Crawfordsville Daily Journal, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, 6 September 1890 — Page 2

THE GREAT WAR SYNDICATE.

BY FRANK R. STOCKTON,

AT'THltK OK

"]{i-DiKK (iUAVUF.:" "AMOS Kn.imic.HT—His AnstciTmors KXPKIUKNCKS." ''THK BKBil.\N OK OLLN. I'llK L'HIUSTMAS WKKI'K "TlIK l.A 1 Till: 'I'll.UK." "THK I.VTK Mus. N

•'.-"•In tluMiinUl of the syndicate's labors I here arrive. oil the coast of Canada I lie lirst result of Creat Britain's preparations for her war willi the American syndicate, i:i the slia[ of tin- Adamant, tho largest and linol ironclad wliieli hail ever crossed the Atlantic, and which llilii 1 M'!it to raise tile blockade of the Canadian port l,y the syndicate's vessels.

This great 1.11ip had been (•spe^'ially titled out to. cubage in combat with rcpellers a:id crala. As far as was po.--i-lue the peen'iav construction of the s\ntlioato'.^ vessels had Iven carefully .-.unlieti, ami Kujxlish specialists in the line of naval coiistnictiuii and ordnance had irivcii most earnest consideration to methods of attack and defense most likely to succeed with these novel ships of war. The Adamant was the only \es--el which it had been possible to send out in so short a time, ami her cruise was somewhat of an experiment. If she should liu.suecessful in raising the blockade of the Canadian |mi't, the British admiralty would have but little difficulty in dealing with the American syndicate.

The most important objc-ct was to provide a defense against the screw extracting and mdd^r breaking crabs and to tliis end the Adamant had been fit tod villi what was termed a "stern jacket." This was a groat eagt* of heavy sleel bars, which was attached to the stern of tho vessel in such a way that it could be raised liiirh above ihe water, so iis to oiler no impediment while under way, and which, in time of action, could bo let down so as to surround and protect the rudder and screw propellers, of which the Adamant had two.

This was considered -an adequate defense against the nippers of a syndicate cnd but as a means of otTensu against these almost submerged vessels a novel contrivance had been adopted. From a j.'real boom projecting over the stem, a largo ship's cannon was suspended perpendicularly, muzzle downward. This gun could bo swung around to the deck, hoisted into a horizontal position, loaded with a heavy charge, a wooden plug keeping tile load in jxisiiicm when the gun hung iH/rpendicularlv.

If a crab should come under the stern thin cannon could be fired directly downward upon her back, and it was not believed that any vessel of tho kind could ttanJ many such tremendous shocks. It *va^ ii.t known exactly how ventilation was supplied to tho submarine vessels of the syndicate, nor how the occupants were enabled to make tho neccssarv observations during action. When under way the crabs sailed somewhat elevated above tin1 water, but when engaged with an enemy only a small portion of their covering armor could bo .seen.

It was surmised that under and between somo of the scales of this unnor there wad some arrangement of thick glasses, through which tho necessary observation could bo made and it was believed that., oven if tho heavy perpendicular si lots did not crush in the roof of a crab, these glasses would be shattered by concussion. Although this might appear a matter of slight importance, it was thought among naval officers it would necessitate the withdrawal of a crab from action.

In consequence of the idea tlrnt tlie crabs werv vulnerable between their overlapping plates, some of tho Adamant's Ijoats were fitted out witli GatUng and machine guns, by which a oliower of balls might bo sent under tho scales, through tho glasses and into the body of tho crab, in addition to their guns, these Itoats would !o supplied with other means of attack ujion tho crab.

Of course it would bo inipossible to destroy these submerged enemies by means of dynamite or torpedoes for with two vessels in closo proximity, the explosion of a torpedo would bo as dangerous to U.e hull of one as to the other. Tho British admiralty would not allow even tho Adamant to explode torpedoes or dynamite l«jmbs under her own stern. itli regard to a repeller, or spring armored vessel, the Adamant would relv uiKin her exceptionally powerful armament and ujnni her great weight and hF'od. iShe was lilted with I win screws and engines of tho highest ]tower, and it was believed that she would be able to overhaul, ram ami crush tho largest vessel, armored or unarniored. which the syndicate would be -able to bring against her. Some of her guns were of imuioxse caliber, tiring .-hot weighing nearly 2,000 pounds and requiring half a ton of powder for each charge. HeSales tliCMj she carried an unusually large numlx.r of large cannon and two dynamite guns. She was so heavily plaied and armored as to bo proof against any known artillery in the world.

