The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-04-06

enemy of the terrible destruction the
syndicate was able 10 effect; but to make
that enemy and the world understand
that this was done by bombs, which
could be used in one place as well as an
other, was difficult indeed. They had
attempted to prove this by announcing
that at certain time n bomb should be
projected into certain fort. Precisely
at the specified time the fort had been
destroyed, but nobody believed that u
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 10y its agents,
and it was thus enabled to see very
plainly indeed that the effect it had de-
sired to produce had not been produced.
I Unless the enemy could be made To I'M
dcrstand that any fort or ships within
ten miles of one of the syndicate's cam
non could be instantancously dissipated
in the shape of fine dust, this war could
not he carried on upon the principles
| adopted, and therefore might as well
pass out of the hands of tho syndicate.
Day by day and night by night the
state of affairs was anXiously considered
at the Office of the syndicate in New
! York. A new and important undertake
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-
parture and probable time Of arrival of
the vessels had been telegraphed to the
syndicate, through one of the continen-
tai cables; and repeller with two crabs
had been for some days waiting for
them. The English vessels had taken a
| high northern course, hoping they might
enter the Gulf of st. Lawrence without
subiecting 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-
lily of the enemy regarding the powers
of repeller to lombard city, tho syn
dictate 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 tho Atlantic. On the
other hand, the syndicate very much OBJ
lected to undertaking the imprisonment
and sustenance of large body of sol
diers. Orders were therefore given to
the officer in charge of the repeller not to
modest the two transports, but to remove
the rudders and extract the screws 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, a very fast steamer, had already
entered the straits, and could not be sig
nailed, but the other one returned and
took both the war ships in tow, proceed
ing very slowly until, after entering the
gulf, she was relieved by tugboats.
Another event of a somewhat different
character was the occasion of much ex-
cited feeling and comment, particularly
| in the United States. The descent and
attack by British vessels on an Atlantic
port was matter of popular expectation.
The syndicate had repollers and crabs at
the most important points, but III the
minds of naval officers, and large por-
ton of the people, little dependence for
defense was to be placed upon these.
AS to the ability of the war syndicate to
prevent invasion or attack by means OF
its threats to lombard the blockaded
Canadian port, very few believed in It,
Even If the syndicate could do any moro
damage in that quarter, which was i'm
probable, what was to prevent the British
navy from playing the same game, and
entering an American seaport, threaten
to lombard the place if the syndicate did
not Immediately run all their queer YES
sells high and dry on some convenient
beach?
ITO be Continued.