River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-08-01

mel Pimental, whom knew well, asked me 10
get in with him. as he had orders for me from
Floriano He drove along the shore OF the pay
to a new galvanized building at a point some
distance beyond the island of the naval school
and near the railway machine shops. On the
way he explained that this building had been
erected for my use and in it was to construct,
as rapidly possible, a large torpedo Win
which to destroy the Aquidaban.
The torpedo | built for this business was
the largest l had ever made.
While Mello had seized all of the government
vessels in the harbor, there were few tugs
left which, to prevent his interference, were
flying the British flag on the pretense that they
were owned by Englishmen I was to be given
one Of these tugs, and my plan was to steal
around into Nichtheroy bay at night and anchor
close under the hill at the end of the peninsula
where / would be hidden from the rebel fleet
In the morning / would load the torpedo and
wait the daily exchange of cannon courtesies
between the Aquidaban and the fort. An Off
Ger at Santa Cruz was to signal me when Mello
left his anchorage and them towing the sub
merged torpedo by wire rope too small to be
detected | would steam out across the course
of the Aquidaban which would pick up the
towing line on her bow, drag the torpedo along
side and be destroyed by the contact.
My tug, in charge Of a French engineer
and four Brazilians, was sent down to me on
the afternoon of September 25, and as soon
as it was dark, with the torpedo covered with
canvas on deck and twelve 50-pound boxes
of dynamite in the pilot house, we steamed
around to Nictheroy bay. To have loaded
the torpedo before we started would have
been extremely dangerous, for any accidental
pressure on one of it's arms would have blown
all of us to pieces. We anchored well out of
sight of the rebel fleet, and soon as it was
daylight unscreWed the manhole of the torpe-
do. and proceeded to pack it full of dynamite.
was just putting in the last box of the explo-
sive when there was shrill whistle and a
launch from the Sirius swung alongside. The
lieutenant in charge jumped aboard of and
came aft before I could brush the dynamite
from my arms.
who commands this craft?" he de-
manded.
Il do" l replied
What are you doing with that flag up
there?" pointing to the British ensign.
THAT flag was there when | came aboard
and took command | said which was true.
Il am flying it for protection from a pirate
fleet, just as others are displaying it, on Rio
bay and in the city Your commanding Of
fcer has sanctioned that custom by his
silence | officer of the established
Brazilian government obeying the orders
of my superiors in Brazilian waters, and
claim the right to take advantage of that
custom, if / care to do so, just as others have
done and are doing"
Il think the other cases are different from
yours" replied the lieutenant what is
that?" pointing to the dynamite
Examine it for yourself"
ut looks like dynamite"
Probably"
Well, sir, l am ordered by Captain Lang
to take you on board her maiesjty's ship
Sirius
It was no to make a fight, so | ac-
companied him, with excessive AMI sarcastic
politeness He took all my crew with him.
leaving a guard on the tug Captain Lang
was on deck waiting for me and was quite
agitated when / was brought before him, but
he was much more heated before we parted
company, and it a warm day to begin
with
Captain Boynton, what does this mean?"
he roared.
what does what mean?" l innocentIy an
swered
Your lying over there in vessel loaded
with munitions of war and flying the British
fag!"
1T means simply that | am an officer in
the Brazilian army, duty under the guns
of a rebel fleet and that 1 am flying the
British flag for whatever virtue it might have
in protecting me from that pirate Admiral Mel
To- That flag has been used as a protection
by many others and you have silently acqui-
esced in such use of it,"
but tell you that it is piracy to fly the
British flag over the ship of another nation
and carrying munitions of war;
st might be just as well, Captain Lang
for you to remember that you are not now
on the high seas An act of the British
parliament is of no effect within another
country. and If you will consult your chart
YOU will find that we are in the enclosed
waters of Brazil. Under such conditions no
mandate of yours which affects my rights
can be enforced unless you have the nerve
to take the chances that go with your act
You may soon find to the contrary shout
ed the captain, who was letting his temper
get the best of him. II have mind to send
YOU to Admiral Mello as prisoner! You know
what he would do to you!"
''Oh, Captain Lang!" said jeeringly You
know you wouldn't do that"
And pray why not sir?''
Because you dare not do it, and that's WHY
told him, as pointed to the u. S. S. Charles
ton which, with her decks cleared for action
was anchored only few hundred yards of to
port Il dare you to do it! defy you to do it.
Send me aboard the Aquidaban if you dare!"
I was making strong bluff and l got away
with it. The outraged Britisher swelled with
anger and turned almost purple, but he did not
renly to my taunt Instead, he summoned the