Shu was a floating fortress, with men enough to maJ up ho population of a town, and ith stores, ammunition and coal sufficient to hist for along term of active service. Such was tho mighty l.nglish Itottle ship which had come forward to u.-e the 6iego of the Canadian l-.rt.

Ibo officers of tho syndicate were well awaro of the charucter of tho Adamant, her armament and her defenses, and had boon informed by cable of her time of tailing anil probable destination. They Bent out l{o|eller No. 7, with Crabs and K, to meet her off the Banks of Newfoundland.

This rcj» llor was Uio largest and strongest vtsssel that tho syndicate had ready for service. In addition to tho

1-1.1."THK IIIXIIHKDTH MAN" "TUB CAST-

L-M. AWAY OF MHS. I.KCKS AMI MUS. AI.rsiUNK." "THK IH.SANTES:" ETC., KTC.

spring armc-r witn wiucn ttieso vessels were supplied, this one was furnished with a second coat of armor outside the first, the elastic steel ribs of which ran longitudinally and at right angles to thoSt-of the inner set. Both coats were furnished with a great munlvr of improved air buffers, and tho arrangement of spring armor extended live or six l'eot beyond the massive steel plates with which the vessel wasoriginally armored. She carried one motor cannon of large size.

One of tlie crabs was of th- ordinary pattern, but Crab was furnished .villi a spring armor alxtve the heavy plates of her roof. This had been placed upon her after the news had been received by the syndicate that the Adamant would carry a per|Hudicular cannon over her stern, but there had not been time enough to fit out another crab in the same way.

When the director in charge of repeller No. 7 lirst caught sight of the Adamant, and scanned through his glass tho vast proportions of the mighty ship which was rapidly steaming toward the coast, ho felt that a responsibility rested ijpoa him heavier than any which had yet boon l«.rne by an officer of the syndicate, but ho did not hesitate in the duty which lie had Itecn sent to perform, and immediately ordered the two oralis to advance to meet tlie Adamant, and to proceed to action according to tho instructions which they had previously received. Ilis own ship was kept, in pursuance of orders, several miles distant from the British ship.

As soon as tho repeller had been sighted from tho Adamant a strict lookout had lieon kept for the approach of crabs, and when tho small exposed portions of the backs of two of these were perceived glistening in the sunlight the speed of the great ship was slackened. Tho ability of tho syndicate's submerged vessels to move suddenly and quickly in any direction had been clearly demonstrated, and although a great ironclad with a ram could run down and sink a crab without feeling tho concussion, it was known that it would be perfectly easy for the smaller craft to keep out of the way of its bulky antagonist. Therefore the Adamant did try to ram tho crabs, nor to get away from them. Her commander intended, if possible, to run down one or both of them, but he did not propose to do this in the usual way.

As the crabs approached, tho stern jacket of tho Adamant was let down and tho engines wore slowed. This stern jacket, when protecting tho rudder and propellers, looked very much like tho cow catcher of a locomotive, and was car pable of lx.-i.ng put to a somewhat similar use. It was tho intention of the captain of tlie Adamant, should the crabs attempt to attach themselves to his stem, to suddenly put on all steam, reverse his engines and back upon them, tho stern jacket answering as a ram.

Tho commander of tho Adamant had no doubt that in this way he could run into a crab, roll it over in tho water, aud when it was lying lottom upward, liko a floating cask, he could move liis sliip ,to a distance and make a target of it. So desirous was thi3 bravo and somewhat facetious captain to try his new plan upon a crab that heforebore to fire upon the two vessels of that class which were approaching him. Some of liis guns were so mounted that their muzzles could bo greatly depressed and aimed at an object in the water not far from the ship. But these were not discharged, and, indeed, tho crabs, which were new ones of unusual swiftness, were alongside tho Adamant in an incredibly short time and out of tlie range of these guns.

Crab was on the starboard side of the Adamant, Crab was on tho port side, and, simultaneously, tho two laid hold of her. But they were not directly astern of the great vessel. Each had its nippers fastened to one side of tho stern jacket, near the hinge liko 1

Kilts which held it to

tho vessel, and on which it was raised and lowered. In a moment the Adamant began to steam backward, but the only eifoct of this motion, which soon became rapid, was to swing the crabs around against her sides and carry them with her. As tho vessels wore thus moving the great pincers of tho crabs were twisted with tremendous force, the stern jacket on one side was broken from its lolt, and on tho other the bolt itself was drawn out ot the side ot the vessel. The nippers then opened, and tho stern jacket fell from their grasp into tho sea. snapping ill its fall the chain by which it had been raised and lowered.

