Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-14
BY M. P. SHIEL.
CHAPTER 1v-continued.
THE STORY OF THE WORLDS GREATEST WAR.
Copyright. 1899. by R. F. Fenno s. Co.,

CHAPTER IV-Continued.
The climax of the fight was near. It had
lasted but few minutes; it had seemed
like an eternity in hell.
At about three hundred yards from La
Gloire the little torpedo-boat launched a
Whitehead
AS the oiled and cleaning needle of steel
slid swiftly into the water II passed straight
through the body of great swell. and
came instantly out on the other side, max
ing directly for La Chores quarter: but
before 1t could reach her. the ship ma
neuvered slightly to starboard, and the pro-
jectile slipped hurriedly under her stern.
and exploded harmlessly some distance
away.
But even as 1t did 80, another torpedo
came shooting through the waves from the
little boat.
AT the same time the crew Of the torpedo
boat were seen to be wildly leaping at
random over her sides into the waves Seen
but dimly seen-for the whole craft from
stem to stern, as we'll as all that region of
the water into which she was now plunging
on her last voyage, was enveloped In one
kissing white cloud of singing vapor. Two
OF her men instantly sank Scalded to death
A twelve-pounder, shot upward. had burst
into her boiler.
1t had not come from La Gloire. 1t had
come from the unseen thing which was
cruising darkly beneath the sea in search
of the Majestic.
Immediately the submarine boat rose
again, and the man In her coming tower
looking a moment abroad, saw the Majestic
or rather he saw vast mass Of smoke
which utterly concealed the Majestic and
the direction of her bow All he could note
was that she was fearfully and wonderfully
near to La Gloire; that she was approach
ing "A Gloire--raD0ly. raniQly-with hOrr1U
impetuosity.
He did not hesitate a moment. but, putting
his fins into play instantly sank. and made
for point at which he believed he would
intercept the rushing ship.
The mass of smoke which he had seen
around the Majestic had been Intentionally
caused by her commander The yics !. ad d,
worked to be discharged, whether they bore
upon the French ship or not, and enveloped
in the mantle OF ascending reek which
poured from the hot weapons. he put his
helm hard down. suddenly left the evolu-
tionary curve of sixteen points through
which he had been circling, and drove
straight upon La Gloire. He was going
to ram.
At that great moment expectation stood In
horror Prepare to ram!" went forth the
command from the conning-tower, and
every man on the Majestic fell fiat to his
face as though at the sound of the trump
of DOOM And now, while the clock might
tick, and tick again, the men on La Glolre
became aware of what was coming. Up
out of her envelope of vapor suddenly
doomed the Majestic upon them, near and
huge like a monster rising from the deep.
Just then the remaining fore-barbette gun
of La Gloire was being discharged, and
the ships being nearly bow to bow, the sheii
went forth with disastrous havoc, SCATTERING
the thickly armored fore barbette of the
Majestic, battering the coming tower, de-
stroying the tunnels and shocking the vice
admiral into state of insensiblhty
DIT n or
The lam of the Majestic touched La Glore
on her starboard bow glanced q little. then
with horrid "Z-Z-zip-p, Z-z-zip-p, then
with bursting and rending uproar ike the
cracking asunder of an arsenal, went tear
ing and smashing a shapeless hole twenty
feet in length along her beam. The sea
poured into the doomed ship; and at once
she lurched downward to starboard.
But the ram of the Majestic was not yet
clear of La Gloire, when the most stupen-
dous hubbub Of the whole battle, drowning
every other sound, rent the heavens. 1t was
q double defamation, yet the two reports
they seemed almost like one.
They were the sounds of two torpedoes
The $4,000 tons of the two great ships
half-leapt from the water, and started
apart shivering to their keels: and two
immense pillars of white cloud, which soon
were one, rose high, shutting them from
each other.
One of these torpedoes had been affixed
by the crew of the submarine boat beneath
the bow of La Gloire, which they had mis-
taken for the Majestic; the other was the
second of the two which had been dis
patched from the MaieStics torpedo boat
before she had sunk. 1t had caught on to
the keel of La Gloire aft, and its explosion
had been delayed, perhaps half a minute,
till now.
When the smoke cleared little, the COM
mander of La Glore was seen, with blood
soaked clothes, and haggard face, and eyes
staring with horror. standing on the wreck
of his after-barbette, frantically hauling
down his colors He sent forth to the wreck
which he had made of the Majestic this
cry of terror:
"Au nom de Deu.-we are sinking, for
Gods sake -
The captain of the Majestic at once low
cred his only boat which was capable of
floating, though half of her port-side. too.
was smashed away. The whole crew of
the British vessel had hurried to deck,
ready, even they cheered in victory, to
aid in the work of rescue.
But as the boat pushed off, men were
seen leaping hurriedly from La Glore, in
vain attempt to escape her suction as she
went down. She gave them little time The
bursting of the two torpedoes fore and aft
had simply turned her into a skeleton of
disconnected ruin. She lurched little aft
up went her bows like two hands laid to-
gether in prayer-then her whole length set
tied evenly lower; she lurched aft again,
obliquely, clumsily; then, as if with sud-
den resolve, she skipped forward, dived
ueT IlOSe pilShly illto INC SSdy anu ulSSp-
peared.
Three of her crew of six hundred were
saved.
Meantime, the captain of the Majestic was
signaling to the Halcyon, waiting, eager for
fight, five miles away:
I'VE are sinking-make haste"
The great ship was settling slowly down
by the bows; for the torpedo which had
burst beneath the bows of La Glore had
wrought great havoc upon the others for
ward bottom also; nor could the pumps pro-
duce much impression upon the inrushing
waters.
The Halcyon succeeded in taking off the
hundred and fifty-two that were left of her
crew. taking also on board the crew of the
French submarine boat who had escaped
injury. They hardly stopped to watch the
Majestic settle slowly down. before the gun
boats bows were once more turned, to
bear her momentous message, toward the
straits
But If Dr. Yen How had been there to
see that battle of the giants, and its re-
suit, the corners of his eyes would have
wrinkled up into very web of tickled
merriment.
CHAPTER v.
How England Took the News