Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-04-16

brought 20 bear upon tho syndicate. was
n question whose probable answer was
likely 90 cause apprehension and concern
In tho United States and elAtion In many
other countries.
The commencement 81 active hostil.
tiles had been prccipitatcd by this sypdi.
cate. In England preparations were
making by day and by night Ia send
upon the coast lines of the United States.
q ncct which. In numbers and power.
would 10 greater than that of any naval
expedition In the history 81 tho world
IL is no wonder that many people q
sober judgment In America looked upon
the affair Of tho crabs and tho repcllers
a. but an incident In the beginning of a
great and disastrous war.
On the morning of the destruction OF
Fort Pitcher the syndicates vessels
moved toward the port. and the steel ne,
was taken up by tho two orahs. and
moved nearer the mouth of the harbor.
At a point from which tho fort, now In
process OF evacuation. was In full Wow.
When thls had bocn done, Rspeller No.
took up her position az moderate dis
tance behind tho net. and the other vcs-
scls stationed themselves near by.
The protection of the net was consid.
cred necessary. for although there could
b. no reasonable doubt that all tho tor.
pcdocs In tho harbor and river had been
exploded. others might 10 sent out
agalns, tho syndlcates vessels. and q
torpedo under a crab Or q rcpollor. was
tho enemy most feared by the syndicate.
About O'Clock tho signals between
tho rcpcllers became very frequent, and
soon afterwards a truce beat went out
from Repellcr No. I. This was rowed
with great rapidity. but IL was obliged 10
80 much farther up tho harbor than on
previous occasions. In order to deliver its
message 10 an officer of the garrison.
This was 10 tho effect that tho ovacua.
ton Of tho fort had been observed from
tho syndlcaio's vessels. and although Il
had been apparently complete, one Of
tho scientific corps. with powerful
glass. had discovered n man In one of the
outer rc,ioub,s. whose presence there
was probably unknown 10 the officers Of
the garrison. IL was. therefore, earn.
cs,ly urged that this man might b. In.
stantly removed, and In order that this
might b. done. tho discharge of the mo-
tor bomb would 10 postponed half an
hour.
Tho officer received this message and
vas disposed 20 look upon IL A. a new
trick, but a. no time was 30 10 lost he
sent a corporals guard 70 tho fort, and
thcro discovered an lrish sergcant by the
nAmo % Kilscy. who had sworn an cath
that II every other man In tho fort ran
away like lot of addle patcd sheep he
would not run with them; ho would
stand 20 hls post 20 tho last, and when
tho couple of ships outside had got
through bomharling tho stout walls Of
the fort, tho world would sco that there
wa at leas, ono British soldier who wa
not afraid % a bomb, b. II little OF biz.
Therefore ho had managed 20 cludo OBJ
scrvaiiun, and 90 remain behind.
Tho sergeant was 40 hot headed In his
determination 90 stand by the fort that
IL required violence 10 remove him; and
IL was not until twenty minutes past
that the syndicate Observers perceived
that be had tccn taken 90 the Hill b.hind
which tho garrison was oncampcd.
A IL had been decided that Repcller
SO. should discharge the neit instan.
iancous motor bomb, there was an
anxious desire on the part of tho opera
tors on that vessel that In this. their fir,
experience, they might do their duty ~
well As their comrades on board the other
rop.ller had done theirs. Tho most ac-
cunto observations. tho most careful cal.
culations, were made and rumAde. the
point 10 10 aimed at being about the
center of the fort
Tho motor bomb had been In the can.
non for nearly an hour. and everything
had long been ready. when az precisely
thirty minutes past 4 O'Clock tho signal
10 discharge came from the dircctor.in-
chief, and In four seconds afterward the
index on tho scale indicated that the
gun was In the proper position, and the
button was touched.
Tho motor bomb was sct 20 act tho In.
slant 1, should touch any portion u the
fort, and tho effect was different from
that 81 the other bomhs. There was a
quick. hard shock. but IL was all In the
air. Thousands Of pancs Of glass In the
city and In houses for miles around werc
cracked or broken; birds fell dead OF
stunned upon tho ground. and people on
elevations at considerable distances felt
as II they had received blow but there
was no trembling Of tho ground.
A TO the fort, II had entirely disap-
poarcd. its particles having been instan'
taneously removed TO a great distance In
every direction. falling over such a vast
expanse of land and water that their de-
scent was unobseryablo.
In tho place where the fortress had
stood there was n wide tract Of bare
earth, which looked As II IL had bscn
scraped into = staring dead level Of
gravel and clay. Tho instantaneous
motor bomb had been arranged TO act
almost horizontally.
Few persons, except those who from n
distance had been watching the fort with
glasses. understood what had happened;
but every one In tho city and surround
Ing country was conscious that some
thing had happened Of most. startling
kind. and that IL was over In tho samo
instant In which they had perceived Il.
Everywhere there was tho noise Of fall
ing window glass. There were those
who asserted that for an instant they had
heard In the distance a grinding crash;
and there were others who were
quito sure that they had noticed what
might bo called HaSh OF darkness, as II
something had, with almost unappreci.
able quickness, passed between them and
the sun.
When the officers OF tho garrison
mounted the hill before them and sur
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