The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-06-18


been gone for many days. Inc noples
looked at one another askance, anu
asked what times were these "heh
M nerson might be SO august as 10 De
immune from seizure. Where was 'he
limit to be reached? What could De
expected next? Was there no pos
sible protection even for the heads o.
government and society?
In the Offices Of the admiralty those
OF more or less prominence IN the ae'
partmeAt held a conference and oe'
tailed men to take charge or the
Dreatpought. There could be no at
tempt to rehabilitate her at that time
inasmuch as it would be Impossible
ever again to bring her into service
without destroying a span or inc
bridge below; therefore no coroners
inquest could have convened WIN
more solemnity than did those men
who took charge of and boarded this
great dead thing Of the sea.
A derelict cast upon an open sandy
beach offered more chance OF salvage
than the greatest vessel or the great
est navy OF the world, nosed In the
mud and practically walled in. And
while she lay in this state of helpless
ness there was forming round Engl1sn
shores a formidable fotilla OF other
war vessels flying the British flag,
which had been summoned from all
waters of the globe to protect the
mother country from German invasion
or II need arose CALAMITY to seek
death beds in the sea in the attempt
to fend off the American terror
should 1t be directed against the Is
land ruler Of the waves.
As they advanced, captains of this
great navy arrived in London in re-
Spouse to urgent summons and hast
ened to the admiralty. One and all
they were. asked to pass expert opinion
on the condition Of the Dreadnought,
and offer a solution of the methods
used to bring her to that singular
anchorage in the river; but, like chill
dren cropping in the mist, they could
formulate no tenable theory nor give
any lucid explanation. They looked
at each other in amazement, wagged
their heads and admitted their inabili'
ty. Plague would have left dead men
at their posts, or battle would have
left more serious scars than the cut.
ting away of the fighting masts and
wrecking of the stacks: but even then
who would navigate her to home wa.
tiers, and what could account for her
presence in place where even a
small sea-going craft could not go?
If that nation in the west had sub
marine Of terrific speed and unknown
power it might perhaps destroy a
ship; but by what means could it
force it under or over a bridge OF
solid masonry and steel?
And so the men of the sea passed
down and back, while the people OF
London spent the time in trying to
see the latest evidence of disaster,
took turns in crowding to the EN-.
bankment, and then went to their
homes. Business came to halt, shops
were unopened and desks were closed
In the government Offices men moved
helplessly, and in homes throughout
the country families sat within doors
gravely discussing the latest NANTES
tation of power
Nor was the public aware that in
higher circles another cause for anx.
iety had been uncovered, which was
nothing less than the disappearance
of the prime minister. A king, a
prime minister and the first lord of
the admiralty taken at one time It
was sufficient to make others of
prominence look at one another uues
tioning when their turn might come
and what the end would be. No one
was safe in this great crisis, when
thrones tottered on their settings and
men were whisked away in the night,
when the most powerful vessels of war
created by all the wisdom of science
and ingenuity of invention might be
dominated and handled like toys.
There was no ground for belief that
any power other than the United
States might have been the controlling
| spirit In this long series of untoward
events, but from that nation came no
word, only silence more menacing
than the thunder of distant guns. and
more terrible and ominous than an
open display of invincible arms. It
took no great stretch of imagination to
people the air with phalanx on pha-
lanx OF stern and implacable foemen
bent on invasion when the time
seemed ripe. A country which could
fiaunt the world was capable of any.
thing, and it was not believable that
she was acting without purpose. But
what means did she take? What
would be her next move? How had
she accomplished those victories al.
ready scored upon her tally sheet?
Only one hope for partial explanation
remained, and that was based upon