Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-15

cruSiea to pleces, the other, with nearly half it's shaft. was drawn out and dropped into the ocean. IIelplessly the two men, of-war rose and fell upon the waves.
 In obedience to orders from the re- peller, each crab took hold of one of the disabled vessels and lowed it near the mouth of the harbor, where it was left
 The city was now in |: state of feverish excitement. which was intensified by the fact that majority of the people did not understand what had happened, while those to whom this had been made plain could not comprehend why such thing should have been allowed to happen. Three of her majesty's ships of war, equipped and ready for action. had sailed out of the harbor, and an apparently in- significant enemy. without. firing a gun, had put them into such d condition that they were utterly unfit for service and must be lowed into dry dock. How could the government. the municipality, the army. or the navy. explain this2
 The anxiety. the excitement. the ner- vous desire to know what had happened, and what might be expected next, spread that evening to every part of the Domin- ion reached by telegraph.
 The military authorities in charge of the defenses of the city were as much disturbed and amazed by what had hap pened as any civilian could possibly be, but they had no fears for the safety of the place. for the enemy's vessels could not possibly enter, nor even approach, the harbor The Qualifications on the heights mounted guns much heavier than those on the men-of war, and shots from these fired from an elevation might sink even those under water devils" But, more than on the forts. they relied upon their admirable system of torpedoes and submarine batteries. VN:h these in po- sition and ready for action, as they now were, it was impossible for an enemy's vessel, floating on the water. or under it, to enter the harbor without certain de- Struction.
 Bulletins to this effect were posted in the city, and somewhat allayed the popu- lar anxiety, although many people who were fearful of what might happen next, left by the evening trains for the interior. That night the news of this extraordinary affair was cabled to Europe, and thence back to tho United States, and all over the world. In many quarters the ac- count was disbelieved. and in no quarter was it thoroughly understood, for it must be borne in mind that the methods of operation employed by the crabs were not evident even to those on board the disabled vessels. But everywhere there was tho greatest desire to know what would be done next.
 hn srSN hot txryo armored vessels were merely tenders to the submerged machines, which had done the mischief. Having fired no guns, nor taken any active part in the combat, there was every reason to believe that they were intended merely as bomb proof store ships for their formidable consorts. AS these submerged vessels could not at- tack a town, nor reduce Notifications, but could exercise their power only against vessels afloat, it was plain enough to see that the object of the American syndicate was to blockade the port. That they would be able to maintain the blockade when the full power of the British navy should be brought to bear upon them was generally doubted, though it was conceded in the most wrathful circles that until the situation should be altered, it would be unwise to risk valu- able war vessels in encounters with the diabolical sea monsters now lying off the port.
 In the New York office of the syndi- cate there was great satisfaction. The news received was incorrect and imper- feet, but it was evident that, so far, everything had gone we'll.
 About Q o'clock the next morning Re- peller No. ], with her consort half mile astern, and preceded by the two crabs, one on either bow. approached to within two miles of the harbor mouth. The crabs. q quarter of mile ahead of the repeller, moved slowly. for between them