Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-11-29

De i1lf NoslDie IOf CDeSe 1OrcepS to ro2ci!
rudder or screw.
The syndicatc's little fleet arrived in
British waters late in the day; and early
the next morning it appeared about
twenty miles to the south Of the Isle ..
Wight, and headed to the northeast cs Il
it were making for Portsmouth,. Tic
course Of these vessels greatly surprised
tie English government and naval Gu
liberties. It was expected that en- at
tack would probably lie made upon soxne
comparatively unprotected spot ca the
: British soabOacd, and therefore ca tha
wet coast Of Ireland and in st. Georges
channel preparations Of tlae most for.
Eni3able character had bacn made to Dc
fead British ports against Repcllcr No.
II and her attendant crabs. Particularly
was this the case in Bristol channel.
where q large number of ironc!2Gs 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 feet should
have sailed straight for Engiand's great
naval stronghold was something that the
British admiralty could not understand.
The fact was not appreciated that it was
the object of the syndicate to measure
its 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-
Dor q large number of war vessels Of va
riCls classes, all in commission and
ready for action. The greater part of
these had received orders to cruise that
doy in the channel. Consequently it
was still early in the morning when
around the eastern end Of the Isle Of
/ Wight there appeared q British feet com
posed OF fifteen Of the finest ironclads,
with several Sunboat3 and cruisers, and
q number of torpedo boats.
/ 1t was q noble sight, for LesGIcs the
war ships there was another fleet hann-
ing upon the outskirts Of the first, and
/ composed Of craft, large and small, and
from both sides Of tie channel. filed
with those who were anxious to witness
from afar the sea fight which was to take
j place under such novel conditions. Many
! Of these observers were reporters and
special correspondents for great neyTs-
papers. On sOEac Of the vessels which
came up from the French coast were
men with marine glasses Of eztraordi-
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 ship came in
sight. the four crabs cast OF from ReDel-
Ter No. II. Then with the Other two
they prepared for action, moving COZ
siaeT2biy 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
CT the crabs frequently disappearing
under the waves.
! The British feet came steadily on,
headed by the great LIangaron. This
vessel was very much in advance Of the
others, for knowing that when she was
really in action ana the great cylinder
which formed her stern guard was lower
ed into the water her speed w0uld be much
retarded, she had pat on all steam, and
being tho swiftest war ship Of her class,
she had distanced all her consorts. 1t
was highly important that she should
begin the fight and engage the attention
Of as many crabs as possible whilo GER
tain Of the other ships attacked the re-
pellcr with their rams. Although it was
now gtocT2Uy believed that meter
bombs from 4 ropeller might destroy a
nlaD-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 tie object
OF the aim was in rapid molten.
/ But whether or not one OF more motor
bombs did strike the mark. or whether
or not one or more vessels were blown
into fire particles, there were u dozen
ironcl&d5 in that feet, each of whose
commanders and officers were deter
mined to run into that repeller and crush
her, if so be they held together long
enough to reach hcr.
The commanders of the torpedo boats
had orders to direct their swift messen-
gersof destruction first against the crabs,
for these vessels were far in advance Of
the repc!ler, and coming on with a "a
pldity which showed that they were de-
termined upon mischief. If torpedo,
shot from 2 torpedo boat, and speeding
swiftly by lis own powers beneath the
waves, should strike the submerged hull
Of a crab, there would he one crab the
less in the English channel.
AS flas been said, the Llangaron came
rushing on, distancing everything, even
the torpedo boats. If, before she was
obliged to lower her cylinder, she could
/ get near enough to the almost stationary
repeller to take part III the attack on her,
she would then be content to slacken
speed and let the crabs nibble awhile at
her stern.
| Two of the latest constructed and
largest crabs, Q and T, headed at full
! speed to meet the Llangaron, who, SO she
came on, opened the ball by sending a
RATHER in the shape Of a500-pound shot
into the ribs of the repellor. then at least
four miles distant. and Immediately after
began firing her dynamite guns, which
were OF limited range, at the roofs of the
advancing crabs.
There were some on board the repeller
who at the moment the great shot struck
her, with ringing and clangor of steel
| springs, such as never was herd before.
wished that in her former state of ex-
istence she had been some other vessel
than the T2llapoosa.
But every Spring eprang back to its
place as the great mass of iron glanced OF
into the sea. The dynamite bombs flew