The morning call., 1892-06-26

nothing to improve his charts by fresh
soandings or accommodating, and Cochrane
found it a most difficult thing TO persuade
him that the undertaking was compare
lively easy II carried out with dash and de-
elsiOn. On the very day 10 EreshipS arrived
Cochrane urged the attack should be made
that night, the wind beingfaYOra bic Fire
ships were not unknown rs a means Of getting
at an enemy, but one feature OF the project
was quite original, namely, the use Of an
explosion vessel In advance, by which the
boom would be shiYuTsd into splinters, gee
Ing which, The French would lnfalibly con-
ciude that every hTeshiD was also eXplO-
sive-8 hich was not the fact-aud being
thrown into panic would seuttle ashore.
Lord Gambler was too much OF the old
school to see he force of this advice. The
attack was postponed, and the French
rightly devised what was coming and made
preparations accordingly. The British
fCrce biockadng and attacking consisted Of
II ships Of the line, frigRtes, gunslOOps,
6 gunbrigs, 3 other vessels and % freships
and explosion vessels.
On Sic night OF April II, 1909, it blew hard
with q heavy sea, and Lord COchrane deter
mined TO 90 ahead The volunteer officers
who had command of the freships received
thelT final instructions on board the flag
snip. There were two explosion vessels.
Oae was made fast 10 COchTane's fTigate,
the Imperieuse which was anchored close
Intention to return TO this explosion ship
and use il as circumstances warranted after
leading the way with the other exp oding
craft and forcing the boom. Three other
frigates, the Aikle Unicorn and Pallas,
we're to follow IN aud pick I'D the crews Of
the fTeships Oh their return. They were
also O. assist the boats Of the feet, but those
boats were somehow never used at all. The
plan looked well for success. and Lord
CochraDe had an Intimate knowledge OF
the channels aud the whole situation, but
NOT half as much was done as should have
been accomplished, and the blame stains
Lord Gambler with indelihle infamv, and
casts discredit upon many other officers,
who were sctuaJed by petty motives Of
Jealousy.
The gale Of wind and high sea assisted
the fIreships and their boats IN, but to save
pulling back most of the crews ignited tile
6Teships too soon. Lord CochTane led with
the first explosion vessel, with four men
and a lieutenant. judging the distance
from the boom as well as possible on very
dark night, the four men and the lieutenant
we're ordered into the gig alongside, ana
COchrane lighted the fuses and then Jumped
into the boat and told the men to pull for
their lives. This they did with a Will, but
unfortunately the fuses. which had been
constructed 10 burn 10 minutes, only burned
bali that time. aud up went the vessel in a
grand VOiley OF flame, and the air was
FLIED with shells, grenades and rockets.
The gig was almost swamped with water,
but The rockets passed harmlessly overhead.
Lord COchrane remarks: THE explosion
vessel did her work well, the effect consti-
tuting one Of the gTandest artificial speeta-
cies Imaginable. For a moment the sky
was red with tie lnrid glare arising from
the simultaneous ignition OF 1900 barrels OF
powder. On this gigantic fash subsiding,
the air seemed alive with shells, grenades,
rockets and masses of timber, tie wreck of
ID sal. nh " ~
shewn with spars shaken out Of the enor-
maus boom, on which, according to the sub
sequeDt testimony OF Captain Proteau,
whose frigate lay Just within the boom, the
vessel had brought up just before she ex-
ploded."
miles distant, Lord Cochrane had the salts
faction o. seeing two freships pass the line
where the boom had been. Meanwhile the
French frst-raters had opened fire on the
spot where the explosion occurred and their
FIRE was thus directed upon their own frg-
Rtes, four in number, which cut cables and
ran. The second explosion vessel, by
clumsy mismansgement of sub0rdinates,
was cut sdritt from the stern OF the Impe-
Tieuse, owing to apprehension OF danger
from a freship lighted too soon. In tact
the officers in charge Of the ireshiDs bun
gled their work sadly. They lighted up too
Sooh and steered BADLY, and the result was
that only four reached the enemy's position
end not one did any damage. This
was yexatlous, but much more had been
done by fright than by actual danger. The
French eonJectuTed every hreship TO be
explosive. and so did nothing to divert them
from their course. The whole feet was
thrown into confusion. Some Of the ships
cot their cables and were seen drifting
broadside on TO wind and tide. Others
made sail. "At daylight on the morning OF
the 18th not a spar Of the boom was any
where visible, and with the exception Of
the FOudrOyant and Cassard, the whole Of
The enemy's vessels were hopelessiy
aground"
Lord COchrane signaled Lord Gambler in
the morning that all the enemy were ashore
except two, bat the only reply was by the
answering pennant and 10 movement was
made to GET under weigh. Lord Gambler
was u or 4miles of, and OF course could
see nothing CochTane signaled him again.
1.-The eHemV's ships can be destroyed. ="
No notice was taken. Again the admiral
was signaled, Half the feet can destroy
the enemy" No notice was taken. Again
the signal few, THE frigstes alone can de-
stroy tie enemy" And still the answering
pennant was the only answer The tide
began to rise, aud the French. finding that
no attack was made. began to heave
of. and CochTans so signaled. Five
hours we're thus allowed TO slip by IN
utilized, and then Lord Gambler weighed,
hut only to come again to anchor seven or
eight miles from the stranded ships, ana
ont of range Of tie land batteries.
Seeing that LORI Gambler deliberately
Intended 10 do nothing. Lord CoehraRe de-
liberateIy hove his anchor a'riD aud drlited
toward the E'rsnchmen aground. not ven
tgrlng to make sail, le,t tue lmDeIieuse
5egld be recalled. On lie went and pres
tt.as a,,ranad "a fhfee slIDS of the