New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-22

damage.
The Eblis had nearly finished re-
loading. when a shot struck the
dovit that was swinging her last
torpedo into the tube, and wounded
all hands concerned. Thereupon she
dropped torpedo work and fired at
the enemy searchlight, which winked
ard went out, and was closing IN to
helm the Gehenna when she found
herself under the noses OF a couple
Of enemy cruisers.
"The nearer one" she says, "al-
tered its course to ram me, appar-
entlv." The senior service writes
in a curiously lawyerlike fashion,
but there is no denying that they act
quite directly.
81 therefore put my helm hard
mort and the two ships met and
rammed each other port bow to port
bow"
Met Hammer Deliberately
There could have been no time
TO think and, for the Eblis's COM
mander on the bridge, none to gain
or information; but he had observ-
ant subordinates, and he writes and
would humbly suggest that these
words be made ships motto 1or-
eyermore. He writes;
"Tboss aft noted" that the enemy
cruiser had certain marks on her 1uh-
mel and certain arrangements OF uei
r;cks on each side which, quite apart
from the evidence she left behind her,
BETRAYED her class. The Eblls ana she
met. Says the Eblis:
81 consider ! must have conslderaoIy
damaged this cruiser. as twenty rec
of her side plating was LETT IN my iOie
castle" -. nd
twenty feet of swaged rlyets ano
sl;nging steel razoring and reaplng
about in the dark on a forecastle that
had collapsed like a copceruna! II
was a very fair plating, too. mere
Was aide scuttle with holes in II that
we passengers would call portnoles pul
II might have been better, for the luis
reports sorrowfully: -, ~
.Rv the thickness Of the coats OF
naint duly given in thirty seconds OF
an inch she would not appear TO nave
been a very new ship.
Tore Eblis to Shreds
New or old. the enemy had done her
best. She had completely demolished
the Eblis's bridge and searehllght pIat,
form, had brought down the mast ana
forefunnel, ruined her whaler ana
dinghy. split the fo'csIe open apHTe
the water from the stem to the galley'
which is abaft the bridge, and below the
water had opened it up from the stem
IN the second bulkhead. She had fur-
thar ripped off the Eblis's skin plating
Tor an amazing number OF yards on
one side of her and had fired couple
of large calibre shells into the Ephs
at point blank range. narrowly missing
her vitals.
Even so. the Eblis is as impartial
as prize court. She reports that the
second shot, trife of eight inches,
'may have been fred at dinerent
time OF Just after colliding."
But the night was vet young ana
"just after getting clear Of this cruiser
an enemy battle cruiser grazed past
our stern at high speed" u
And again the judgmatic mlnd:
think she must have INTENDED 70 ram
u.s."
She was a large, three-funnelled
thing, her centre funnel shot away. and
sights were fickering under her
foc'sle as if she was on fire forward.
Fancy the vision Of her hurting out
Of the dark, red-lighted from within.
and fleeing on like a man with his
throat cut
Fugitives Make Poor Shot
Asan interlude, all the enemy cruisers
that night were not keen on rammlng.
They wanted TO get home. A man |
know, who was on another part OF the
drive, saw convey bolt through our de.
stroyers, and had just settled himself
for shot At one of them, when the
night threw up a second bird, coming
down full speed on his other beam. lie
two. As they whizzed past, one
switched on her searchlight and fred
a whole salvo at him point-blank.
Heavy stuff went between his tunnels.
She must have sighted along her own
beam Of light, which was about l,OOO
yards.
"I was rather sick. IL was my best
chsnee all that night, and had to miss
il OF be cut in two"
what happened 10 the cruisers%
"Oh, they went on, and l heard 'em
being attended 20 by some Of our fell
lows. They didn't know what they
were doing or they couldn't have
missed me, sitting the way they did"
After all that the Eblis picked her
self up and discovered that she was
still alive, with dogs chance Of get
ting to port, but she did not bank on
II. That grand slam had wrecked her
bridge, pinning her commander under
the wrsckage. BY the time he had OK
TREATED himself he considered it ad-
visable 10 throw overheard bis steel
chest and dispatch box Of confidential
and secret books"
Burial Service for Ships
There are never allowed 10 fall into