The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-07-24
THE BATTLE OFF THE CAPES
Continued from Page 81

4 a c
/ huge towering mass Of steel flying two
rows of signals. Every knew her-the
/ flagship Polyphemus-the greatest bat
| tie craft afoat! The vessels We're head
ed straight on. Their bows aimed at one
| another. 1t would not be long before
the cruel tusks would be tearing each
others sides. Prepare to RAM" rang
through the flagship. Down in the tor
pedo-room the whiteheads were in the
! tubes. Men threw themselves prone on
the decks-some groaned, some prayed
Which would get the blow full and
fair2 Could either dodge the impact
and escape without, a leadIy wound?
The fag-lieutenant saw ;he red flame
leap from the Britisher's huge bow
guns, and not two feet above the Arr
zona's conning-towel. both great pro-
jectiles sped, crashing through the
wreck of the pilot house, tearing out on
their journey with the miles and miles
before them. He turned to look at the
Admiral. The latter had recovered, but,
still with his aand upon Captain Ho-
warth's shoulder. was standing near
the speaking-tube to the engine-room.
At the same instant torpedoes preached
harnlessly like PROPOSES to port and
went wide.
Give her every turn she's got" the
Captain cried hoarsely to the engineer,
and lurched over to one of the peep
holes. "Tell them to be ready to re-
sharp, Mr.. Emery Stand by there,
quarterma ster-be quick with the helm
when I give the word
The ri fa1JoIu
under thirty with high cheek-bones, the
stern-jawed. gaunt-feartured type of
the coast fisherman, gave a quick grunt
followed by an awful oath, that sound
ed as sudden and horrid as the breaking
of a bone.
There had come puIsating, booming
crash, like the bursting of a dam.
Full speed astern! Both enginesH'
Tt was Captain Howarth's voice fol-
lowing the quartermaster's involuntary
oath with this sudden shouted order
Emery jumped to the telegraph The
ensign caught one and he the other;
they damned the handles over and pull
ed them back together.
Full speed astern, sirt"
Emery pressed the button that clang-
ed the bell in the engine room. For all
she's got now!-for every pound of
steam and every inch of straining steel!
He had seen, only a second later, the
same sight that had caught the quar-
termaster's eye; so had the ensign seen
it, so had they all of them.
1.-The Adder!" the ensign fairly
1.-THE Adder struck her!"
The ship was throbbing and trembling
but still forging on. Ad-
miral Benton turned to the Captain.
Wen be on top of herr he cried.
I'VE cannot help it, She swinging into
u.s."
mo, MOI" exclaimed Captain How
arth; she's sinking fast. Starboard,
hard astarboard!"
The quartermaster whirled the
spokes; the helm indicator swung the
full quadrant.
The first thing Emery knew he was
standing outside the tower, where he
had stood before; how he got there he
could not have told; the others followed
him. Directly ahead, less than five
hundred yards away, like a wha1e in its
last furry, lay the pride of the British
navy. Her great screws We're whirl-
ing almost clear of the water, thunder
ing their mighty f1ukes, beating and
tearing the waters into a foaming,
spreading lather, tossing up clouds of
white leaping spume and spray. For
ward she was down to the top of her
turret, her bridge on the port side dip
ped in the water. Men We're jumping
put of her like hornets out of a ruined
nest; a rush of steam roared from her
after ports.
Despite her quickly reduced speed,
the Arizona was gliding toward the
shattered, massive wreck. Even with
her helm over, it looked as if collision
could not be averted, when suddenly,
ike a sinking bottle, filing to the last
gurgle, the Polyphemus settled swift
Y, her decks burst with a mighty roar |
he tapping waters closing above them !
with an ingulfng crash, clopping to-
sether, hurting and Ieaping in a
tossing smother! She had
hree fighting tops on every mast-one
after another they disappeared. 1t was
horrid, and unreal-that swift
md steady submergence.
The fore truck, with the flags still
lying, faded out of sight when so near
hat it could almost have been reached
With the toss of hand-Iine. The Ari-
.ona came to rest in the midst of the
-heaving waters. on the spot
Vnere the great DaIllSSIllp naQ SUNK
God, that was awful, Howarthi'' ex-
laimed the Admiral, in an awesome
whisper. No one else said a word.
Firing had ceased throughout the
hip. Emery looked back into the
uperstructure. 1t was filled with men.
;ome had clanbered to the top of the
uined bridge. But there was no cheer
ng. With white faces and lowered
avs, they had watched the-spectacle.
The ensign in the connfng-tower stop
ed the engines. He reported. touching
lis cap with trembling fingers.
electrician just called up coming
over. sir, to inform you locator's in
peration again, Says there's, a sub
marine or something very close to US,
ant find which way she's heading"
Just then the eIf-Tang in the con-