Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-04-16

rying n white dag left Repcllcr No. 1.
ruwcd directly over tho Submerged ne,
and made for the hArbor When tho ap-
proach of this hAg % truco was perceived
from tho fort nearest the mouth % tho
harbor. II occasioned much surmisc
Had the earthquake brought thcss syn
dicate knavos % their scnsesl Or were
they about % make further absurd and
outrageous domandsl Some irate officers
wcro of the opinion tina, enemies like
thcso should h. considered no better than
pirates. and that their hag - truce
shOuld 10 frcd upon. But tho CON.
mandant - the fort paid no attention Ia
such cOunscla. and ant q detachment
with a white fAg down 20 tho bach 30
mect tho approaching boat and learn IL
errand
Tho men In tho boat had nothing 90 do
bat 10 deliver letter from tho director
ln-chief 90 tho commandAni of tho fort
and then row hack again. No answer
was required.
When the commAndant rad the brief
noto hs made no remark. In fact, he
could think u no appropriate remark 10
make Tho misSive simply informed
him that At ten O'Clock and eighteen
minutes a m. of thA, day, tho fui
boom from the marine forces % the syn.
dicaio hal bccn discharged Into the
waters % tho harbor. At. OF about two
o'clock y. m, the second bomb would h.
discharged ~ Fort l1loher That was all
What this extraordinary message
meant could not 10 imagined by any
officer - the garrison. II tho people on
board the ships were taking advantage
Of the earthquake, and supposed that
they could induce British soldiers 20 10
lieyo that IL hal bosn caused by one q
their bomt>. then were they idio,s In
deed. They would flrO their second shoi
at For Tflcheri This was impossible.
for they had no, yet flred their iirsi shot.
rbc.s syndicate people were evidently
very tricky. and tho defenders of tho
pori mus, therefore 10 very cautious
Fort Pitcher wa = very large and un.
hniAhcd fertilization, on a bluh on tho
opposite side % the harbor. Work had
been discontinued on IL a. soon as tho
syndlcaie's vc-sels had appeared OF the
port. for Il was no, desired 10 srpo~e tho
builders and workmsn 10 possible
bombArlment The place was now,
therefore. almos; deserted. but after tho
receipt % tho syndleate's message, tho
commAndan, feared tha, tho enemy
might throw an ordinary shell into tho
unfinished works. and ho sent boat
acru.s the bay 20 order away any work
men or others who might 10 lingering
Abou, the place.
A little after 2 o'clock p. m. an instan.
taneous motor bomb was discharged
from Rspeller No. I Into Fort Pitcher.
II was set 10 act fve seconds after I'm.
pact with tho object aimed at II struck
In a central portion of the unfinished
fort. and having described high curve
In the air. descended no, only with iis
own motive power. but with the force of
gravitation. and penetrated deep into tho
earth.
Five seconds later q vas, brown cloud
appeared on tho Fort Pitcher promon-
tory This cloud was nearly spherical
In form, with an apparen, diameter OF
about q thousand yards. AZ tho saTno
instant a shock similar TO that accom-.
panyins the flrst motor bomb was felt In
the city and surrounding country. but
this was not ~ severe a. the other. for
the second bomb did no, exert It's force
upon the underlying rocks Of the region,
a. tho first one had dono.
The great brown cloud quickly began
to lose It, spherical form. part Of Il do
scendlng heavily 10 the earth and part
floating away In vast dust clouds borno
inland by the breeze. settling downward
as they moved. and depositing on land.
water, ships, houses, domes and trees an
almos, impalpable powder
When the cloud had cleared away
there were no ofortihcations, and tho bluf
on which they had stood had disappeared.
Part Of this bluff had hoated away on
the wind and part Of II lay piled In great
hears Of sand on the spot where its rocks
were 90 have upheld fort.
The effect Of the motor bomb was fully
Observed with glasses from tho various
fortifcations of the port and from many
points Of the city and harbor; and those
familiar with the effects of explosives
were not long In making up their minds
what had happoned. They felt sure that
q mine had been sprung beneath Fort
Pitcher. and they were now equally con-
hdeni that In the morning a torpedo OF
novel and terrible power had been ex-
ploded In the harbor. They now disbe-
lieyed In the earthquake and treated
with contempt the pretense that shots
had been fired from the syndicate's yes.
sci This was merely q trick Of the
enemy. II was not even likely that the
mine or the torpedo had been operated
from the ship. These were In all proba-
bility under the control Of confederates
ON shore. and had been exploded at
times agreed upon beforehand. AL this
was perfectly plain TO the military su-
thorities.
but the people Of the city derived no
comfort from the announcement Of these
conclusions For all that anybody knew
tho whole city might 10 undermined.
and at any moment might ascend In q
cloud OF minute particles. They felt that
they were In a region of hidden traitors
and bombs. and In consequence Of this
belief thousands Of citizens left their
homes.
I That afternoon q truce boat again
went out from Repeller No. ! and rowed
20 the fort, where a letter 10 the CON-
mandant was delivered This, like the
other. demanded no answer. and tho boat
returned. Later In the afternoon the
two repellers. accompanied by tho crabs
and leaving the steel net still anchored
In its place. retired few miles seaward,
whero they prepared to lay to for the
night.
The letter brought by the truce boat
was read by the commandant. surrounded
by his officers. II stated that In twenty
four hours from time Of writing Il, which
would 10 at or about 4 O'Clock on the
nsxt afternoon. o bomb would bs thrown
ne ~ sante9ped fcu -vn4g ths en-