Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-03-18


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 THE ARREST OF THE IRISH SERGEANT. time that the war contract had been made, and this feeling increased daily. That the officers and men of the United States navy should be penned up in harbors, ports and sounds, while British ships and the hulking mine springers and rudder pinchers of the syndicate were allowed to roam the ocean at will, was a very hard thing for brave sailors to bear. Sometimes the resentments against this state of affairs rose almost to a revolt.
 The great naval preparations of Eng land were not yet complete, but single British men of war were now frequently seen off the Atlantic coast of, the United States. No American vessels had been captured by these since the message of the syndicate to the Dominion of Canada and the British government. But one good reason for this was the fact that it was very difficult now to find upon the Atlantic ocean vessel sailing under the American flag. As far as possible these had taken refuge in their own ports or in those of neutral countries.
 At the mouth of Delaware bay, behind the great Breakwater, was Eow collected q number of coastwise saililA vessels and steamers of various classes and sizes; and for the protection of these maritime refugees two vessels of the United States navy were stationed at this point. These were tho Lenox and Stockbridge, two of the finest cruisers in the service, and Gn1 hyf fy-n nf and bravest officers of the American navy.
 The appearance early on a summer morning of large British cruiser off tho mouth of the harhor filled those two commanders with uncomfortable bellig erency. That in time of war vessel of tho enemy should be allowed, undis- turbed. to sail up and down before an American harhor. while aH American vessel filled with brave American sailors lay inside like q cowed dog, was a thought which goaded the soul of each of these commanders. There was a cer- tain rivalry between the two ships, and considering the insult offered by the Haunting red cross in the offing. and the humiliating restrictions imposed by the
 
 thought only of his own ship, and not at ail of the other.
 It was almost at the same time that tho commanders of the two ships sepa- rately came to the conclusion that the proper way to protect the fleet behind the breakwater was for his vessel to boldly steam out to sea and attack the British cruiser. If this vessel carried a long range gun, what was to hinder her from suddenly running in closer and sending few shells into the midst of the defenseless merchantmen? In fact, to go out and fight her was the only way to protect the lives and property in the harbor.
 It was true that one of those beastly repellers was sneaking about off the cape, accompanied, probably, by an under water tongs boat. But as neither of these had done anything or seemed likely to do anything, the British cruiser should be attacked without loss of time.
 When the commander of the LeIox came to this decision, his ship was well abreast of Cape Henlopen, and he there fore proceeded directly out to sea. There was little fear in his mind that the English cruiser, which was now bearing to the southeast, might sail off and get away from him. The Stockbridge was detained by the arrival of 8 dispatch boat from the shore with message from the naval department. But as this mes- sage related only to the measurements of a certain deck gun, her commander in- tended as soon as an answer could be sent of, to sail out and give battle to the British vessel.
 Every soul on board the Lenox was now filled with fiery ardor. The ship was already in good fighting trim, but every possible preparation was made for a contest which should show their coun- try and the world what American sailors were made of.
 The Lenox had not proceeded more than a mile out to sea when she per- ceived Repeller No. coming toward her from seaward, and in direction which indicated that it intended to run across her course. The Lenox, however, went straight on, and in short time the two vessels were quite near each other. Upon the deck of the repeller now appeared the director in charge, who, with speaking trumpet, hailed the Lenox and requested her to lay to, as he had some thing to communicate. The commander of the Lenox, through his trumpet, an swered that he wanted no communica- tions, and advised the other vessel to keep out of his way.
 The Lenox now put on q greater head of steam. and as she was in any case a much faster vessel than the repeller, she rapidly increased the distance between herself and the syndicate's vessel, so that in q few moments hailing was impossible. Quick signals now shot up in jets of black smckc from the repeller, and in a very short time afterward the speed of the