Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-06-17
AN ENEMY SEEN At SEA.
PICTURES OF a GREAT BATTLE
SHIP IN ACTION.
How the Monsters of the Sen VIII
Rush mt One Another in the En-
gasements of the Future.

The Farragut was steaming sixteen
knots, fires under every boiler, and
each one Of her thirty-two furnaces
burning freely with the natural
draught Of her 100-foot tunnels, the
forced draught which would give her
the final maximum battle speed Of II
knots still kept in reserve. The vessel
whose smoke had been sighted half an
hour earlier was only six miles distant,
and was clearly seen 10 be an enemys
battleship practically equal In strength
to the Farragut, and indeed. the one
which the coast signal service had re-
ported from Cape Cod the day before.
and in search OF which the Farragut
was cruising. says u writer in Harpers
Magazine.
The signal officer had gone into the
military top, eighty feet above the
water line. when the first report Of the
lookout was heard, and with a power
glass had made out and passed to the
captain in the pilot house below all
those distinctive features OF shape of
hull. number of smoke-stacks and mill
tary masts and installation OF heavy
guns. which marked her individuality.
Although her hull had been painted a
muddy gray upon the outbreak OF the
war. not vestige remaining of the
beautiful white and gold which is
first lieutenant's pride In time Of peace
and she showed as yet no national
corors, not an officer upon the Farra-
CUTS bridge had the least doubt Of her
Identity.
The Farragut was steamlng due east
when the enemy's smoke was sighted.
and continued that course. The latter
bore Il. N. 70. when first seen, and as
she drew slightly ahead, 1t was evil
dent that she was standing well to the
southwark, and would cross the Farra-
CUTS bows. She was in fact making
full speed on s. s. W. course. to ef-
feet rendezvous with her flag officer
south OF Hatteras.
The crew had been called to quarters
when the enemy's hui began to lift
above the horizon. and the Farragut
was cleared for action. Every stan
chon, hatch-c,,nopy and railing that
interfered with the fire of the guns, or
that II struck by shot, might become
missile OF destruction and death was
removed. The compnsses were carried
below TO place OF safety. Around
the bridges and rails We're placed ham
mocks as protection against the fire
Of small arms and machine guns. The
turrots had been revolved back and
forth through their extreme acres Of
and 10 ascertain that no obstacles to
rapid and efficient work existed. All
guns were charged, and torpedoes were
placed in the tubes. Reports had been
received from all divisions. The means
OF communication with different por-
lions of the huge and complicated
tructure--electrioal. mechanical and
voice tubos-were tested,
The enemy were now six miles dis
taut and bearing nearly ahead. The
captain OF the Farragut lifted the
speaking tube to his lips and ordered
the forced draught put on. at the same
time repeating the signal Fun speed"
III TWO minutes tle lcNoluloHS inul-
Gator showed an Increase of three turns
per minute and continued slowly to
mount. Again low sharp order, and
the Stars and Stripes iloated from the
musthend and the flagstnff, The en-
envy hesitated not nm instant to ac-
cept the challenge. with his helm
aport he swung steadily around TO
meet the Fnrragut. and displayed his
national coiors. Now only i've miles
distant and at. speed OF seventeen
knots, the two levlathaus rushed upon
each other. In nine minutes they
would cover the distance which sepa-
rated them. The scenery OF an ocean
drama was set, and the curtain had
been rung up for the first act.