Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-04-23
LOOKING FoRWARp.
A Satire Upon tho Lack of a Navy and
Cost Defenees--A Lesson from Italy's
Attitude,

Arctic Circle: | am glad 10 hear tina
your company has struck natural gas il
regions Arctic, for now you will be abb
to make yourselves comfortable whit
enjoying your splendid sporting facili
ties. BY digging cellars and rootine
them with glass, you might raise saladi
and other vegetables within the shadow
of the North Pole.
But | want to tell you of some events
which have occurred since your depar
ture. There was lynching recently in
New Orleans in which several Italians
were killed. Now you know that gen
orally we take no account of those kind
of things, it not being necessary tc
prove man guilty of anything in par
ticular, if he only has a bad name. But
the Italian government took il up and
demanded satisfaction Our govern
ment answered that it was a purely
local affair and that it could DO nothing
in the case. The Italian government
replied that it did not make any differ
ence TO them about that but it was going
TO have satisfaction out of somebody.
The matter was supposed to have
blown over, but Italy was quietly pre-
pairing her fleet Ali being ready she
embarked an army and Immediately set
sail for the Hesperides, 1t was not long,
| however, before rumor got out and
then there was commotlon as if You
had struck q hive of bees. One sug-
| gested this thing, and another that, but
there was nobody to do anything. Com
manders were ordered to put their har-
bors in state of defence. A committee
of safety was appointed in New York,
and it held meeting and it was resolved
to have great dinner. This was duly
| consumed, but nothing was done.
The Yorktown had been sent to Chilli,
the Baltimore was iii Central America
to preserve order, the Squadron of Evo-
lutien was in Brazilian waters and the
| Philadelphia had been sent to Cuba, to
| let the Cubans know that we have a
war ship. In due time the Italians ar
rived off Sandy Hook. They entered
the lower bay and disembarked the
! troops at Gravesend. These at once
4 proceeded to plumber Long Island.
This they accomplished successfully.
Two ironclads sailed up to New York
The forts opened fire on them, but they
did not reply, and they arrived before
the city with but slight damage.
An immediate surrender was de-
|
There were plenty of miiitiamen, but
they were helpless to afford relief. The
Italians Immediately transferred the
money in the sub-treasury aboard their
vessels, and levied a fine of $20,000,000
on the city, Then, after destroying the
| ship-yards, they embarked their army
and sailed for Norfolk. This place they
took and destroyed the nayy-yard.
They then sailed up the Chesapeake to
the mouth of the Patuxent. Then,
under cover of their guns, their troops
then landed. BY recent order some
earthworks had been thrown up east
ward of Washington, and they were
occupied by several thousand troops.
But they were not of sufficient extent,
and the Italians, by flank movement,
evaded them, and after sharp fight
entered the city. They at once secured
possession Of the treasury building, and,
Selling a vessel in the harbor, they
placed on board all the gold and silver
in the treasury vaults and dispatched
her down the Potomac. The forts there
deferred from firing on her. under
threats Of destroying the city. The
Italians behaved very gentlemanly, not
insulting anybody, but lunched heavily,
Washington being famous for lis
lunches. Some few fires occurred, how
ever, one of them a house belonging to a
MIR. Blame, and the patent office with all
its models.
The Italians now retraced their steps,
embarked their troops and sailors for
the Delaware capes. Here they arrived
and anchored in the Breakwater. An
ironclad was dispatched up the river to
Wilmington. A requisition was levied
upon the city, and the shipyard re-
ceived some damage, but they did not
proceed up the river to Philadelphia
owing to the shallowness and tortuosity
Of the channel. But they landed at
Bayside, tore up the railroad to Bridge
ton and sent five thousand men up to
Camden. They set fire to Cramps
shipyard and tried to damage the navy
yard. But the militia of New Jersey
became so threatening that they retired.
On their return they found the railroad
torn up in several places, and a num-
Der of round shot were fired at them;
but they managed to embark without
loss. In the meantime force had been
landed at Lewes, and it proceeded to
overrun lower Delaware. Some of
them camped on DIR. Richardson's farm
and ate up all his peaches and his GU
cumbers. The Italians behaved very
WE'LL they did not destroy, but plumb
cred indefinitely. Others camped on
Governor Eisenhrey's farm and ate up
all his chickens and his watermelons.
But by this time the militia from the
neighboring states were pressing down
so heavily delaware had none, it hay
ing been disbanded on grounds of eco
nomy), that the enemy embarked again
and sailed out for New Orleans.
But the westerners were on the alert.
They had had five weeks notice, and
that was as good as five years to Wash
lngton. They had no iron clad, nor
heavy ordinance; but they improvised
rams, One was constructed at New
Orleans and one at Memphis, and the
people of st Louis made fire RATS and
these fire RATS were made of logs
chained together. There boards were
piled on these in such manner as to
leave great many interstices In these
| barrels of petroleum were inserted and
as soon as craft was completed it was
towed down to New Orleans. To make
the ram at New Orleans, they took a
stout iron vessel and shingled her on
the outside with inch and half iron
| plates, thus making the thickness three
inches. Inside they placed cotton
saturated with sand and haled for the
purpose. Inside Of this was railroad
iron set on end neatly fitted together
and ten inches in thickness. The iron
rails projected four feet above the deck
and formed hreastwork It was held
in position by beams extending across
the vessel and by the iron deck. The
deck was covered with several layers Of
railroad iron and by sand bags over