Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-16

uuS aSSumpLlOnS. Inc ctalm that the
 city lay under the guns of the American Isyndicate was considered ridiculous, for
 few people believed that these vessels had any guns. Certainly there had been no levidence that any shots had been fired from them. In the opinion of reasona- ble people the destruction of the forts
 and the explosions in the harbor had
 been caused by mines-mines of new
 and terrifying power-which were the
 work of traitors af1d confederates The
 destruction of the lighthouse had
 strengthened this belief, for its fall
 was similar to that which would have
 been occasioncd by a great explosion un- der it's foundation.
 But however terrifying and appalling
 had been the results of the explosion of
 these mines. it was not thought probable
 that there were any more of them. Srhe
 explosions had taken place at exposed
 points distant from the city, and the
 most careful investigation failed to dis
 cover any present signs of mining opera | tions.
 This theory of mines worked by con-
 federates was received throughout the
 civilized world, and was universally con-
 demned. Even in the United States the
 feeling was so strong against this appar-
 ent alliance between the syndicate and
 British traitors that there was reason to
 believe that popular pressure would be
 brought to bear upon the government
 sufficient to force it to break it's contract
 with the syndicate and to carry on the
 war with the national army and navy.
 The crab was considered an admirable
 addition to the strength of navy. but a
 mine under fort. laid and fired by per- hdlous confederates. was considered un- l worthy an enlightened people,
 The members of the syndicate now | found themselves in an embarrassing and dangerous position; a position in
 which they were placed by the universal lncredulity regarding the instantaneous motor, and unless they could make the world believe that they really used such motor bomb. the war could not be pro- secuted on the plan projected.
 1t was easy enough to convince the enemy of the terrible destruction the syndicate was able to effect; but to make tbat enemy and the world understand that this was done by bombs, which could be used in one place as we'll as an- other, was difficult indeed. They had attempted to prove this by announcing that at a certain time bomb should be projected into certain fort. Precisely. at the specified time the fort had been destroyed. but nobody believed that bomb had been fired.
 Every opinion, official or popular, con- corning what it had done and what might be expected of it, was promptly forwarded to the syndicate by its agents, and 1t was thus enabled to sec very plainly indeed that the effect it had de sired to produce had not been produced. Unless the enemy could be made to un- derstand that any fort or ships within ten miles of one of the syndicate's can- non could be instantaneously dissipated in the shape of fine dust. this war could not be carried on upon the principles adopted. and therefore might as well pass out of the hands of the syndicate.
 Day by day and night by night the state of affairs was anxiously considered at the office of the syndicate in New York. new and important undertak- ing was determined upon, and on the success of this the hopes of the syndicate now depended.
 During the rapid and vigorous prepa- rations which the syndicate were now making for their new venture, several events of interest occurred.
 Two of the largest Atlantic mail steamers, carrying infantry and artillery troops, and conveyed by two swift and powerful men-of-war, arrived off the coast of Canada, considerably to the north of the blockaded city. The de- partare and probable time of arrival of the vessels had been telegraphed to the syndicate, through one of the continen- tai cables; and a repellel" with two crabs had been for some days waiting for them. The English vessels had taken Q high northern course, hoping they might enter the Gulf of St. Lawrence without subjecting themselves to injury from the enemy's crabs. it not being considered probable that there were enough of these vessels to patrol the entire coast. But although the crabs were few in num- Der, the syndicate was able to place them where they would be of most use, and when the English vessels arrived off the northern entrance to the gulf, they found their enemies there
 However strong might be the incredu- ity of the enemy regarding the powers of repeller to lombard city, the syn dicate felt sure there would be no pres ent invasion of the United States from Canada. but it wished to convince the British government that troops and munitions of war could not be safely | transported across the Atlantic On the l other hand. the syndicate very much ob- Jected to undertaking the imprisonment and sustenance of a large body of sol diers. Orders were therefore given to the officer in charge of the repeller not to molest the two transports, but to remove Inc rudders and extract thescrews of the two war vessels, leaving them to be lowed into port by the troop ships.
 This duty was performed by the crabs, while the British vessels, both rams, were preparing to make united and vigorous onset on the repeller, and the two men-of-war were left helplessly tossing on the waves. One of the trans ports, very fast steamer, had already