Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-11-25


Tiger" "The Late Mrs. Null" 1.-THE
! Hundrcdth Man." 1.-THE Casting Ava,
of Mrs. .LeclSs and Mrs. Aieshine," 18th,
Dusantes." etc.
copyrighted by p r Collier of Golfers Ono,
A Week, and published by special arrangement
with him through the American Press Associa
ton All rights reserved
CONTINUED.
! 1t was, of course, impossible to en-
deavor to grasp that great cylinder witt
its rounded ends; their forceps would
slip from any portion of its smooth sur
1 face on which they should endeavor t.
lay hold, and no such attempt was made
Keeping near the cylinder, one at eacl
end of it, the two moved slowly after thu
Llangaron, apparently discouraged.
In short time, however, it was per
eeived by those on board the ship. that 6
change had taken place in tho appear
ance of the crabs: the visible portion Of
their backs was growing larger and
larger; they were rising in the water
| Their mailed roofs became visible from
end to end, and the crowd of observers
looking down from the ship were amazed
to see what large vessels they were.
Higher and higher the crabs arose,
their powerful air pumps working al
their greatest capacity. until their pom
derous pincers became visible above the
water. Then into the minds of the off
GERS of the Llangaron flashed the true
object of this uprising, which to the
crew had seemed an intention ON the
part of the sea devils to chamber on
/ board.
If the cylinder were left in its present
position the crab might seize the chains
/ by which it was suspended, while if il
were raised it would cease to be a de-
Tense. Notwithstanding this latter con-
tingeney, the order was quickly given to
raise the cylinder, but before the hoist
ing engine had been set in motion Crab
Q thrust forward her forceps over the
top of the cylinder and held it down.
Another thrust, and the iron jaws had
grasped one Of the two ponderous chains
by which the cylinder was suspended.
The other end of the cylinder began to
rise, but at this moment Grab R, appar-
entity by a single effort, lifted herself q
+ foot higher ou- Of the sea; her pinccrs
flashed forward, and the other chain was
grasped.
The two crabs were now placed in the
most extraordinary position. The over
hang of their roofs prevented an attack
on their hulls by The Llangaron, but
their unmailed hulls were SO greatly ex-
I posed that few shot from another shin
could easily have destroyed them. But
as any ship firing at them would be very
likely to hit the Llangaron, their direc-
tors felt safe on this point.
Three of the foremost ironclads, less
than two miles away, were heading di-
rectly for them, and their rams might be
used with but little danger to the Liam
garon, but, on the other hand, three
swift crabs were heading directly for
these ironcla.ls.
1t was impossible fol Crabs @ and r
to operate in the usual way. Their mas
sive forceps, lying Fat against the top of
the cylinder, could not be twisted. The
enormous chains they held could not be
severed by the greatest pressure. and if
! both crabs backed ct once they would
| probably do no more than tow the Liam
garon Stern foremost. There was, more
over, no time to waste in experiments,
for other rams would be coming on, and
/ there were not crabs enough to attend to
! them all.
No time was wasted. @ siGraled TO r
and X back again, and instantly the two
crabs, each still grasping a chain Of thu
cylinder, began to sink. On board tho
/ Llangaron an order was shouted to let
out the cylinder chains, but as these
chains had only been made long enough
to allow the top of the cylinder to hang
at, or a little below, the surface of the
water, foot or two of length was all
that could be gained,
The davits from which the cylinder
hung were thick and strong, and the
iron windlasses 10 which the chains were
attached were large and ponderous, but
these were not strong enough to with
/ stand the weight of two crabs with stee
armored roofs, enormous engines anC
iron hull. In less than a minute one
davit snapped like pipe stem under the
| tremendous strain, and Immediately
afterward the windlass to which the
/ chain was attached was torn from its
! bolts and went crashing overheard, tear
| ing away portion Of the stern rail in
| its descent.
Crab Q instantly released the chain il
had held, and in a moment the great
cylinder hung almost perpendicularly
from one chain But only for n mo
ment. The nippers of Crab r still firmly
held the chain, and the tremendous lev
erage exerted by the falling of one end oi
the cylinder wrenched it from the rigidly
held end of its chain; and in flash, Tho
enormous stern guard of the Llangeror
sunk, end foremost, to the bottom of the
channel
In ten minutes afterward the Llanga
ron, rudderless, and with the blades OF
her propellers shivered and crushed, wa;
slowly turning her starboard to the vino
and the sea and beginning to roll like 6
| log of 5000 tons.
Besides the Llangaron three ironclad'
were now drifting hroadside to the sea
But there was no time to succor disabled
vessels, for the rest of the fleet was com
ing on and there was great work for the
crabs.
Against these enemies, swift of motion
and sudden in action, the torpedo boats
found it almost impossible to operate, fol
the British ships and the crabs were Sc
rapidly nearing each other that torpedo
sent out against an enemy was more thar
likely to run against the hull of friend
Each crab sped at the top of its speed fol-
a ship, not only to attack, but also to pro
tect itself.
Once only did the crabs give the tor
pedo boats a chance. \ mile or two
north of the scene of action large cruiser
was making her way rapidly toward tn,
repeller, which was still lying, almost
motionless, four miles to the westward
AS it was highly probable that this vesse
carried dynamite guns, Crab Q, which
was the fastest of her class. was signalet
to go after her. She had scarcely begun
her course across the open space of ses
before a torpedo boat was in pursuit
/ Fast as was the latter, the crab wa:
faster, and quite as easily managed. She
was in position of great danger, anC
her only safety lay in keeping herself OF
line between the torpedo boat and thu
gunboat, and to shorten as quickly a
possible the distance between herself ant
that vessel.
~ -
&ss4G. Is.s@5c n 5..5,.szS
- So, -.sN ~5A./