The Mena weekly star., 1896-10-07

that she would accomplish great things. the only real test had come sooner than anyone would have prophesied. WoEk- men were swarming over her in such numbers that she resembled a human beehive. Her length was probably in the neighborhood Of 150 feet, but her narrow beam and sharply sloping sides made her appear like a needle floating on the water. She was painted an olive green, to secure invisibility at night. The most prominent objects in sight on her deck were low conning-tower and two elongated hatches, one forward and one aft. These were for the disappear ing magnetic torpedo guns, and were arranged to protect the torpedoes until they were needed, at which time the guns were elevated by electricity, trained on the enemy and fired, the whole operation requiring but a few seconds. The motive power of the craft was also electricity, obtained from Tesla storage batteries of the latest type. giving the boat speed of 40 knots an hour.
 Within two days Lieut.. Delafield had completed the outfit of the Bainbridge, and had stored on board four of those terrible engines of destruction, the magnetic torpedoes, which were of the ordinary cigar shape, having the en- ergy for propulsion stored in heavy fiy-wheel revolving in longitudinai, vertical plane at q rate of 10000 revolu- tions minute. This application of the principle of the gyroscope gave them an almost unerring directness of path under water, but, besides this, within the secret chamber were concealed mag nets of great strength, which drew the torpedoes straight onward toward their prey. No maneuvering, however skill ful, on the part of the commander of a ship attacked could avail against the relentless power of these magnets, and once torpedo was launched fairly in the direction of an enemy's vessel, her doom was only matter of seconds. When the intended target was struck, the explosion of l50 pounds of gun-cot- ton would fulfill the mission of the tor pedo, and cause the proud battle ship, stricken in some vital part, to reel back under the shock, then perhaps make a feeble effort to escape, but in vain. In moment only a seething, bubbling spot covered with wreckage in the midst of the ocean would mark the grave of a Goliath of the deep, done to death by this marine David.
 Little wonder then that Delafield had every confidence in the Bainbridge. But his spirits fell when he read in the newspapers, few mornings after. tbat a large fleet of the enemy had left its rendezvous and was proceeding in the directicn of San Francisco. This fleet consisted of eight frst-class battle ships, ten armored cruisers, together with twenty protected cruisers and smaller vessels. Against this array the United States could only bring the bat tie ships Oregon (flag), Iowa, Massachu- setts, Indiana and Texas; the armored cruisers Idaho, Maine and Brooklyn; the protected cruisers Olympia, Charleston, Columbia, Newark, Minne- apolis. Philadelphia and San Francisco, as well as several gunboats. This fleet was anchored in the bay, cleared for action and ready to proceed 10 sea as soon as carrier pigeons from the scouts should bring the news of the approach of the hostile vessels. Near by were the coast defense monitors Monterey, Puri- tan, Terror, Amphitrite and Miantono- nah, and also Delafield's torpedo boat. the Bainbridge. Jack had gone on board the flagship Oregon as soon as he