The Florida agriculturist., 1889-04-24
SECTION VI.

Finding it impossible to make any i'm
preston upon the mailed monster at his
stern, the commander of the Lenox
hailed the director Of the repeller, and
swore to him through his trumpet that
If he did not Immediately order the
Lenox to be 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 all day to do it.
1t would have been grim satisfaction
to the commander of the Lenox to sink
Repeller No. 6, for he knew the vessel
when she had belonged to the United
States navy. Before she had been
bought by the syndicate, and fitted out
with spring armor, he had made two
long cruises in her, and he bitterly hated
her, from her keel up.
The director of the repeller agreed to
release the Lenox the instant her COM
mander 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 syndicate's YES
sell Desiring to avoid any complications
which might ensue from actions of this
sort, the repeller steamed ahead, while
the director signaled Crab Fl to move the
stern Of the Lenox to the windward,
which, being quickly done, the gun of
the latter bore upon the distant coast
1t was now very plain to the syndicate
director tl.at his words could have no
effect upon the commander of the
Lenox, and he therefore signaled Crab
FL to tow the United States vessel into
port. When the commander of the
Lenox saw that his vessel was beginning
to move backward he gave instant
orders to put on all steam. But this
was found to be useless, for when the
dynamite gun was about to be fired the
engines had been ordered stopped, and
the moment that the propeller blades
ceased moving the nippers of the crab
had been released from their hold upon
the stern post, and the propeller blades
of the Lenox were gently but firmly
seized in grasp which included the
rudder. It was therefore impossible for
the engines Of the vessel to revolve the
propeller, and, INCREASINGLY, the Lenox
was towed, stern foremost, to the break
water.
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 good deal of COM
ment, but it was also the occasion of
much serious consideration, for it proved
that one Of the syndicates submerged
vessels could, without firing gun, and
without fear of injury to itself, capture
a man-of-war and tow it whittier it
pleased.
The authorities at Washington took
instant action On the affair, and as it was
quite evident that the contract between
the United States and the syndicate had
been violated by the Lenox, the COM
mander of that vessel was reprimanded
by the secretary of the navy, and en-
joined that there should be no repetitions
of his offence. But as the commander of
the Lenox knew that the secretary of the
navy was as angry as he was at what
had happened, he did not feel his repri-
mand 20 be in any way disgrace.
1t may be stated that the Stockbridge,
which had steamed for the open sea as
~Non as the business which had detained