The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-03-28

pan4l. Eut the military discipline Of
their minds soon exerted its force, and
brief account Of the terrific event was
transmitted to the authorities, and Sergt.
Ei!sev was sentenced to q month in the
guard house.
No one approached the vicinity of the
bluff where the fort had stood, for danger
might rot be over; but every possible
point Ct observation within a safe dis
tance was soon crowded with anxious
and terrified observers. 4 feeling of awe
WIS noticeable everywhere. If people
could have hal Il tangible idea of what
had occurred, it would have been differ
ent. IF the sea had ragged; if a vast lodv
of water had been thrown into the air; ii
: dense cloud had been suddenly elected
from the surface of the earth. they Nigh,
have formed some opinion about it. Bu!
the instantaneous disappearance of d
greet fogtiiication with a little more up
preciahle accompaniment than the sud
den tap, as of little hammer. upon
thousands Of window panes, was some
thing which their intcllccts could not
grasp. 1t was rot to be expected tia,
the ordinary mind could appreciate the
difference between the action OF an in
Simultaneous motor when imbedded in
rocks and earth, and its effect, when op-
posed by nothing but stone walls, upon
or near the surface of the earth.
Early the next morning the little feet
OF the syndicate prepared TO carry ont
its further orders. The waters of the
lower bay We're now entirely deserted,
craft Of every description having taken
refuge in the upper part Of the harbor
near and above the city. Therefore as
soon as it was light enough to make cb-
servatiogs Isepeiier No. did not hesitate
to discharge motor bomb into the
lari>or, nile or more above where the
first cne had fallen. This was done in
order to explode any torpedocs which
might have been put into position since
the discharge Of the first bomb.
There were very few people in the city
and suburbs who were at that hour out
of doors, where they could see the great
cloud Of water rise toward the sky, and
behold it descend like q mighty cataract
upon the harbor and adjacent shores;
bat the quick, sharp shock which ra-2
under the town made people spring from
their beds, and although nothing was
then to Ec seen, nearly everybody felt
sure that the syn2;cate's forces had be-
gun their days work by exploding an
G,hcr mine.
a lighthouse, the occupants of which
had been ordered to leave when the fort
/ wi.s evacuated, as they might lie III dan
4 ger in case CT Z Lombardnent. was SO
shaken by the explosion Of this motor
! bomb that it fell iii ruins on the rocks
/ upon which it had stood.
The two crabs now took the steel net
from its noorinSs and carried it up the
harbor- This WAS rather difficult on ac-
count Of the islands, rocks and sandbars;
/ but tie leading crab had on board pilot
acquainted with those waters. With tho
net hanging between them, the two SUBJ
merged vessels, ono carefully following
the other, reached L point about two
miles below the city, where the net was
anchored across the harbor. It did not
reach from shore to shore, but il the
course Of the morning two other nets,
designed fer sliallowcr waters. were
brought from the rcpcllcrs and anchored
.tt tstl.i tiItt w III. III
ing line Of complete protection AGAINST
submarine torp"tioes which might be
sent down from the upper harbor.
Rcncler 70. l row steamed into the
Earhor, accompanied by Crab A, and
anchored about 4 quarter CT Il mile cea-
ward of the net. The other rcpcllcr,
with :t.r attendant crab, cruiscd about
tho mouth of the harbor, watching @
smaller entrance 10 tho port IS well as
the larger one, and thus maintaining an
effective blockade. This was not :: diff
cult duty, for since tho news CT the cx-
traordinary performances of tie crabs
had been spread abroad, no E?crchan.
vessel, large or small, cared to approach
that port; and strict orders had been
issued By tho British admiralty that nc
vessel Of the navy should, until further
instructed, engage in combat with the
peculiar craft of the syndicate. Until q
plan Of action had been determined
upon, it was very desirable that English
injury and danger.
This being tho state of affairs, mes.
sage was sent from tie cfIicc Of
the syndicate across tho border tc
the Dominion government, which
stated that the seaport city wEicf
had been attacked by the forces Of thl
syndicate now lay under the guns Of It,
vessels, and in case Of an overt act o1
war by Great Britain CT Canada alone
suci, as Tie entrance cf en- armed forcs
from British territory into tho U2itci
States, or capture Of CT attacl. upon ar
American vessel, navel or commercial
by British rlan-of-war, or an att2cl
upon an American Port by british vea
scls, the city would be EoclLarIcI ant
destroyed.
fro BE CONTINUED.
!, W. cor', ,,Iarct1r,1 v.hv tho rrac