The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-04-26

=
with the speed of the new repeller. but
this was considered of little importance,
as she would depend on her own engines
only in time of action. She was now
believed to possess more perfect defenses
than any battle ship in the world.
Early ON misty morning Repeller No.
IL, towed by four of the swiftest and
most powerful crabs. and followed by
two others. left northern port Of the
United States. bound for the coast OF
Great Britain. Her course was very
northerly one, for the reason that the
syndicate had planned work fer her to
do while on her way Gcross the Atlantic.
The syndicate / now determined,
without unnecessa. -. losing an hour; to
plainly demonstrate the power Of the in
Simultaneous motor bomb II d been
intended to do this upon the l.~dmant.
but as it had been found impossible to
induce the captain Of that vessel to evoc-
uate his ship, the syndicate had declined
to exhibit the efficiency Of their new
agent of destruction upon disabled
craft crowded with human beings.
This course had been highly preju-
dicial TO the claims of the syndicate, for
as Repcller No. had made no use in the
contest with the Adamant Of the motor
bombs with which she was said to be
supplied, it was generally believed on
both sides of the Atlantic that she car
that the destruction at the Canadian port
had been effected by means of mines con-
tinued as strong as it had ever been. To
correct these false ideas was now the
duty of Repeller No. II.
For some time Great Britain had been
steadily forwarding troops and NUM-
tons of war to Canada, without Interrupt
ton from her enemy. Only once had
the syndicate's vessels appeared above
the banks of Newfoundland. and as the
number of these peculiar craft must nee
essarily be small, it was not supposed
that their line OF operations would be eX-
tended very far north, and no danger
from them was apprehended. provided
the English vessels laid their courses well
to the north.
Shortly before the sailing Of Repeller
No. II, the syndicate had received news
that one of the largest transatlantic mail
steamers, loaded with troops, and with
heavy cannon for Canadian Notifications,
and accompanied by tho Craglevin, one
of the largest ironclads in the Royal
navy, had started across the Atlantic.
The first business Of the repeller and her
attendant crabs concerned these two YES
sells.
Owing to the power and speed Of the
crabs which towed her, Repeller No. II
made excellent time; and on tho morn
ing of the third day out the two British
vessels were sighted. Somewhat alter
ing their course, the syndicates vessels
were soon within q few miles of the
enemy.
The Craglevin was magnificent war
ship. She was not quite SO large as the
Adamant, and she was unprovided with
stern jacket or other defense of the
kind. In sending her out the admiralty
had designed her to defend the transport
against the regular vessels of the United
States navy; for although the nature of
the contract with the syndicate was well
understood in England. it was not sup
posed that the American government
would long consent to allow their war
vessels to remain entirely idle.
When the captain of the Craglevin
perceived the approach of the repeller,
he was much surprised, but lie did not
hesitate for a moment as to his course.
He signaled to the transport, then about
mile to the north, to keep on the way
while he steered to meet the enemy. 1t
had been decided in British naval circles
that the proper thing to do in regard to
a repeller was to ram her as quickly as
possible. These vessels were necessarily
slow and unwieldy, and if heavy iron.
clad could keep clear of crabs long
enough to rush down upon one, there was
every reason to believe that the 'bal
bouncer," as the repellers were called by
British sailors, could be crushed in be-
low the water line and sunk. So, full OF
courage and determination, the captain
of the Craglevin bore down upon the re
peller.
1t is not necessary to enter into detail:
of tho ensuing action. Before the Crag
levin was within half mile Of her enc
my she was seized by two crabs, all o.
which had cast loose from the repeller
and in less than twenty minutes both o.
her screws were extracted and her rud
der shattered. In the meantime two o.
the swiftest crabs had pursued the trans
port; and coming up with her, one o.
them had fastened to her rudder, with
out, however, making any attempt to in
| jurc it. When the captain of the steamer
saw that one of the sea devils had hin
by the stern, while another was near by
ready to attack him, he prudently
stopped his engines and lay to, the cral
keeping his ships head to the sea.
The captain Of the Craglevin was {
very different man from the captain o.
the Adamant. He was quite as brave
but he was wiser and more prudent. HI
saw that the transport had been cap
tured and forced to lay to; he saw thai
the repe,ler mounted two heavy guns Al
her bow, and whatever might be thu
character of those guns, there could b'
no reasonable doubt that they were suf
flcient to sink an ordinary mail steamer
L ~ hi