Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-01
CHAprER xxu-tContlnuedJ

CHAPTER xXu-(Continued).
UIHEY produced an effect whose counter
i part had never before imagIned-some-
thing almost theatrical as l set scene on a
stage, inclosing that little space of water
perhaps two square miles in extent wherein
this deadly combat was being waged.
The Myosotis was not in sight, only the
Asp the vistula and the Clymene occupied
the stage
The two destroyers rode somewhat astern,
approximately half a mile TO port with pos
sbly like distance between them, Both
were wrapped with smoke with shrouds,
through which little, spitefu tongues of
flame spat without intermissiOn. The thun-
der of their quick and rapid firing l2-
Founders was like the long roll beaten upon
some monster drumhead, while the racket
of the 3 and 6 Founders, shrill chattering
undertone, like regiment of snare drums
in full blare. A horrd tumult of warlike
sound, and one to stir the blood, II was that
drifted down to us with the penetrating
reek of burnt smokeless powder.
OF neither could we see overmuch; al
though the more distant, the Asp was the
more distinctly visible; and from leaping
and dying glare of light amdshps on her
decks, | fanccd her afire. The Vistula was
sheering gradually away. either in order 90
continue the engagement at a more respect
full distance, or to close in upon us and adj
minister coupe de grace with less annoy
ance from the whitening English rifle
practice
But the Asp was pressing on bulldogged-
ly, with the avid British appetite for hand
grips And so they bore down upon the
Clymene steadily, at quarter speed, growing
and splitting for all the world like embattled
Cats-absurd as the slmile may seem.
Then, without warning, out of the west
furious shower swept kissing, and for a
little while its shining battalions of lances
hid the combatants from us as with a
curtain.
The rain pelted on, and over the Clymene,
slucng her decks with a swirling torrent,
and so out TO the east. We were scarcely
conscious of its passage; weary, sodden to
| the skin, prey OF terrors no less fantastic
than this weird sea fight itself, we forgot
ourselves and our painful fatigue and hung
breathless upon the issue of the battle.
1 fancied-how truly was not to know
for many long days-that the Asp was
getting the worst of 1t and that impression
seemed to communicate itself simultaneously
to every Englishman and English speaking
man in the crew. Despite that we had In
| the Asp n foe scarcely less to be feared than
| the German destroyer, our sympathes went
| out to the men of our own blood and
race
/ heard an oath behind me, followed by
| a sharp cry of command. 1t was Garvin
voice Instlnctivey l stepped back from
| the rail, dragging Sevrance with me. The
| next moment the 12-pounder belched fire
| by our sides, it's flaming breath scared our
| cheeks, its detonation all but deafened us.
| Garvn had lost control OF himself; his
| madness infected the remainder of the crew
| the men of the forward 12-pounder set to
| work like demons. An incessant stream of
| projectiles belched from the muzzles of the
| two guns.
The effect of this diversion was at once
| apparent. The Germans awote to the fact
| that, though incapable of fight, the Cly-
| meme had not lost its sting and was still q
| factor in the engagement. L saw huge
| hole appear battered by our guns in the
| thin hanks of the German destroyer just
| above the water line. She slowed about, as
If fairly hammered from her course by the
| weight of those repeated blows.
| And at once a return fire was instituted
| with consequences awful to us. AT that
| short range they could hardly miss. The
| forward 12-pounder was silenced in a trice
| fairly blown out of the deck-and halt
| its crew mangled beyond recognition. Oui
| remaining boat was shot to splinters. The
| after smokestack crumpled in upon Itself
| like a tin funnel struck by a brick; the
| bridge was reduced to a tangle of twisted
iron rods, the pinnacle and wheel mysteri
| ously vanIshing-none could say how OF
| whittier.
On the afterdeck the crews of the torpedo
| tube were struggling madly with an OBJ
| stinate whitehead Somehow II seemed tC
| stick in the tube: nor were they for many
| minutes able to bulge 1t. Garvin ragged like
| a lunatic. They wrestled with 1t like sc
many imps fresh sprung from Inferno. Two
| were killed simultaneously and by the same
| shot Servrance and 1 sprang to fill theii
| places. lending our awkwardness to the
| battling task.
gradual sIanting of the deck told US
though we scarce noticed il, nor cared
| that the Clymene had been struck below
the water line and was slowly filling, sink
| ing by the head. l heard Sevrance mutter'
ing some prayer about water-tight compart'
ments as he struggled with the refractory
torpedo ,.-
But no one else commented we bent our
| sole endeavors, one and all, to the task OF
revenging ourselves and our countrymen
| upon the heads OF the Germans.
And still the Whitehead stuck; the thing
obstinately refused to yield to the utmost
of our striving we might neither Withdraw
| 1t nor yet ram IL into place
A solid shot smashed the after l2-pounder