The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-04-07

Adamant. 1t was allowed TO come
alongside, but when the British captain
found that the syndicate merely renewed
its demand for his surrender he waxed
fiercely angry, and sent the boat back
with the word that no further message
need be sent to him unless it should be
one complying with the conditions he
had offered.
The syndicate now gave up the task of
inducing the captain of the Adamant to
surrender. Crab G was commanded to
continue towing the great ship south
ward, and to keep her well away from
the coast, in order to avoid danger to
seaport towns and coasting vessels, while
the repeller steamed away.
Week after week the Adamant moved
southwark, roaring away with her great
guns whenever en- American sail came
within possible range, and surrounding
herself with a circle Of bursting bombs
to let any crab know what it might ex-
pect if it attempted to come near. Blaz-
ing and laundering, stern foremost but
stoutly she rode the waves, ready to
show the world that she was an impreg-
nable British battle ship, from which no
enemy could snatch the royal colors
which foated high above her.
1t was during the first week of the in
voluntary cruise Of the Adamant that
the syndicate finished its preparations
for what it hoped would be the decisive
movement Of its campaign. To do this
| rpYNollo,. 81
binary powers, had been fitted out with
great care, and also with great rapidly,
for the British government was working
night and day to get its fleet of ironclads
in readiness for a descent upon the
American cUasr. many OF the British
vessels were already well prepared for
ordinary naval warfare; but to resist
crabs additional defenses were necessary.
It was known that the Adamant had
been captured, ard consequently the
manufacture Of stern jackets had been
abandoned, but it was believed that pro-
lection could be effectually given to rud-
ders and propeller blades by a new
method which the admiralty had adopted.
The repeller which YVES to take part in
the svndicate's proposed movement had
been vessel Of the United States navy
which for long time had been out of
commission and undergoing course Of
very slow and desultory repairs in a
dock yard. She had always been con-
sidercd the most unlucky craft in the
service, and nearly every accident that
could happen to a ship had happened to
her. Years and years before, when she
would set out upon cruise, her officers
and crew would receive the humorous
sympathy Of their friends, and wagers
were frequently laid in regard to the
different kinds Of mishaps which might
befal this unlucky vessel, which was
then known as the Tallapoosa.
Inc syndicate did not particularly de-
sire this vessel, but there was no other
that could readily be made available for
its purposes, and accordingly the ITALIA
poosa was purchased from the govern
ment and work Immediately begun upon
her. Her engines and hull were put
into good condition, and outside of her
was built another hull, composed of
heavy steel armor plates and strongly
braced by great transverse beams run
ming through the ship. ~
Still outside of this was placed an i'm
proved system of spring armor, much
stronger and more effective than any
which had yet been constructed. This,
with the arnaor plate, added nearly ff-
! teen feet to the width of the vessel above
water. All her superstructures were re-
moved from her deck, which was COW
cred by curved steel roof, and under a
bomb proof canopy at the bow were
placed two guns capable Of carrying the
largest sized motor bombs. The ITALIA
pcosa, thus transformed, was called Re-
peller No. II.
The immense addition to her weight
would of course interfere very much
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 a misty morning Repeller No.
II, lowed by four Of the swiftest and
most powerful crabs, and followed by
two others, left a northern port of the
United States, bound for the coast of
Great Britain. Her course was a very
northerly one, for the reason that the
syndicate had planned work for her to
do while on her way across the Atlantic,
The syndicate had now determined,
without unnecessarily losing an hour, to
plainly demonstrate the power Of the in
Simultaneous motor bomb. 1t had been
intended to do this upon the Adamant,
but Is it had been found impossible to
induce the captain of that vessel to evac-
uate his ship, the syndicate had declined
to exhibit the efficiency Of their new
agent of destruction upon a disabled
craft crowded with human beings.
This course had been highly preju-
dicial to the claims of the syndicate, for
as Repeller 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
ried no such bombs, and the conviction
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-