The Columbus journal., 1909-03-10
ILLUSTRATED
~
EMnZ

A derelict cast upon an open sandy
beach offered more chance Of salvage
than the greatest vessel of 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 English
shores a formidable flctilla 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 if need arose CALAMITY to seek
death beds in the sea in the attempt
to fend off the American terror
should it 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
wreckinS 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 a 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-
banknent, and then went to their
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,
prime minister and the first lord of
the admiralty taken at one time! 1t
was sufficient 10 make others of
prominence look at one another ques-
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 a 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
flaunt 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
the return to sanity of a maddened
sailor who had come to them on a life
raft from the unknown, as the only
witness of a disaster, and the only
living link.
AID even while the anxious ofiiciais
thought of him group of surgeons
and specialists were standing round a
cot in hospital watching this man
breathe his last. Now that his i'm
portance had increased a hundredfold
Death was intervening and sealing his
lips. He passed away as silently as
he had been found, his jumbled wits
giving no new and tangible clew.
Speeches. he had been picked up on
life raft in mid ocean, and speech
less he voyaged out into another
world
Night fell over London, Unfolding a
stricken city where none came upon
the streets and men within doors
whispered to each other, dreadins
wat the morrow might bring forth.
The heart OF Britain. beating with
dogged determination to the last, was
broken. America was the master of
fate, and could deal cut its awards or
blows with the inexorableness of a
god
(TO BE CoNTINUED.)
Russian ScSools