had not been produced
| Unless the enemy could be made to un