Morris tribune., 1889-04-24

the AGainant ey o pair OF lowing mp
PERI. Thcac were projected from the
stern OF the crab, end were so constructed
that the larger vessel did not communi-
cate all It's 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 notionless enemy, but her orders
forbade this. Her director had becn M
structcd by the syndicate 70 expose his
vessel to the fire of the Adamants heavy
guns. Accordingly the repellcr steamed
nearer, and turned her broadside toward
the British ship.
Scascely had this been done when the
two great bow gums of the Adamant
shook tho air with tremendous roars,
each hurting over the sea nearly ton OF
steel. One of these great shot passed
over the rcpeller, but the other struck
her armorcd side fairly amidship. There
was q crash and scream of crcaking
steel, and Repeller No. rolled over to
windward as If she had been struck by q
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 it's 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 repeller at different points ON
her starboard armor without inficting
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.
It was the desire of the syndicate not
| only to demonstrate to its own satisfac-
ton the efficiency of its spring armor,
| 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. had sustained
the heavy fire Of the Adamant for about
half an hour, it was considered that the
strength of her armor had been sufh-
o;ox,+Ir o,d xx,s+E. - ,,,,zcy,
| 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 ionclad 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 z, of which only
a few square yards of armored roof could
be seen above the water. This little ves-
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. It would have
been easier to tow the great vessel had
the crab been attached to her bow, but .
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 a considerable dis
lance, with the captured vessel; and
early the next morning her director pre-
pared to send to the Adamant boat
with flag of truce and letter demand
ing the surrender and subsequent evacu-
alton of the British ship. It 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
movements of their vessel; that 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
nothing for them to do but to surrender.
But events proved that no such ideas
had entered the minds of the Adamants
officers, and their action totally pre-
vented sending a flag of truce boat. AS
soon as it was light enough to see the
repeller the Adamant began firing great
guns at her. She was too far away for
the shot to strike her, but to launch and
send a boat of any kind into storm of
shot and shell was of course impossible.
The cannon suspended over the stern
of the Adamant was also again brought
into play, and shot after shot was driven
down upon the towing crab. Every
ball rebounded from the spring armor,
but the officer in charge of the crab be
came convinced that after time this
constant pounding, almost In the same
place, would injure his vessel, and he
signaled the repeller to that effect.
The director of Repeller No. had been
considering the situation. There was
only one gun on the Adamant which
could be brought TO bear upon Grab K.
and it would be the part of wisdom to
interfere with the persistent use of this
gun. Accordingly the bow of the re-
peller was brought to bear upon the
Adamant, and her motor gun was aimed
at the boom from which the cannon was
suspended.
The projectile with which the cannon
was loaded was not an instantaneous
motor bomb. It was simply heavy
solid shot, driven by an instantaneous
motor attachment, and was thus impelled
by the same power and in hesame man
ner as the motor bombs. The instantane-
GUS motor power had not yet been used
/ at SO great distance as that between the
repeller and the Adamant, and the occa-
sion was one of intense interest to the
small body Of scientific men having
charge of the aiming and firing.
i The calculations Of the distance, Of the
| necessary elevation md direction. and