The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-07-10


But they had SHOUTS longer and sharp
er than any whale that ever swan.
Three Of them there were. moving out
to sea through the entrance. steadily.
at about ten knots an hour.
The forts and the army headquar-
tiers caught q wireless from the air.
The enemy feet was approaching
Block island, said the message. The
enemy had formed In columns ejacu-
lated the fleeing machines, with de-
stroyers and light cruisers in advance,
and the transports, gripped on all sides
by armored ships. were coming on In
echelon formation, eight cable lengths,
or 4,SO0 feet, apart. There was no feint
now. They were sweeping straight at
the land. But where would they
strike? Would they land at Long Is
land to march their army to New York
or would they strike at Rhode Island
or the southern coast Of Massachu-
setts2
Boston was sure that they would
come at Massachusetts. New York
roared with the news that its own
Long Island coast was the enemy's OBJ
ject But though the cities were shak-
en- with panic, there were no mobs
now. Noise and fear and medley of
advice and demand and anger there
were, but no mobs. The cities had han
died their mobs with long cordons OF
silent. stout, unima ginative police and
with f1remen who brought out changing
engines and hose.
On a Dreadnought in the van Of the
conveying feet stood the admiral of
the armada. He was speaking with
the ships captain as they paced up
and down the bridge. Everywhere
enormously long polished black cannon
thrust their supple bodies out Of tur-
rets. Like the peering heads of ser
penis, the guns of the secondary bat
teries looked out from bow to stern.
Everywhere stood officers and men at
quarters. Yet there was a placid,
strangely peaceful quiet over the whole
gray, tall, bristling machine. Except
for its appearance it might have been
pleasure yacht.
Its lovely shore" the admiral was
saying. Some beautiful estates and
charming people. l was delightfully."-
entertained within five miles of where
we shall land. 1t seems a rough re-
turn for hospitality, but one does for
ones country what one would not do
hello!"
The Dreadnought's circling destroy
ers were coming at the ship headlong.
The captain leaped to the rail- Before
he got there the ships port battery
crashed. A signalman pointed at the
water fifty yards off, Something like
staring, hooded eye had looked from
the sea for a moment.
1t was the last thing the signalman
saw on earth. The Dreaduought shud-
dered. While its guns were still firing
it lifted with jerk as a man would
lift If caught By an upward swing un-
der the jaw. A great, queerly muffied
explosion shook it For perhaps min
ute it tore along under the impetus Of
its own speed, but it did not move
smoothly. 1t 1olted like sscart going
over rough road; then It began to
topple. Over and over it leaned, slow
~, fast, faster.
The Dreadnought's crew was clinging
like men clinging to steep cliff, hold
ing fast to everything that would give
foothold or hand grip on the inclined
deck. A signal climbed along the top
ping mast. Then, with a thunder of
breaking metal, volleying into the sea,
the ship fell full on her side and went
down.
In kissing, breaking sea that In
stantly was gray with ashes and null
ticolored with oil swan 900 men.
None came near them. The Dread
nought's last signal had been the or
der to keep off, and the big fleet was
weaving in and out at top speed in a
maneuver long since perfected to es-
cape other attacks from the invisible
things.
Far astern raved the guns again.
This time the alert destroyers had not
missed their aim. A periscope disap-
peared. Presently, however, little
spreading disks of oil swan on the sur
face and united. and more foated up
ward and spread
| Not for moment had the feet fal-
len into disorder. Even while the de-
stroyers were picking up what surviv-
ors they could find another Dread
nought hoisted its commanders flag as
admiral in place Of the one who lay
under the bright green water. A speed
cone went up, and warships and con-
voy steamed full speed ahead
Half an hour later the periscopes of
two submarines, outdistancsd, bobbed
up far behind the feet. Their gray
shapes arose, streaming. The man
holes opened and heads came out.
blinking, into the sunlight and drawing