The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1889-07-05
DEER LODGE, MONTANA JULY 5, 1889


after tho other, upon it. Tho shocks
wero tremendous, but the internal con
struction of tho crabs provided, by
means OF upright beams, against injury
from attaeks Of this kind, and tho great
masses Of iron slid of into the sea with
out doing any damage.
Finding it impossible to make any i'm
preston upon the mailed monster at his
stern, tho commander of the Lenox
hailed the director of the repeller, and
sworo to him through his trumpet that
if ho did not Immediately order the
Lcnox to he set free, her heaviest guns
should be brought to bear upon his float
ing counting house, and that it should be
sunk if it took NIL day to do it.
1t would have been a grim satisfaction
to the commander of tho Lenox to silk
Repeller No. 6, for he knew tho vessel
States navy. Before she had been
bought by the syndicate, and fitted out
with spring arrnor, ho had made two
long cruises in her, and he bitterly hated
her, from her keel up.
Tho director Of the repeller agreed to
release the Lenox the instant her com
nlandcr would consent to return to port.
No answer was made to this proposition,
but :: dynamite gun on the Lenox was
brought to bear upon the syntlicate's YES
sci. Desiring to avoid any complications
which might cnsue from actions of this
sort, the rcpeller steamed ahead, while
the director sgnalel Crab II to move tho
tern Of the Lcnox to the windward,
inrr -
the latter bore upon the distant coast.
It was now very plain to tho syndicate
director that his words could haze llo
effect upon tho commander Of the
Lcnox, and he therefore signaled Crab
II to tow the United States vessel into
port. When the commander Of tile
Lcnox saw that his vessel was beginning
to move backward he gavo instant
orders TO put on all steam. But this
was found 70 10 useless, for when the
dynamite gun vas about 70 be fired the
engines had been ordered stopped, aid
tho moment that the propeller blk IS
ceased moving the nippers Of tho Serb
had been released from their holdl upn
the stern post, and the propeller MAIDS
of the Lenox We're gently but itslny
seized in 4 grasp which included ne
rudtlcr 1t was therefore impossible f2y
the engines Of the vessel to revolve the
propeller, and, INCREASINGLY, the Lenox
was towed, stern foremost, to the break
water. "#"M @
The news Of this incident created the
widest indignation in the United States
navy, and throughout the country the
condemnation of what was considered
the insulting action Of the syndicate was
general. In foreign countries the affair
was the subject of q good deal of com
mcnt, but it was also the occasion Of
much serious consideration, forit proved
that one Of the syndicate's submerged
vessels could, without firing q gun, and
without fear of injury to itself, capture
Il 1nan-of-war and tow it whittier it
pleased.
Tho authorities at Washington took
instant action on the affair, and as it was
quite evident that tho contract between
the United States and',,the syndicate had
been violated by the LenoS, the com.
mander of that vessel WAS reprimandsl
by the secretary Of the navy, and ell
joined that there should be no rcpetitiQas
Of his offence. But as the commander Of
the Lenox knew that the secretary Of tic
navy was as angry as ho was at what
had happened, he did not feel his repri.
mand to be in any way disgrace.
1t may be stated that the Stocllhr!lgp,
which had steamed for the open sea as
soon as tho business which had detained
her was completed, did not 70 outsid.
the cape, When her officers perceived
with the: glasses that the J.er4ax vas
returning to port stern foremost they
opined what had happened, and desiring
that their ship should do all her sailing
in the natural way, the Stockbrilse vas
put about and steamed. bow foremost,
to her anchorage behind the break wafer
the commander thanking his stars tEiat
for once tho Lenox had got ahead of
him.
The members of the syndicate were
very anxious to remove the unfavorable
impression regarding what was called in
many quarters their attack upon a
United States vessel, and circular TO
the public was issued, in which tllcr OK
pressed their deep regret at being obliged
to interfere with SO many brave officers
and men in Il moment of patriotic en-
thusiasm and explaining how absolutely
necessary it was that the Lenox should
be removed from q position where a con
tlict with English line Of battle slips
would be probable. There were many
thinking persons who saw the weight of
the syndicate's statements, but the effect
of tile circular upon the popular mind
was not great.
The syndicate was now hard at work
making preparations for the grand stroke
which had been determined upon. In
the whole country, there was scarcely 4
man whose ability could be made avail
able in their work, who was not engaged
in their service; and everywhere, in
foundries, workshops and ship yards. the
construction Of their engines Of war was
being carried on by day and by night.
No contracts were mnde for tho delivery
of work at certain times; everything was
done under the direct supervision of .hs
syndicate and its subordinates; and thu
work went on with defniteness and
rapidity hitherto unknown in naval con-
Btruction.
In the midst of the syndicatc's labors
there arrived off tho coast of Canada the
first result Of Great Britains prepara-
tions for her war with tho American
syndicate, in the shape of tho Adamant,
tho largest and finest ironclad which had
ever crossed the Atlantic, and which
had been sent to raise tho blockade of
the Canadian port by the syndicates
vessels.
This great ship had been especially
fitted out to engage in combat with re-
pellers and crabs. AS far as was posi-
BILE the peculiar construction of the syn
dicate's vessels had been carefully stud
led, and English specialists in tho line of
naval construction and ordnance had
given most earnest consideration to
methods Of attack and defense most
likely to succeed with these novel ships
of war. Tho Adamant was tho only
vessel which it had been possible to send
out in SO short q time, and her cruise
was somewhat of an experiment. If she
should be successful in raising the block
ade Of tho Canadian port, tho British
admiralty would have but little difficulty
in dealing with the American syndicate,
The most important object ,yns to pro