The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-13
TWO SURPRISES ON THE DEEP.
Thrilling Incidents of the Nightly
Cruises in Cuban Waters.
Non RI


New York Herald.
Surprise is the watchword of torpedo-boat
men. Darkness is the cover they like best
Fog will answer if it be thick. Painted
visible by night, even at short range, anu.
when seen, are but ill-defined shapes, BAT
fling to gunners and terrifying TO the men
VINO man the big steel ships of the navies
of the world. The landsman cannot i'm
agine the sort of prankS a lively torpedo
BOAT under daring commander may play
at Mght. Here Is an incident which will
assist the landsman in trying TO under
stand it.
r British steamer, cotton laden, moved
slowly up the gulf one dark night in the
early days of the war, when the scouts of
the fleet were on the lookout for Cervera' s
snlps ana Tor any merchantmen flying Span
lsh colorS which would be rich prizes or
which. flying any flag, were attempting to
run the Havana blockade.
Merchant ships always have lookout for
ward, torpedo-Doat men say, but don't care
what goes on astern. So the Porter. Lieut..
John e. Fremont. making about twenty
knots an hour and showing no CLEAN of
light, making out the Britisher's running
lights. swerved from her course to examine
Unseen, the black torpedo boat rushed
down upon the merchant vessel from aStern,
and Lieutenant Fremont, when close aboard
made out the nationality of the stranger
without trouble. He might have gone away
without allowing the Englishman to know
that he had been inspected as he steamed
along all unsuspecting. But Fremont de-
cided ito turn the searchlight or him and
nave better view.
Now the Porter'S searchlight Short cir
cuited"-that is, instead of throwing
steady, dazzling, blending flood Of light over
the steamer, there was simply one momen-
tary, terrific flash, and then darkness, the
more intense by contrast. The steamers
crew, blinded. terrified and generally rat
tied, gaZed astern. They black shape
there on the waters, but for an instant only.
While they gaped at it it faded, and they
stood mystifed and scared. with the ely
ing DUtchman" and other wild seamenS
bogieS left in the phantom's place.
Chuckling as their boat leaped through
the dark waters with the speed of a railroad
train, the torpedo men heard the engine
room bells of the steamer changing out all
sorts Of orders. as the man in the pilot
house recovered consciousness.
'Clang! Stop her! Back her! Full speed
ahead! Full speed asterni Go ahead and
back her at the same time: These and
other orders were given by that British
captain in the early moments of his aston
ishment After while the steamer went
on up the gulf with her cotton. and also,
doubtless, with deckload of yarns treat
ing of supernatural manifestations at sea.
So much for one surprise. Now for the
other. We knew this story of the fright
ened Englishman in the dispatch boat fleet.
and one night were retelling it and
laughing a0out it on board the Herald tug
Dewey. as we ran for Key West. The night
was hacker than Spain's record in Cuba
when that British captain gets to port
said a correspondent, he'll tell more
He got no further. We were seated on
deck aft. He arose and pointed into the
darkness aStern. There, close aboard 1t
seemed. two pillars of fire burned fiercely in
the night. They sprang from nowhere but
seemed to float in mdair We had an idea
they were coming aboard, too. If the truth
must be known, and | hope now that the
captain of the English steamer at whom we
laughed will read and laugh in turn.
The columns of fire seemed famed by
fierce draught from below. There was con-
siderable sea running, and the wind was
strong, but above the sound of the waves
rose the noise of those columns of flame The
darkness was intense. We saw the pillars
of fire. nothing else. And THEY'VE had been
straining our eyes but a second, though it
somewhere beneath the flame spouts
What steamer is that?"
Tt sounded like the voice of a man with his
finger on a trigger. There was a scramble
for the Dewey's megaphone, and some one
reared in reply:
THE Herald steamer Dewey-with dis
patches from the feet-bound for Key
Westv
The wind tossed this explanation back to
us and again came that hail from the spouts
beneath it we made out the low hull of
torpedo boat We shouted another eXplana-
ton with the earneStneSs Of men making
terms with midnight murderer. and with
reassuring "All right, Herald the phantom
ship and its flaming smoke pipes-for the
darkness. Forced draught had driven fire
from her pipes and during the first seconds
of the meeting only the fire was visible.
Lieutenant GleaVeS, of the CUshing-for it
was he who hailed-laughed at us heartily
next day. Some men, you know, have
strange sense of hCmOr. If you don't believe
it ask that British captain what he thinks
of John G.. Fremont, of the Porter, or ask
anyone on the Dewey for his views on
cheerful Gleaves, of the Gushing.