The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-07-02


advisable to expose their frail structures
to the enemy's fire.
81 confess, as I stood beside my brave
leader and felt our ship mounting higher
and higher and shooting on toward the
enemy at speed Of 80 miles an hour
watched the crew of ten men coolly
placing dynamite bombs in the most
convenient places; saw the three great
steel balloons of our enemy's squadron
glistening in the sunlight as they shot
toward us. felt that strange inward
sensation that heretofore / believed
could only be caused by Welsh rabbit
at 2 a. m"
"You must drink a good deal of ale
with your Welsh rabbits, lieutenant" +"
I ventured mildly.
"I'm q total abstainer, sir, )" he re-
piled quietly. "And l neYr did have
more cause to be thankful for it than on
that day. was in full possession of my
mental faculties. Otherwise I would
never have been able to have lived
through those awful two hours. And
the crew, tool never saw braver set
of fellows in my life. Not a moist eye
or trembling lip among them.
'The enemy had two first class bat
tleships and two second class. They adj
vanced in line parallel to ours. Ad
miral Wad signaled Commodore Blower
to engage the two second class ships on
the left, the Wind to take the right,
leaving us the flagship in the center.
This vessel, saw through my glasses,
was a little larger than, but of almost
the same construction as, the Swallow.
There was a great cylindrical balloon
of steel, fully 800 feet in length, with
the car swung beneath it; an armored
turret, fore and aft, protecting her
guns, at her stern great propeller fan
and two huge rudders for steering
saw her crew running to and fro get
ting in readiness for the conflict; her
commander, with little knot of Off
GERS about him, standing forward, ca
gerly scanning our fleet. Higher and
higher we arose, the ali rapidly getting
more and more rare and our breathing
becoming more and more rapid. l looked
down at the sea, which was glimmer-
ing 15, 900 feet below us in the sun
light. I turned my eyes at the great
cylinder overhead, shot holes in two of
it's alright compartments-and what a
fall! But there were other things to
think Of
Admiral, I gasped, If we 60 much
higher, we shall die for want Of air.
Mr.. Swash, replied the grand old
salt, duty before breath always-re-
member that, sir. I'm afraid the ship
will not carry much higher. Well get
over them, don't you think, Captain
Howitzer?'
''Howitzer gazed anxiously at the
enemy, who were now within Is miles,
and replied:
"'Close call, sir.
''Then to the men:
Stand ready to drop ton Of dyna
mite on them if we get over them!'
GAS he spoke there was puff on the
enemy's flagship, and solid shot came
singing half a mile below us. Old Wac
laughed and ordered the bow gun to re
turn the fire when we were within five
miles. Our shells passed over them. We
had then reached as high an altitude al
it was possible for the ships to float, ant
then we reduced speed. They approached
to within two miles and stopped and be
gan to circle about us, evidently intend
ing to subject our balloons to eros.
fire. Higher than we they could not 60
and the discovery Of this fact brough
jeers and cheers from our crew.
''For some Is minutes there was ter
rible suspense. Each vessel circled wa
rily around its chosen opponent, banging
away with its machine guns in vain en-
deavor to puncture the enemy's balloon
But the distance was too great and thu
movements Of the vessels too quick fol
any successful gun work. Suddenly
Howitzer seized my arm and pointed
toward the Lightning. Her crew hat
just thrown overheard her whole cabin
her two guns and great quantity o.
dynamite bombs.
"For o moment we were speeches
with astonishment. We're they going II
take to fight? Admiral Wad seized {
flag to signal Commander Blower, but h,
| Just got as far as -, when he stopped
| Slowly the great vessel was mounting
in the air. A cry of dismay was hear(
from the hostile ship with which sh'
was engaged. In five minutes she wa
400 feet above them. The British crew
madly threw overheard all the weigh
they carried-guns, bombs and every
thing-but they were too late-th'
Lightning was above them; then |
black object shot down ON them; ,
deafening roar followed, with rush o
wind that hurled the Swallow mil,
out of her course. And when we looked
toward the Lightning she was alone
but slowly sinking toward the sea, TO-
the conclusion had torn off the end O
her balloon cylinder. We could see he
crew at the rail cheering wildly.
admiral Wad at once ordered tina
we pursue the same tactics Everything
went by the board-guns and all ammu
milton but five bombs. We loosenet
some rivets in the floor and let the cabil
all; then we, too, began to rise. Blu
the British admiral was not to be out
| e.. L. L 4