The Press., 1889-05-09
Issued Every Thursday Evening.

Issued Every Thursday Evening. pushed forward as fast as possible, but 60 far only one of these had been finished and attached to a man-of-war.
 The Llangaron was recently built ironclad of the same size and class as the Adamant; and to her had been at tached the new stern defense. This was an immense steel cylinder, entirely closed, and rounded at the ends. It was about ten feet in diameter, and strongly braced inside. It was suspended by chains from two davits which projected over the stern of the vessel When sail ing this cylinder was hoisted up to the davits, but when the ship was prepared for action 1t was lowered until it lay, nearly submerged. abaft of the rudder. In this position its ends projected about fifteen feet on either side of the propeller blades.
 It was believed that this cylinder would effectually prevent crab from getting near enough to the propeller or the rud- der to do any damage. It could not be torn away as the stern jacket had been, for the rounded and smooth sides and ends of the massive cylinder would offer no hold to the forceps of the crabs; and, approaching from any quarter, it would be impossible ,for these forceps to reach rudder or screw. .tt
 The syndicate's little fleet arrived in British waters late in the day; and early the next morning 1t appealed about twenty miles to the south of the Isle of Wight, and headed to the northeast as if 1t were making for Portsmouth. The course of these vessels greatly surprised the English government and naval au- thorities. It was expected that an at- tack would probably be made upon some comparatively unprotected spot on the British seaboard, and therefore on the west coast of Ireland and in St. Georges channel preparations of the most for midable character had been made to de- fend British ports against Repeller No. Il and her attendant crabs. Particularly was this the case In Bristol channel, where large number of ironclads were stationed, and which was to have been the destination of the Llangaron if the syndicate's vessels had delayed their coming long enough to allow her to get around there. That this little fleet should have sailed straight for England's great naval stronghold was something that the British admiralty could not understand. The fact was not appreciated that 1t was the object of the syndicate to measure it's strength with the greatest strength of the enemy. Anything less than this would not avail its purpose.
 Notwithstanding that so many vessels had been sent to different parts of the coast, there was still in Portsmouth har- b large number of war vessels of va- ri classes, all in commission and ready for action. The greater part of these had received orders to cruise that day in the channel. Consequently it was still early in the morning when around the eastern end of the Isle of Wight there appeared a British fleet com posed of fifteen of the finest ironclads, with several g1nboats and cruisers, and number of torpedo boats.
 It was noble sight, for besides the war ships there was another fleet hang ing upon the outskirts of the first, and composed of craft, large and small, and from both sides of the channel, filled with those who were anxious to witness from afar the sea fight which was to take place under such novel conditions. Many of these observers were reporters and special correspondents for great news papers. On some of the vessels which came up from the French coast were men with marine glasses of extraordi- nary power, whose business it was to send an early and accurate report of the affair to the office of the war syndicate in New York.
 AS soon as the British ships came in sight, the four crabs cast of from Repel- Ter No. il. Then with the other two they prepared for action, moving con- siderably in advance of the repeller, which now steamed forward very slowly. The wind was strong from the north west, and the sea high. the shining tops of the crabs frequently disappearing under the waves.
 The British fleet came steadily on, headed by the great Llangaron. This vessel was very much in advance of the others, for knowing that when she was really in action and the great cylinder which formed her stern guard was lower ed into the water her speed would be much retarded. she had put on all steam, and being the swiftest war ship oi her class. she had distanced all her consorts. It was highly important that she should begin the fight and engage the attention of as many crabs. as possible while cer- tain of the other ships attacked the re- peller with their rams. Although it was now generally believed that motor bombs from repeller might destroy maD-of-war, it was also considered prob- able that the accurate calculations which appeared to be necessary to precision of aim could not be made when the object of the aim was in rapid motion.
 But whether or not one or more motor bombs did strike the mark, or whether or not one or more vessels were blown into fine particles, there were a dozen ironclads in that fleet, each of whose commanders and officers were deter mined to run into that repeller and crush her, if 30 be they held together long enough to reach her. ,-a.
 The commanders of the torpedo boats had orders to direct their swift messen- gers of destruction first against the crabs, for these vessels were far in advance of the repeller, and coming on with 8 ra- pidity which showed that they were de- termined upon mischief. If a torpedo, shot from torpedo boat, and speeding swiftly by it's own powers beneath the waves, should strike the submerged hull of a crab, there would be one crab the less in the English channel.