Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-10-28


( time that the war contract had been made,
and this feeling increased daily That
the officers and men of the United States
navy should be penncd up in harbors,
ports and sounds, while British ships and
the hulking mine springers and rudder
| pinchers Of the syndicate were allowed
to roam the ocean at will, was very
hard thing for brave sailors to bear
Sometimes the resentments against this
state of affairs rose almost to a revolt.
The great naval preparations Of Eng
land were not yet complete, but single
/ British men-of-war were now frequently
seen off the Atlantic coast of the United
States No American vessels had been
captured by these since the message of
the syndicate to the Dominion of Canada
and the British government. But one
| good reason for this was the fact that it
was very difficult now to find upon the
Atlantic ocean a vessel sailing under the
American flag. AS far as possible these
had taken refuge in their own ports or in
those of neutral countries.
At the mouth Of Delaware bay, behind
the great Breakwater, was now collected
Z number Of coaStwise sailing vessels and
steamers Of various classes and sizes; and
for the protection Of these maritime
refugees two vessels of the United States
navy were stationed at this point. These
We're the Lenox and Stockbridge, two of
the finest cruisers in the service, and
commanded by two of the most restless
and bravest officers Of the American
navy.
The appearance early on a summer
morning of u large British cruiser off
the mouth Of the harbor llled those two
commanders with uncomfortable belig-
erency. That in time of war a vessel IF
the enemy should be allowed, undis-
turbed, to sail up and down before an
American harbor, while an American
vessel filed with brave American sailors
lag inside Ike cowcd deg, was a
thought which goaded the soul Of each
of these commanders. There was d GER
tain rivalry between the two ships, and
considering the insult offered by the
Haunting red cross in the ofIing. and the
/ humiiiating restrictions imposed by the
naval department, each commander
thought only Of lis own ship, and not
1T all Of the other.
/ Il was almost at the same time that
! the commanders of the two ships sepa-
rately came 70 the conclusion that the
proper way TO protect the feet behind
! the brcakwater WIS for his vessel to
l boldly steam out to sea and attack the
/ British cruiser. If this vessel carried {
long range gun, what was 20 hinder her
from suddenly running in closer and
sending few shells into the midst Of
the defenseless merchantmen? In fact,
/ to 60 out and fight her was the only way
to protect the lives and property in the
liarbor.
1t was true that one Of those beastly
repeIlers was sacaki1g about Off the
cape, accompanied, probably. by an
under water tongs boat. But as neither
If these had demo anything or seemed
likely TO do anything. the British cruiser
should be attacked without loss of time.
Wien the commander Of the Lenox
came to this decision. his ship was well
/ abreast Of Cape Ilenlopen, and he there
/ fore proceeded directly out 20 sea. There
was 4 little fear in his mind that the
I English cruiser, which was now bearing
10 the southeast. might sail of and get
away from him. The Stockbridge was
detained BY the arrival of dispatch
llaai frota the shore with message from
The naval department But as this mes
rage related only to the measurements of