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

Islands far up the shores of the bay. and
in every street and building of the city,
there was felt sharp shock as if the
underlying rocks had been struck by
gigantic trip hammer
At the same instant the sky ADORE the
SPOT where the motor had descended was
darkened by wide spreading cloud
This was formed of that portion of the
water of the bay which had been in
Simultaneous raised to the height of about
a thousand feet The sudden appear
ance of this cloud was even more terri
bic than the yawning chasm in the
waters of the bay, or the startling shock,
bat it did not remain long in view 1t
had no sooner reached its highest eleva-
ton than it began to descend. There
was a strong sea breeze blowing, and in
its descent this vast mass Of water was
impelled toward the land.
1t came down not as rain, but as the
waters of a vast cataract, as though
mountain lake, by an earthquake shock,
had been precipitated in body upon
valley Only one edge of it reached the
land. and here the seething food tore
away earth, trees and rocks, leaving be-
hind it great chasns and gullies as it
descended to the sea.
The bay itself, into which this vast
body of the water fell, became q scene
of surging madnessN The towering walls
Of water which bad food up ell around
the suddenly crGl;ted aperture hurled
themselves I,Nk into the abyss. and down
into the great chasm at the bottom of
the bay which had been made when the
motor sent its shock along the great rock
beds. Down upon, and into, this roar
ing, boiling tumUlt fell the tremendous
cataract from above, and the harbor be-
came ofe wild eXpanse of leaping, mad
dened Gxaves, kissing their whirling
spray high into the air.
During these few terrific moments
other things happened which passed I'M
noticed in the general CONSERVATION.
All along the shores of the bay and in
front of the city the waters seemed to
be sucked away, slowly returning as the
sea forced them to their level, and at
many points up and down the harbor
there were submarine detonations and
upheavals of the water.
These were caused by the explosion, by
conclusion of every torpedo and subma-
rine battery in the harbor; and it was
with this object in view that the instan-
taneOus motor bomb had been shot into
the mouth Of the bay.
The effects Of the discharge of the mo-
tor bomb Gstonished and even startled
those on board the repellers and the
the crabs. At the instant of touching
the button hydraulic shock was felt ON
Repellcr No. /. This was supposed to be
occasioned by the discharge of the mo-
tor, but it was also felt on the other YES
sells. 1t WIS the same shock that had
been felt on shore, but less III degree.
a few moments after there was a great
heaving swell of the sea, which tossed
and rolled the four vessels and lifted
the steel protecting net SO high that for
On instant parts of it showed themselves
above the surface Like gistening sea
ghosts,
Experiments with motor bombs had
been made in unsettled mountainous dis
tricts, but this was the first one which
had ever eXerted its power under water.
On shore, in the forts, and in the city,
no one sr an instant supposed that the
terrific 7eheIomenon which had just oc-
cure a any way due to the YES
se- ~. }yndicase. The repellers
{ ETef-. -s-~se5 view, and ii was evident
that neither of them had fred a gun.
Besides, the firing OF cannon did not pro-
duce such effects. 1t was the general
opinion that there had been an earth
quake shock accompanied by a cloud
burst, and extraordinary commissions of
the sea. Such a combination Of elemen-
tary disturbances had ne or been known
In these parts. and great many persons
were much more frightened than If they
bad understood what had really hap
pened.
In about half an hour after the dis
charge of the motor bomb, when the sea
had resumed its usual quiet, boat car
rying a white lag left Repeller No. /,
rowed directly over the submerged net
and made for the harbor. When the ap-
proach of this flag of truce was perceived
from the fort nearest the mouth of the
harbor, it occasioned much surnise.
Had the earthquake brought these syn
dictate knaves to their senses? Or were
they about to make further absurd and
outrageous demands? Some irate officers
were of the opinion that enemies like
these should be considered no better than
pirates, and that their flag of truce
should be fired upon. But the COM
mandant of the fort paid no attention to
such counsels, and sent detachment
with white flag down to the beach to
meet the approaching boat and learn its
errand.
The men in the boat had nothing to DO
but to deliver letter from the director
in-chief to the commandant of the fort
and then row back again. No answer
was required.
When the commandment read the brief
note he made no remark. In fact, he
could think of no appropriate remark to
make. The missive simply informed
him that at ten o'clock and eighteen
minutes a. M, of that day, the first
boom from the marine forces of the syn
dictate had been discharged into the
waters of the harbor. AT. or about two
o'clock D. M, the second bomb would be
discharged at Fort Pitcher That was all.
What this extraordinary message
meant could not be imagined by any
officer of the garrison. If the people on
board the ships were taking advantage
of the earthquake, and supposed that
they co;ld induce British soldiers to be-
Geve that it had been Caused by one Of
their hnn,hs thnln unrn thnu idinta in