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

AA' A0tNAbC A4A 0C-
sire this vessel. but there was no other
that could readily be made available for
its purposes. and accordingly the ITALIA
poosa was purchased from the govern
ment and work Immediately begun upon
her Her engines and hull were put
into good condition. and outside of her
was built another hull. composed of
heavy steel armor plates and strongly
braced by great transverse beams run
ming through the ship
Still outside of this was placed an inn
proved system of spring armor. much
stronger and more effective than any
which had yet been constructed. This,
with the armor plate, added nearly fif-
teen feet to the width of the vessel above
water All her superstructures were re-
moved froEl her deck, which was COW
cred by curved steel roof. and under a
bomb proof canopy at the bow were
placed two guns capable of carrying the
largest sized motor bombs. The ITALIA
poosa, thus transformed, was called Re-
peller No. II.
The immense addition to her weight
would of course interfere very much
with the speed of the new repcller, but
this was considered of little importance.
as she would depend ON her own engines
only in time of action. She was now
believed to possess more perfect defenses
than any battle ship in the world
Early on misty morning Repeller No.
II, towed by four of the swiftest and
most powerful crabs. and followed by
two others, left northern port of the
United States, bound for the coast of
Great Britain. Her course was very
northerly one, for the reason that the
syndicate had planned work for her to
do while on her way across the Atlantic
The syndicate had now determined,
without unnecessarily losing an hour. to
plainly demonstrate the power of the in
Simultaneous motor bomb. 1t had been
intended to do this upon the Adamant,
but as it had been found impossible to
induce the captain of that vessel to evac-
uate his ship, the syndicate had declined
to exhibit the efficiency of their new
agent of destruction upon disabled
craft crowded with human beings.
This course had been highly preiu-
dicial to the claims of the syndicate, for
as Repeller No. had made no use in the
contest with the Adamant of the motor
bombs with which she was said to be
supplied, it was generally believed en-
both sides of the Atlantic that she car
ried no such bombs, and the conviction
that the destruction at the Canadian port
had been effected by means of mines con-
tinued as strong as it had ever been. To
correct these false ideas was now the
duty Of Repeller No. IL.
For some time Great Britain had been
steadily forwarding troops and NUM-
tons Of war to Canada, without Interrupt
ton from her enemy. Only once had
the syndicate's vessels appeared above
the banks of Newfoundland. and as the
number of these peculiar craft must nee
essarily be small, it was not supposed
that their line of operations would be ex-
tended very far north, and no danger
from them was apprehended, provided
the English vessels laid their courses well
to the north.
Shortly before the sailing of Repeller
No. II, the syndicate had received news
that one of the largest transatlantic mail
steamers, loaded with troops, and with
heavy cannon for Canadian Notifications
and accompanied by the Craglevin, one
Of the largest ironclads in the Royal
navy, had started across the Atlantic.
The first business of the repeller and her
attendant crabs concerned these two YES
sells.
Owing to the power and speed of the
crabs which towed her, Repeller No. ii
made excellent time; and on the morn
ing Of the third day out the two British
vessels were sighted. Somewhat alter
ing their course, the syndicate's vessels
were soon within few miles of the
enemy.
The Craglevin was a magnificent war
ship. She was not quite SO large as the
Adamant, and she was unprovided with
q stern jacket or other defense of the
kind. In sending her out the admiralty
had designed her to defend the transport
against the regular vessels of the United
States navy; for although the nature of
the contract with the syndicate was well
understood in England. it was not sup
posed that the American government
would long consent to allow their war
vessels to remain entirely idle.
When the captain of the Craglovin
perceived the approach of the repelIer,
he was much surprised, but he did not
hesitate for moment as to his course.
He Gignaled to the transport, then about
mile to the north, to keep on the way
while he steered to meet the enemy. 1t
had been decided in British naval circles
that the proper thing to do in regard to
a repeller was to ram her as quickly as
possible. These vessels were necessarily
slow and unwieldy, and if heavy iron
clad could keep clear of crabs long
enough to rush down upon one, there was
every reason to believe that the "ball
bouncer," as the repellers were called by
British sailors, could be crushed in be-
low the water line and sunk. So, full Of
courage and determination, the captain
of the Craglevin bore down upon the re-
peller.
1t is not necessary to enter into details
Of the ensuing action. Before the Crag-
levin was within half q mile of her enc
my she was seized by two crabs, all of
which had cast loose from the repeller,
and in less than twenty minutes both Of
her screws were extracted and her rud-
der shattered. In the meantime two Of
the swiftest crabs had pursued the trans
port; and coming up with her. one Of
them had fastened to her rudder, with
out, however, making any attempt to in
jure il. When the captain of the steam MGR
saw that one Of the sea devils had him
by the stern, while another was near by
ready to attack him, he prudently
stopped his engines and lay to, the crab
keeping his ships bead to the sea-
The captain of the Cragleyin was q
very different man from the captain of
the Adamant. lie was quite Us brave,
but he was wiser ard more prudent. lie
sew that the transport had been cap
tured and forced to lay to; he saw that
the rcpeiler mounted two heavy guns at
her low. and whatever might be tho
character Of those guns. there could be
no reasonable doubt that they were suf
ficient TO sink an ordinary mail steamer.
His own vessel was entirely out Of his
control. and even II he chose to try his
guns on the spring armor of the repeler.
it would probably result in the repelier
turning her fire upon the transport.
fro BE CONTINUED.
A Family Treasure.
IIt EsI +.