The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-31

diCular shots did not crush In the roof Of
a crab, these glasses would be shattered
by conclusion. Although this might ap-
pear q matter Of Slight Importance, it
was thought among naval officers it
would necessitate the withdrawal Of a
crab from action.
In consequence Of the idea that the
crabs were vulnerable between their
overlapping plates, some of the Ada
mant's boats were fitted out with Cat
ling and machine guns, by which a
shcwer of balls might be ser$ under the
scales, through the glasses and into the
body Of the crab. In addition to their
guns, these boats would be supplied with
other means of attack upon the crab.
OF course it would be impossible to
destroy these submerged enemies by
means Of dynamite OF torpedoes; for
with two vessels in close proximity, the
explosion OF a torpedo would be as dan
gerous to the hull Of one as to the other
The British admiralty would not allow
even the Adamant to explode torpedoes
Or dynamite bombs under her own stern.
With regard to .peller, or spring
aImoTed vessel, the Adamant would rely
upon her exceptionally powerful arma-
ment and upon her great weight and
speed. She was fitted with twin screws
and engines CT the highest power, and
it was believed that she would be able to
overhaul, ram and crush the largest
vessel, armoTcd or unarmored, which
the syndicate would he able to bring
against her. Some Of her guns were Of
immense ca!iber, firing shot weighing
nearly 1900 pounds and requiring half
ton Of powder for each charge. Be
sides :GGse she carried an unusually
large number of large cannon and two
dynamite guns. She was so heavily
plated and armored as to be proof
against any known artillery in the
world.
She was a floating fortress, with men
enough to make up the population of a
town, and with stores, ammunition and
coal sufficient to last for a long term of
active service. Such was the mighty
English battle ship which had come for
ward to raise the siege of the Canadian
port.
The officers of the syndicate were well
aware of the character of the Adamant
her armament and her defenses, and had
been informed by cable Of her time Of
sailing and probable destination. They
sent out Repeller No. z, with Grabs J
and K, to meet her off the Banks of
/ Newfoundland
This repeller was the largest and
strongest vessel that the syndicate had
ready for service. In addition to the
spring amor with which these vessels
were supplied. this one was furnished
with a second coat of arnor outside the
first, the elastic steel ribs of which ran
longitudinally and at right angles to
those Of the inner set. Both coats were
furnished with great number of i'm
/ proved air buffers, and the arrangement
of spring arrnor extended five or six feet
beyond the massive steel plates with
which the vessel was originally armored.
/ She carried one motor cannon of large
size.
One of the crabs was of the ordinary
pattern. but Crab & was furnished with
4 spring armor above the heavy plates
/ of her roof This had been placed upon
her after the news had been received by
the syndicate that the Adamant would
carry a perpendicular cannon over her
stern, but there had not been time
enough to fit out another crab in the
| same way.
/ When the director in charge of repeller
No. first caught sight OF the Adamant,
and scanned through his glass the vast
proportions of the mighty ship which
was rapidly steaming toward the coast
he felt that a responsibility rested upon
him heavier than any which had yet
been borne by an officer OF the syndicate,
but he did not hesitate in the duty which
nc had been sent to perform, and imme-
diately ordered the two crabs to advance
to meet the Adamant, and to proceed to
action according to the instructions
which they had previously received.
His own ship was kept, in pursuance Of
orders, several miles distant from the
British ship.
As soon as the repeller had been
sighted from the Adamant strict look
out had been kept for the approach Of
crabs, and when the small exposed por-
tons of the backs of two of these were
perceived glistening in the sunlight the
speed Of the great ship was slackened.
The ability of the syndicate's submerged
vessels to move suddenly and quickly in
any direction had been clearly demon
strated, and although q great ironclad
with ram could run down and sink a
crab without feeling the conclusion, it
was known that it would be perfectly
easy for the smaller craft to keep out Of
the way of its bulky antagonist. There
fore the Adamant did try to ram the
crabs, nor to get away from them. Her
commander intended, if possible, to run
down one or both of them, but he did
not propose to do this in the usual way.
As the crabs approached, the stern
jacket of the Adamant was let down and
the engines were slowed. This stern
jacket, when protecting the rudder and
propellers, looked very much like the
cow catcher of a locomotive, and was ca
pablo Of being put to somewhat similar
use. 1t was the intention of the captain
of the Adamant, should the crabs at
tempt to attach themselves to his stern,
to suddenly put on all steam, reverse his
engines and back upon them, the stern
Jacket answering as a ram.