The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-04-17
The Great Armada Of '98
Continued from page TEMP

one of the dynamite cruisers, WHICH was
lying insIore across the bay, close to
the huge black oil tanks on Constable
hook. From out this white cloud sped
black projectile, rising swiftly, but not
too swiftly for the eye to follow, i'll II
graceful curve high above the waters Of
tie bay. From an almost perpendicu-
lar hight it fell upon the forefront Of
that line of advancing calm, midway
between the two grim forts which stand
the silent guardians of the harbor, anu
in the very face of the advancing squad
ron As it touched the CLASSY surface
of the water there came a binding
flash, and a column of dashing spray
arose hundred feet into the air.
And here the last and greatest won
der of this efventful day was unfolded
to the onlookers. As the column OF
foam hesitated for a moment, poised III
mid air. it turned suddenly to gigantic
pillar of fame An instant it trembied
there and then descended i'll myriad JETS
of fire which were caught up on every
side and rose as though famed from
some inferno. wall of flame 90 feet
high. extending from shore to shore ana
sweeping down like an avenglng demon
on the hostile fleet which but moment
before had been secure in its expected
triumph. At the same instant. when the
terrified SPECTATORS were drawing back
from the awful heat which pressed upon
them from the waters edge, the opera
tor stationed at the instrument in the
room at Washington in which the cab
met had assembled. checked off tho
message which flashed from the little
office hidden among the oil tanks at
tidewater 'Harbor aflame: success as
sured."
In an instant it was clear alike to
friend and foe. The trap had been
sprung, and the god of fire had become
the arbiter of the unequal contest. Then
men understood what meant the ST.
lence of the guns ut Sandy Hook. the
holding back of the alien fleet until the
outgoing tide should aid in hurrying
down upon the invading force the see,h-
ing mass of burning OIL carried from the
wells of Pennsylvania through the great
pipes of the company which controlled
the supply of the world to point under
the waters of the harbor. AT the touch
of the engineer who controlled this
mighty flood of petroleum, the danger
Gus liquid had asserted its ascendancy
over water. and poured in torrent to
the surface, to be ignited by the shell
fired from the gun of the little cruiser
that lay in readiness for the signal
flashed from the Jersey shore. Then
men knew of the meaning of the visit
to Washington of the capitalist and the
engineer, and of the strange unconccrn
that marked the demeanor of the Off
Gals of the government.
In an instant the triumpha advance
of the alien feet had been turned 10
CONSERVATION. Swept onward by the
swiftly outgoing tide. the mighty sheet
of flame. hotter and more fierce than Il
thousand gigantic furnaces. bore down
upon the irOnclad vessels of France and
Spain. To press onward in the face of
such a demon meant death: no ships or
men of courage could withstand the
god of fire. In another 10 minutes the
heat of the burning oil would reach the
magazines and the ships would be
blown TO atoms by their own ammuni-
ton. Not sullenly now, but as one who
ftecs panic-stricken before a supernat-
ufal power. the great cruisers turned to
ny, but the very nafr0wnesS of the
course brought destruction Huddled
together, each striving to gain the shell
ter OF the open sea beyond the mighty
heet, the pride of two nations, became
spectacle of demoralization n harvest
ripe for the sickle. And now from the
guns OF forts Wadsworth and Hamilton.
and from the low embellishments at Sandy
Hook, there flashed the avenging fire of
the hitherto apparently subdued defend
erS. No answering shots came from the
fleet; it required every energy to escape
the fiery demon that Ike a racehorse
gallopd madly in their rear. Torpedoes
hitherto avoided lent their aid to the
work of destruction. Here noble shin
arose in the air. pierced by the steel
that had lain so TRANQUILITY beneath the
surface of the deep; here again the god
OF lire seized upon its victim, turning
the grim iron to ruddy glow. until in
majestic burst of brilliancy ship, guns
and men sank beneath the surface of
the harbor, or We're scattered like chaff
to the four winds of heaven in which
still waved the crimson barred banner.
the emblem of the greatest republic Oh
earth.
Two hours later there crept from the
shores of America what remained of
the proud fleet that had come to deal
blow to the pride of the United
States, and throughout the land there
arose psalm of thanksgiving that
echoed from the rocky walls of the
Sierra Nevada mountains to the green
clad hills of Vermont And in his cham
her at Washington, surrounded by his
cabinet, the President of the United
States of America turned to a gentle
man in clerical attire who, bowling his
head over the table whereon lay the
message announcing the nations fri
umph, said in the solemn voice Of his
order, LET us pray"
RHEUMATISM CURED.
My wife has used Chamberlain's Pain