Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-09-08

cord -entangled Jap. Expecting every
instant to be blown out Of water, the
crew yanked the steward back on
board, and concluding that the Erics-
son had advertised her presence too
we'll to serve any further use in that
locality, Usher signaled to the engine
room full speed ahead and as the
vessel leaped forward to her brace of
whirling screws, two tongues of flame
shot from her twin smokestacks, her
engineer having started the blowers,
with the result that bright flame came
licking out of each funnel. A yell
through the speaking tube and the
blowers were shut off, and the rushing
boat was again in darkness. With the
eclipse, the Spaniards recovered from
their astonishment, and where the
Ericsson's lights had disappeared the
searchlight turned its glaring eye. Be-
fore it could discover the craft there
was a vivid flash from one Of the dark
shapes seaward, and a shell that came
whizzing down the lane Of light carried
a message that the Spaniards under
stood. 1t was, Put. out that light or
we will put it out for you They put
it out"
Jumping a Chain.
II, too, know Usher" said another
member of the group, "but I doubt If
many know that this same Usher had
wanted to take the Ericsson into Ha-
vana harbor and run a torpedo at the
Spanish cruiser Alfonso XII, which
was anchored there. He had discov-
cred that a chain cable had been
stretched across the narrow entrance
to the harbor and had evolved an in
genious plan for overcoming the diff
Guilty. 1t was in brief, to jump it.
His scheme was to place a stout spar
under the forefoot Of his vessel, lap 1t
at an angle Of about As degrees, Sc
curely lash it in that position, choose
some dark night and drive full tilt at
the obstruction. He believed that the
speed of the Ericsson, together with
the aid Of the spar, slanting under the
bow, would lift the vessel over the
chain, much in the same manner as a
fast running sleigh might clear a thank
We, ma'am.'
There was another contingency that
had to be considered, a chance that
the propel,ers would foul the chain and
prevent the boat completely clearing it,
in which case it would have been help
less as an enmeshed fish. To prevent
this Usher suggested that screws made
Of metal brittle enough to break on
contact be substituted for the bronze
propellers which the Ericsson carried.
Sampson heard the proposal and
would have none Of it. 1t was not
worth it, he said, to risk an efficient
torpedoboat and a dozen good Ameri-
can lives in an effort to destroy a ves-
sci comparatively worthless. But he
remembered the wish Of his enterpris-
ing subordinate, and on the afternoon
before Cervera made his hopeless dash
he caused a signal to be made for the
commanding officer Of the Ericsson to
report on board the flagship. The ves-
sci promptly scrampered alongside.
There is no dignity in torpedoboat.
Usher's Bold Play.
"T think that will have to send you
into the harbor,' the admiral said to
Usher, to see what you can do with
those Spanish ships"
70 f,-1y ciY cot TIch
but must inform you that they have
now stretched a double row Of steel
hawsers across the channel these run-
ming from shore to shore, the masts
of the Merrimac being used as a mid
stream anchorage
"Then Usher further explained how
he had that morning held the Erics-
son off the Morro until broad daylight,
the Iowa standing in to protect her lit
tie consort, while Captain Evans Of
the battleship, wondered what 1t was
that was keeping the torpedoboat with
in close pistol shot Of the enemy after
daylight had disclosed her presence.
But what Usher saw by the broadening
light we'll repaid him. BY the aid Of
glasses he made out a double line of
steel hawsers, while a double row of
floating spars denoted that the heavy
cables had been buoyed at the point
where they spanned the channel.
While my boat might jump the first
cable Usher explained, can think Of
h., ;aH hn n q
cleared seeing that they are placed so
far apart that the first will so much
check a torpedoboat's headway that 1t
cannot clear the second
but have this suggestion to make,
admiral he added. Grant me permis-
sion to take one of my torpedoes, buoy
it with a spar and when the tide
serves tonight, swim in with it. I will
find a way of getting the torpedo over
the cables, and helped by the tide, can
swim with it close to one Of the Span
ish ships-say within two or three
hundred yards. Then point the torpedo
straight. cut it adrift from the spar,
spring the tripper and there will be
one Spanish cruiser less
"I will think that over the admiral
said and may let you try it tomorrow
night
But before the next night shut in
Cervera's fleet had been destroyed"
In the North With Peary.
The good ship chuned her way past
Hatteras and into the warm waters of
the gulf stream. The voyagers dis
carded overcoats and wraps and lolled
about the deck in steamer chairs. The
wind. a following one, blew fresh and
made the bright expanse Of waters a
meadow of which the little foaming
whitecaps were the flowers. 'This,
said the traveller. reminds me of the
Arctic, because it is so different" he
added hastily. Apparently he had
some reminiscence on his mind. The