The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-08-27


the only unconcerned one in the
concourse. In fact he was calculat-
ing how much terrorite would be re-
quired to pulverize the whole of the
assembled fleets. He concluded that
about $40 worth would be all that
would be needed, and then he noted
that the Milpitas was about enter
ing on forbidden ground. He
glanced at the Minister, and then
touched the lever of the heliograph
slightly.
But few saw the monster torpedo
shaped mass glide quickly from the
vicinity Of Punchbowl, and hover
over the harbor. When the stately
cruiser drew abreast of Diamond
Head, the air car hung just over the
vessel, at an altitude of mile, and
then something flashed downward
like falling star. It struck about
200 feet ahead of the Milpitas and a
white column Of spray shot upward.
The commander of the cruiser saw
the column of water leap up ahead.
and, instinctively, he reversed the
motion of his vessel. There through
the openings in the coming tower
he saw, what thousands also saw;
the water seemed to rise up in front
of the Milpitas as though huge
sugar loaf mountain was being
quickly upheaved from the sea. In
an instant, the mountain of water
opened, and cloud of spray and
steam flew upward, accompanied by
a dull roar. The prov of the Mil
pitas rose high in the air and the
cruiser struggled on the slope of
an avalanche of water like fright
ened war steed. The massive wave
passed onward, and the other vessels
rocked till the boats on the davitts
dipped in the sea. The Milpitas
was almost lost to sight in a storm
of foam and spray; but the staunch
ship bore the terrible ordeal, and
foated unframed.
The Admiral at once ordered the
advance movement to stop. As he
was holding a hurried consultation
with his officers, launch bearing a
white flag was seen again steaming
toward the Sacramento.
Il think we had better lay off
eight Or ten miles and shell them
with our dynamite batteries" said
the captain of the flagship.
Eight or ten miles will be nothing
for those fellows" answered a lieut.
enant gloomily, as he pointed to two
Arrears about two miles above the
Milpitas.
The air ships had not been seen
before. The cruiser people had
been looking at the bottom of the
bay for torpedoes, but now they
began to use their field glasses. But
the launch now came alongside.
"Will you please take wire
aboard, so that the Cabinet can con-
verse with the Admiral moment?"
said an officer in the launch.
This was done.
"Flagship, ahoy," came call from
the other end of the wire, which was
OF TIE be. sstsStdifApq On ailvD iagana Head.
the captain, while the Admiral stood
near, and the officers stood in little
groups, and spoke in low tones.
"The Hawaiian Government is
anxious to settle this matter quietly,
and without the shedding Of blood,
if possible. With this end in view,
the Milpitas will be blown to atoms
in about twenty minutes. 1t is sug-
gested that her crew be ordered to
leave her at once; Of course the Ad-
miral can take any steps he may
think proper to prevent the destruc-
ton Of the cruiser"
This was repeated, SO that all
heard. For a moment there was
silence. The officers on the Sacra
mento were as brave as men dared
to be. But they were also men of
intelligence, and thought. They
realized that ordinary means would
not avail, but they did not shrink.
"Order the officers and crew to
leave the Milpitas, and report on the
San Diego; have all the sky-batteries
manned, and fire at anything in
range" said the Admiral.
Then the party went on deck and
saw the orders carried out. The
sky-batteries were improved Hotch-
kiss rifles, mounted so they would
command any portion of the heavens.
They were intended for use against
hostile air ships, and were supposed
to be effective three miles. But, on
this occasion, no air-ships could be
seen. The feet drew away from the
Milpitas.
When the twenty minutes had ex-
pired. vast quantity of white vapor
belched from the main-hatch of the
Milpitas, and with a fearful grinding
noise she parted amidships, and
quickly sank in eighty fathoms. The
forward smoke-stack was blown 100
feet into the air.
A 100lb. she'll had been dropped
into the fated vessel, and she was no
more. A 100000 cruiser was at
the bottom of the sea, sent there by
80 cents worth of terrorine. No one
saw the shell fall, and no one on the
feet knew where it came from. The
sky batteries were silent. The officers
of the visiting cruisers were struck
dumb with establishment, and not a
sound came from the concourse on
land. The waves caused by the sink
ing of the Milpitas gradually sub
sided, and the sea was again calm as
before.