Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-11-08
WATER LING

SfCllON OF CRAB A, SHOWING NIPPERS.
a, bomb proof roof; s. water line, c, interior
of crab; D, joint OF nipQers: Z, arms OF rip?afs;
IF, rods OF ni9pers connecting with electric en-
CINE; G. teak lining to crab.
This proceeding astonished the com
mandcr and officers Of the Scarabaaus
almost as much as the extraordinary at
tack which had been made upon their
ship. They had expected demand to
surrender and haul down their flag. but
the director in-chief on board RepeIler
No, was OF the opinion that with her
propeller extracted it mattered little
what flag she few His work with the
Scar"b;eus was over: for it had been or
dered by the syndicate that its vessels
should not cucumber themselves with
prizes.
lowed by the powerful crab, which
apparently had no fear that it's disabled
adversary might Gre upon 1t. the Scara-
baeus moved towagd thoharbor, and when
1t had come within Il quarter Of mile Of
the foremost British vessel. Grab A cast
OF and steamed beck to Rcpcller No. |.
The other English vessels soon came
up, and each lay to and sent a boat to
the Scarabaus. After half an hours
consultation. in which the amazcment Ct
those on board the damaged vessel vas
communicated to The officers and crews
OF her two cOaaCrts, it was determined
that the smaller Of these should tow the
disabled ship into port, while the other
one. in company with q ruan-of-var int
coming out Of the harbor, should mae
attack upon PePclier No l.
1t had been plainly proved that Ordin-
airy shot and shell had no effect upon
this craft, but it had not been proved
that she could Withstand the rams Of
powerful ironclads. If this vessel, that
apparently carried no guns. or at least,
had used none, could bo crushed, cap
sized, sunk, or IN any way put out of the
fight, 1t was probable that the DANGEROUS
submerged nautical machine would Eot
care to remain in these waters. If it re-
manned it must be destroyed by torpe-
does.
Signals were exchanged be.ween the
two English vessels, and in a very short
time they were steaminG toward the re-
peller. 1t was a dangerous thing for two
vessels OF their size to come close enough
together for both to ram an enemy at the
same time; but it was determined to
take the risks and do this, if possible;
for the destruction of the repeller was
obviously the first duty in hand.
AS the two men-ofwar rapidly ap-
preached Repelier No. l, they kept I'D a
steady fire upon her, for if in this way
they could damage her, the easier would
be their task. With firm reliance uDon
the efficacy OF the steel spring armor, the
dlrector-ln-chief felt no fear of the
enemy shot and shell, but he was not at
all willing that his vessel should be
rammed, for the Consequences would
prooabiy be disastrous. Accordingly h.
did not wait for the approach Ct the two
vessels, but steering seward, he signaled
for the other crab
When Crab B made its appearance,
pulling its little black Jets Of smoke as
1t answered the signals of the director-in-
chief, the commanders of the two Brit
lsh vessels were surprised. They had
imagined that there was only one of
these strange and terrible enemies, and
had supposed that she would be afraid to
make her peculiar attack upon one of
them, because while dois,g SO she would
expose herself to the danger OF being run
down By the ether. But the presence Of
two of these almost submerged engines of
destruction entirely changed the sltua-
ton.
But the commanders OF the British
ships we're brave men. They had started
torun down the strangely armored Amer
lean craft, and run her down they would,
if they could. They put Oh. more steam
and went ahead at greater speed. In
such furious onslaught the crabs might
not dare to attack them.
But they did not understand the IA.
ture nor the powers of these enemies.
LIN less than twenty minutes Crab A had
laid hold Of one of the men-of war, and
Crab b of the other. The rudders Of
both were shattered and torn ava, and
while the blades of one propeller were
crushed to pieces, the other with re,r,,
nan Its shaft, was drawn out and dron mn =
4'0 'ne ocean. Helplessly the two men.