Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-03-14

l;epellcr No. Z, to the effect that the Ada
mant had been rendered incapable of
s;eaming or sailing, ard that she lay sub
jet to order.
Subject to order or not, the Adamant
did not remain passive. Every gun on
board which could be sufficiently de-
pressed was made ready to fire upon the
crabs should they attempt to get away.
Four large boats, furnished with machine
guns, grapnels, and with various appli-
ances which might be brought into use
on a steel plated roof were lowered from
their davits, and Immediately began fir
ing upon the exposed portions Of the
crabs. Their machine guns were loaded
with small shells, and if these penetrated
under the horizontal plates Of crab,
and through the heavy glass which was
supposed to be in these interstices, the
crew of the submerged craft would be
soon destroyed.
The quick eye Of the captain of the
Adamant had observed through his glass,
while the crabs were still at a consider
able distance, their protruding air pipes,
and he had instructed the officers in
charge of the boats to make an especial
attack upon these. If the air pipes of
crab could be rendered useless the crew
must inevitably be smothered.
But the brave captain did not know
that tho condensed air chambers of the
crabs would supply their inmates for an
hour or more without recourse to the
outer air, and that the air pipes, fur
nished with valves at the top, were
always withdrawn under water during
action with an enemy. Nor did he know
that tho glass blocks under the armor
plates of the crabs, which were placed
in rubber frames to protect them from
conclusion above, were also guarded by
steel netting from injury by small balls.
Va!iantly the boats beset the crabs,
keeping up constant fusillade and en-
deavoring to throw grapnels over them.
If ono of these should catch under an
overlapping arror plate it could be con-
nected with the steam windlass Of tho
Adamant and a plate might be ripped of
or a crab overturned.
But the crabs proved to be much more
lively fish than their enemies had sup
posed. Turning, as if on o pivot, and
darling from side to side, they seemed
to be playing with tho boats, and not
trying to get away from them. The
spring armor of Crab K interfered some
what with its movements and also put it
in danger from attacks by grapnels, and
it therefore left most Of the work to its
consort.
Crab J, after darting swiftly in and
out among her antagonists for some time,
suddenly made a turn, and dashing at
one Of tho boats, ran under it, and rails
ing it on its glistening back, rolled it,
bottom upward, into the sea. In mo-
ment tho crew Of the boat were SWIM
ming for their lives. They were quickly
picked up by two Of the other boats,
which then deemed it prudent to return
to the ship.
But tho second officer of the Adamant,
who commanded tho fourth boat, did
not give up tho fight. Having noted the
spring crmor Of Crab K. he believed that
il ho could get a grapnel between its
steel ribs he yet might capture the sea
monster. For some minutes Crab K con-
tented itself with eluding him; but, tired
Of this, 1t turned. and raising its huge
nippers almost out Of the water, it seized
tho bow Of the boat and gave it gentle
crunch, after which it released its hold
and retired The boat, leaking rapidly
through two ragged holes, was rowed
back to tho ship. which It reached half
full Of water.
Tho greet battle ship, totally bereft ct
shc power Of moving herself, was now
rolling in tho trough Of the cca, and o
signal came from the repellcr for Crab
& to mako fast to her and put her head
to the wind. This was quickly Gone, tho
crab attaching itself to the stern post Of
tho Adamant BY pair Of towing nip
pcrs. These wcro projected from tho
stern OF tho crab. and were 90 constructed
that the larger vessel did not communi-
cato ali itB motion to the smaller one,
cnd could not run down upoa It.
Is soon cs tho Adamant was brought
Up with her head to the wind she opened
Gre upon the rcpeller. Tho latter vessel
could easily Lavc sailed out Of tho range
Of q rotionlcss enemy. but her orders
forbade G.is. Ter director had beea In
ctrucscd by tho syndicate t. expose his
vessel to tho Gro Of tho Adamant's heavy
guns. Accordingly tho repcller steamed
nearer, and turned her broadside toward
the British chip.
Scarcely had this been dono when tho
suo Great bow guns Of the Adamant
shook tho cir with tremendous roars,
c:cs huring over tho eca nearly q ton Of
etcc;. Cns Of these great shot passed
ovc- t:1o repcllor. but tho other struck
be- crmo-od eiac fairly crnidship. There
~, c crash End ccrc2r, Ct creaking
steel. and Repeller No. 2 rolled over 10
windward as If she had been struck by o
heavy sea In a moment she righted,
and shot ahead, and. turning, presented
her port side to the enemy. Instant ex-
animation of tho armor on her other
side showed that the two banks Of springs
were uninjured, and that not an dir
buffer had exploded or failed to spring
back to it's normal length.
Firing from the Adamant now came
thick and fast. the crab in obedience to
signals turning her about SO as to admit
the firing Of some heavy guns mounted
amidships- Three enormous solid shot
struck the repeller at different points on
her starboard armor without inflicting
damage, while the explosion Of several
shells which hit her had no moro effect
upon her elastic armor than the impact
Of the solid shot.
It was the desire of the syndicate not
only to demonstrate to its own satisfac-
ton tho efficiency Of its spring armor,
but to convince Great Britain that her
heaviest guns on her mighticst battle
ships could have no effect upon its ar
mored vessels To prove the absolute
superiority Of their means Of offense and
defense was the supreme object of the
syndicate. For this its members studied
and worked by day and by night; for
this they poured out their millions; for
this they waged war. To prove what
they claimed would be victory.
When Repeller No. had sustained
the heavy fire Of the Adamant for about
half an hour. it was considered that the
strength Of her armor had been suffi-
GENTLY demonstrated; and. with o much
lighter heart than when lie had turned
her broadside to the Adamant, her direc-
tor gave orders that she should steam out
Of the range Of the guns Of the British
ship. During the cannonade Crab J had