Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-11-18

course of these vessels greatly surprised
the English government and naval au
thorities. 1t was expected that an at
tack would probably be made upon some
comparatively unprotected spot on the
British seaboard, and therefore on. the
west coast of Ireland and in St. Georges
channel preparations of the most for
midable character had been made to de
fend British ports against Repeller No
IL and her attendant crabs. Particularly
was this the case in Bristol channel
where a large number of ironclads were
stationed. and which was to have been
the destination of the Llangaron if the
syndicate's vessels had delayed their
coming long enough to allow her to get
around there. That this little fleet should
have sailed straight for England's great
naval stronghold was something that the
/ British admiralty could not understand.
The fact was not appreciated that it was
4 the object of the syndicate to measure
its strength with the greatest strength
Of the enemy. Anything less than this
would not avail its purpose
Notwithstanding that so many vessels
had been sent to different parts of tho
coast, there was still in Portsmouth har-
! Dor large number Of war vessels Of va
rious classes, all il commission and
ready for action. The greater part of
| these had received orders to cruise that
day in the channel. Consequently it
was still early in the morning when
around the eastern end of the Isle of
Wight there appeared British fleet COM
posed of fifteen of the finest ironclads,
with several gunboats and cruisers, and
number of torpedo boats.
1t was noble sight, for Decides the
war ships there was another fleet hang
/ ing upon the outskirts of the first, and
composed of craft, large and small, and
from both sides of the channel, filed
with those who were anxious to witness
from afar the sea fight which was to take
| place under such novel conditions. Many
| of these observers were reporters and
special correspondents for great news
papers. On some of the vessels which
came up from the French coast were
men with marine glasses of extraordi-
| nary power, whose business it was to
send an early and accurate report of the
affair to the Office of the war syndicate
in New York
As soon as the British ships came in
sight, the four crabs cast off from Repel-
Ter No. II. Then with the other two
they prepared for action, moving con-
siderably in advance of tho repcller,
which now steamed forward very slowly.
The wind WAS strong from tho north
west, and the sea high, the shining tops
of the crabs frequently disappearing
under the waves.
The British fleet came steadily on,
headed by the great Llangaron. This
vessel was very much in advance of the
others, for knowing that when she was
really in action and the great cylinder
which formed her stern guard was lower
ed into the water her speed would be much
retarded, she had put on all steam, and
being the swiftest war ship of her class,
she had distanced all her consorts. 1t
was highly important that she should
begin the fight and engage the attention
Of as many ,rabs rs possible while GER
tain Of the other ships attacked the re-
peller with their rams. Although it was
now generally believed that motor
bombs from n repeller might destroy a
map-of-war, i. was also considered prob
able that the accurate calculations which
appeared to be necessary to precision of
aim could not be made when the object
of the aim was in rapid motion.
But whether or not one or more motor
bombs did strike the mark, or whether
or not one or more vessels were blown
into fine particles. there were a dozen
ironclads in that feet, each of whose
commanders and officers were deter
mined to run into that repeller and crush
her, if so be they held together long
enough to reach her.
The commanders of the torpedo boats
had orders to direct their swift messen-
gersof destruction first against the crabs,
for these vessels were far in advance of
the repeller, and coming on with n ra-
pidity which showed that they were de-
termined upon mischief. If torpedo,
shot from a torpedo boat, and speeding
swiftly by its own powers beneath the
waves, should strike the submerged hull
of a crab, there would be one crab the
less in the English channel.
As has been said, the Llangaron came
rushing on. distancing everything, even
the torpedo boats. If, before she was
obliged to lower her cylinder, she could
get near enough to the almost stationary
repeller to take part in the attack on her,
she would then be content to slacken
speed and let the crabs nibble awhile at
her stern.
Two of the latest constructed and
largest crabs, Q and r. headed at full
speed to meet the Llangaron, who, as she
came on, opened the ball by sending
''rattler" in the shape of 500-pound shot
into the ribs of the repeller, then at least
four miles distant, and Immediately after
began firing her dynamite guns, which
were of limited range, at the roofs of the
advancing crabs.
There were some on board the repeller
who, at the moment the great shot struck
her, with ringing and clangor of steel
springs, such as never was heard before,
wished that in her former state of ex-
istence she had been some other vessel
than the Tallapoosa.
But every spring sprang back to its
place as the great mass of iron glanced off
into the sea. The dynamite bombs flew
over the tops of the crabs, whose rapid
motions and slightly exposed surfaces
gave little chance for accurate aim, and
in short time they were too close to the
LlanGaron for this class of gun to be used
upon them.
As the crabs came nearer, the Liam
garon lowered the great steel cylinder
which hung across her stern, until it lay
almost entirely under water, and abaft
Of her rudder and propeller blades.
She now moved slowly through the
water. and her men greeted the advanc-
ing crabs with yells of defiance, and a
shower Of shot from machine guns.
The character of the new defense
which had been fitted to the LIangaron
was known to the syndicate, and the
directors Of the two new crabs under
stood the heavy piece Of work which
lay before them. But their plans Of &c
ton had been well considered. and they
made straight for the stern of the British
ship.
Iro BIZ CONTINUED
& Gentle Reminder.
s.s,a
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