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

20 "
NAP oY CANADIAN crry AND uARBoR.
ANNA soarshs,s. n Crab A, c Reysrsr
Sa I, n ~ toSt; Y 81 fo't. ., oi,yi q. islahi.
n. sAsn1
they bore an Immense net, thru or four
hundrcd fec, long And thirty feet deep.
oompos.d q jointci steel rodA Along
thu upper cige % this ne, was scric- %
air fioais. which were - graduated that
they wcrc sunk by tho weight % the net
Nfcw feet below the surface of the water.
from which position they held tho net
suspcndel vertically.
This net. which was Intended 90 pro-
tcct the rrrsllor agains; the approach %
submarine torpcdoo- which might bs
directed from the shorc. was anchored
at each end. two very sfnhll buoys indi.
eating IL position. The Crais then fall.
ing asicrn. Rcpcllcr No lay 10. with
The sunkcn net bsiwccn her and the
shore. and rrvparcd to project tho trsi
instantaneous motor bomb ever used ln
warfare.
The grcai gun In the bO~ % the vessel
was loadcl with one of tho largest and
most powerful motor tsmts: and the
sJst 81 D. aimed at was selected. This
wa a point In tho water Just inside u
the mouth 81 tho hartor. and nearly n
mile from the land on cisher side. Tho
distance u this point from the vessel -
ing calculated. the cannon was adjusted
at the anglo called for by the scale %
distances and levels. and the ins,rumcn,
Indicating risc. fall and direction wAs
then put In connection with IL.
Now tho dircctor.in-chicf stepped Tor.
ward % the sutton. by pressing which
the power % tho motor was DEVELOPED.
Tho chief % the scientific corps then
showed him the exact point upon tho
scale. which would b. indicated when
the gun was In its proper position. and
the piece was then moved upon IT, b.ar-
ing- - ~ 10 approximate a. nearly ~
possible this direction.
The bow % the vessel now roso upon
tho swell ~ the 80. and tho instant that
the index upon the scale reached the do
sircd point. the dircctorinchisf touched
the button
There wAs no report, no smoke. no
visible sign that the motor had left
the cannon. but at thai instant
there appeared. TO thoss who were
on the lookout. from . fort about
q mile away. = vast aperture In
tho waters % the bay, which was
variously described As from 100 yards 10
60OyAris In diameter. Al that same In
slant, In the neighboring hoAdlAnds and
Islands FAR up the shorcs of the bay, and
In every street and building Of the city.
thero was felt a shArp shock a. II the
underlying rocks had bsen struck by q
gigantic trip hammer.
Al the same instant tho sky above the
SPOT where tho motor had descended was
dAIkcncd by . wide spreading cloud.
This was formed of that portion of the
water of the hay which had bccn In.
Simultaneous raised 10 the height Of about
a thousand feet. The sudden appear
Ance of this cloud was even more terri.
bic than the yawning ehASm In the
waters of the bay. CT the startling shock.
but IL did not remain long In view. IL
had no sooner reached lis highes, elevs-
ton than 10 began 20 descend There
was a strong sca breeze blowing. and In
lts descent this vast mas Of water was
impslled toward the land.
II came down. no, as rain. but as the
waters Of a vast cataract. a. though a
mountain lake. by an earthquake shock,
had been prccipitAted In body upon q
valley. Only one edge Of Il reached the
Land. and here the secthing hcod tore
away earth. trees and rocks. leaving be
hind IL great chasms and gullies a. II
descended 10 the sea.
The lay itself. into which this vast
body Of the water fell. became a scene
Of surging madness. The towering walls
Of water which had stood up all around
tho suddenly created aperture hurled
themselves hack into the abyss. and down
into tho great chAsm at the bottom OF
the hay. which had bcen made when the
motor sent its shock along the great rock
beds Down upon. and into. this roar
ing. boiling tumult fell the tremendous
cataract from above, and the hArbor BE-
came one Wild eIpanse Of leaping, mad.
dened waves, kissing their whirling
spray high into the air.
During these few terrific moments
other things happened which passed un-
noticed In the general CONSERVATION.
All along the shores Of the bay and In
front Of the city the waters seemed 10
be sucked away. slowly returning as the
sea forced them TO their level. and at
many points up and down the harbor
there were submarine detonations and
upheavals OF the water.
These were caused by the explosion. by
conclusion OF every torpedo and subma-
rine battery In the harbori and II was
with this object In view that the instan-
taneous motor bomb had been shot into
the mouth Of the bay.
The effects Of the discharge Of the mo-
tor bomb as,onished and even startled
those ON board tho repellers and the
the crabs. At the instant Of touching
the button hydraulic shock was felt On
W. - tAA. =" - ntIHe-%1 W -
occasioned by the discharge Of the mo-
tor, but II was also felt on the other ves-
selS II was the same shock that had
been felt on shore. but less In degree.
A few moments after there was Q great
heaving swell Of the sea, which tossed
and rolled tho four vessels and lifted
the steel protecting net % high that for
an instant parts OF It showed themselves
above the surface Ike glistening sea
ghosts.
Experiments with motor bombs had
been made In unsettled mountainous dis
tricts, but this was tho first ono which
had ever excrted its power under water.
On shore. In the forts. and In tho city.
no one for an instant supposed that the
terrific phenomenon which had just oc-
CURED was In any way due 70 tho yes-
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