Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-27

Wv 'e'IA' VI WV VI these We're
perceived glistening in the sunlight the
speed of the great ship was slackened.
The ability of the syndicate's submerged
vessels to move suddenly and quickly in
any direction had been clearly delnoa-
strated, and although great ironclad
with ram could run down and sink a
crab without feeling the conclusion. it
was known that it would be perfectly
easy for the smaller craft to keep out of
the way of its bulky antagonist, There
tore the Adamant did try to ram the
crabs, nor to get away from them. Her
commander intended, if possible, to run
down one or both of them, but he did
not propose to do this in the usual way.
AS the crabs approached, the stern
jacket OF the Adamant was let down and
the engines were slowed. This stern
jacket, when protecting the rudder and
propellers, looked very much like the
COW catcher of q locomotive, and was ca
paole OF being put to a somewhat similar
use. 1t was the intention of the captain
OF The Adamant, should the crabs at
tempt to attach themselves to his stern,
to suddenly put on all steam, reverse his
engines and back upon them, the stern
Jacket answering as a ram.
The commander of the Adamant had
no doubt that in this way he could run
INTO a crab, roll it over in the water and
when it was lying bottom upward. like
1ioatlng cask, he could move his shin
TO distance and make a target of it. So
uesrols was this brave and somewhat
1acetious captain TO Try his new plan
upon crab that he forebore to fire upon
the two vessels of that class which were
approaching him. Some Of his guns were
SO mounted that their muzzles could be
greatly depressed and aimed at an object
IN the water not far from the ship. But
these were not discharged, and, indeed,
the crabs, which were new ones of I'M
usual swittness, were alongside the Ada
mant in an incredibly short time and out
OF the range of these guns.
Crab was on the starboard side of the
Adamant, Crab X was on the port side.
and, simultaneously, the two laid hold of
her. But they were not directly astern
OF the great vessel. Each had its nippers
fastened to one side of the stern Jacket,
near the hinge like bolts which held it to
the vessel, and on which it was raised
and lowered.
In a moment the Adamant began to
steam backward, but the only effect of
this motion, which soon became rapid,
was to swing the crabs around against
her sides and carry them with her. As
the vessels were thus moving the great
plncers of the crabs were twisted with
tremendous force, the stern Jacket on
one side was broken from its bolt, and
on the other the bolt itself was drawn
out of the side of the vessel. The nippers
then opened, and the stern jacket fell
from their grasp into the sea, swapping
in its fail the chain by which it had been
raised and lowered
This disaster occurred so quickly that
few persons on board the Adamant knew
what had happened. But the captain,
who had seen everything. gave instant
orders to go ahead at full speed The
first thing to be done was to get at dis
lance from those crabs, keep we'll away
from them, and pound them to pieces
with his heavy guns.
But the iron screw propellers had
scarcely begun to move in the opposite
direction before the two crabs, each now
lying at right angles with the length Of
the slip, but neither of them directly
astern of her, made dash with open
nippers, and Crab j fastened upon one
propeller, while Crab X laid hold of the
other. There was a din and crash Of
breaking metal, two shocks which were
felt throughout the vessel, and the shat
tered and crushed blades of the propel-
lers Of the great battle ship were power
less to move her
The captain of the Adamant, pallid
with fury, stood upon the poop. In
moment the crabs would be at his rud-
der! The great gun, double shotted and
ready to fire, was hanging from its boom
over the stern. Grab X, whose roof had
the additional protection of spring
armor, now moved round SO as to be
directly astern of the Adamant. Before
she could reach the rudder her forward
part came under the suspended cannon,
and two massive steel shot were driven
down upon her with a force sufficient to
send them through masses of solid rock,
but from the surface of elastic steel
springs and air buffers they bounced up
ward, one of them almost falling on the
deck of the Adamant.
The gunners of this piece had been
well trained. In a moment the boom
was swung around, the cannon reloaded,
and when Grab K fixed her nippcrs on
the rudder of the Adamant two more
shot came down upon her. As in the
first instance she dipped and rolled, but
the ribs Of her uninjured armor had
scarcely sprung back into their places
before her nippcrs turned and the
rudder of the Adamant was broken in
two and the upper portion dragged from
its fastenings; then quick backward
jerk snapped its chains and it was
dropped into the sea.
A signal was now sent from Grab j to
Repeler No. T, to the effect that the Ada
mant had been rendered incapable of
steaming or sailing, and that she lay sub
,iect to order.