The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-03-23

Because Finnegan had disturbed
church on that stormy Sabbath morn
ing, he. was consigned to the brig
where he went to sleep. But his sleep
was short, for soon after there sound
ed through the. ship the bugle call to
quarters.
Going to the bridge, DR.. Bryce found
those of his brother officers not at
stations inspecting through the ran.
squalls line of long, low, four-fun-
neled craft about mile ahead, the
most sinister and evil-appearing of all
seagoing war craft, torpedo boat de-
stroyers.
"Great guns!" exclaimed Mr.. Clark
son, as the surgeon reached his side.
us it possible that Finnegan had clair.
voyant knowledge that they 'were
there and tried to hit them? He said
that the big guns would shoot a long
way"
But he also said,' answered the
doctor, with doubt and speculation in
his face, that torpedo boats couldn' t
be hit. One thought, as a subliminal
inspiration, would annul the other
Yet everything he's said or done
has relevancy except one: Why did
he fire that big gun?''
Because he was drunk" growled
the listening engineer.
The sea was heavy, running in two
directions; and not only the big bat.
tleship, but the smaller, lighter and
faster craft ahead were, tossed and
tumbled about in manner to make
accurate gun fire impossible. But
herein lay the difference and the prob.
lem in hand. While the Argyll had
nothing but gun fire with which to
Withstand those swift and elusive enc
mics, and was left helpless by it's
elimination, they, on the contrary
weakly endowed in this form of ag
gressiveness, dominated the situation
by possession of a weapon of war I'm.
affected by the non-sta ability of gun.
platforms.
There We're four destroyers in sight
through the smother, each a magni
fled torpedo boat, able to take to the
sea, but carrying the usual pair OF
tubes and store of torpedoes.
The Argyll barked and spat with
her small and secondary guns, but not
an enemy was hit. Not a gun could
be aimed in that furious turmoil OF
tossing water, which hove the .shir
down broadside to As degrees and
pitched her fore and aft to 20. And
soon firing was stopped because it. was
a sheer waste of ammunition The
officers uneasi!y paced the bridge.
"Battleships are bad gun-plat
FORMS" said Mr.. Clarkson, significant
ly to the surgeon, as for a moment
their eyes met in passing.
And big guns can't hit torpedo
boats" answered the surgeon when
they passed again.
But big guns shoot a long way
returned the executive, next time they
passed. What the devil did he
mean?">
Don't know. Wait-it'll work out
He meant something"
''Here they come!'' called the can
tain suddenly. Resume firing-every
gun that will bear"
But the storm of shot aid shell flew
wild; and the rushing destroyers came
on, to half the distance, to third; in
a moment they would be within easy
torpedo range.
But before that moment arrived q
shout went up from a casemate. One
boat had been hit; for a cloud Of
steam arose, and she swung out of he1
course. Then more shouts were heard
two others stopped, one the center OF
radiating effulgence of red, which
changed to thick, yellow smoke, and
MD her fragments from view; the 9th
er emitting steam like the first. The
fourth wheeled about and fed, fol
lowed by shot and shell which went
remarkably true compared with thu
inaccuracy of the preceding fire.
The dazed and astonished officers on
the bridge, and the exulting crews al
the gs.n positions, dih not, until tho
last of the quartet had settled beneath
the surface from the deadly accuracy
of the fire which ensued, realize that
the sea had calmed-that, though the
big ship still lifted and fell from the
action of the ground-swell, there were
no disturbing waves, no cross seas
no aim-destroying heave. The troubled
ocean had become like plastic glass
though the wind still held it's hurri
cane force and the air was filled with
horizontal rain and spindrift.
There was no time for speculation
they had sunk but four destroyers
With guns silent and crews at sta
tons, they steamed on through the
storm looking for that, fifth long, low
craft and soon, through a break in the
gray receding wall of spume into
which they seemed to be rushing, they
sighted her. quiet and inert but for hel
sluggish rolling-a two-masted craft
with gaffs aloft and the red ensign o1
England flying union down from bel
mainmast heaG-a merchant steamer
IN, Il iotr