This disaster occurred so rjuicklv that few persons on lxtard the Adamant knew what had happened. But the captain, who hail seen everything, gave instant orders to go ahead at full speed. The first thing to le done was to get at a distance from thoso crabs, keep well away

from them, and pound them to pieces with his heavy guns. But tho iron screw propellers had scarcely begun to move in the opposite direction before the two crabs, each now lying at right angles with the length of the ship, but neither of them directly astern of her, made a dash with open nippers, ami Crab fastened upon one propelior, while Crab laid hold of tho other. There was a din and crash of breaking metal, two shocks which were felt throughout the vessel, and tho shattered and crashed blades of tho propel lers of tho gTeat battle ship wero jiowerless to move her.

The cantain of tho Adamant, pallid

with fury, stood ujton tho poop. In a moment tho crabs would boat his rudder! Tho great gun, double shotted and ready to fire, was hanging from its boom ovor'tho stem. Crab K, whoso roof had tho additional protection of spring armor, now moved round so as to bo directly astern of tho Adamant. Before sho could roach tho rudder her forward part canio under the susjiended cannon, and two massive 6teel shot wore driven down upon her with a forco sufficient to send them through masses of solid rock, but from tho surface of elastic stool springs and air buffers they Unincod upward, one of them almost falling on tho dock of the Adamant.

Tho gunners of this piece had boon well trained. In a moment tho boom was swung around, tho cannon reloaded, and when Crab fixed her nippers on the rudder of tho Adamant two more shot came down upon her. As in the first instance sho dipped and rolled, but tho ribs of her uninjured armor had scarcely sprung back into their places before her nippers turned and the rudder of tho Adamant was broken in two and the upper portion dragged from its fastenings then a (piick backward jerk snapped its chains and it was dropped into the sea.

A signal was now sent from Crab to Repeller No. 7. to tho effect that the Adamant had been rendered incapable of steaming or sailing, and that she lay subject to'order.

Subject to order or not, the Adamant did not remain passive. Every gun on board which could bo sufficiently depressed was made roadv to tire upon the crabs should they attempt to got away. Four large boats, furnished with machine guns, grapnels, and with various appliances which might bo brought into use on a steel plated roof were lowered from their davits, and immediately began firing upon the exposed [tortious of the crabs. Their machine guns wero loaded with small shells, and if thoso penetrated under the horizontal plates of a crab, and through tho heavy glass which was supposed to bo in these interstices, the crew of the submerged craft would bo soon destroyed.

Tho quick eye of tho captain of tho Adamant had observed through his glass, whilo the crabs wore still at a considerable distance, their protruding air pipes, and he had instructed tho officers in charge of the boats to make an especial attack upon those. If the air pipes of a crab could I*} rendered useless the crew must inevitably bo smothered.

But tho bravo captain did not knowthat tho condensed air chambers of the crabs would supply their inmates for an hour or more without recourse to tho outer air, and that tho air pipes, furuished with valves at tho top, were always withdrawn under water during action with an enemy. Nor did he know that tho glass blocks under tho armor plates of the crabs, which wero placed in rubber frames to protect them from concussion above, wero also guarded by steel netting from injury by small balls.

Valiantly the boats beset tho crabs, keeping up a constant fusillade and endeavoring to tlirow grapnels over tliom. If ono of these should catch under an overlapping armor plate it could be connected with the steam windlass of the Adamant and a plate might be ripped off or a crab overturned.

But tho crabs proved to be much moro lively fish than their enemies had supposed. Turning, as if on a pivot, and darting from 6ido to side, they seemed to bo playing with thg boats, and not trying to get away from them. Tho spring armor of Crab interfered somewhat with its movements aud also put it in danger from attacks by grapnels, aud it therefore left most of tho work to its consort.

Crab J, after darting swiftly in and out among her antagonists for some time, suddenly made a turn, und dashing at one of the boats, ran under it, and raising it on its glistening back, rolled it, Ijottom upward, into the sea. In a moment tho crow of tho boat wero swimming for their lives. They were quickly picked up by two of tho other boats, which then deemed it prudent to return to the sliip.

But the second officer of tho Adamant, who commanded the fourth boat, did not give up tho fight. Having noted tho spring armor of Crab K, ho believed that if ho could get a grapnel between its steel ribs ho yet might capture the sea monster. For some minutes Crab contented itself with eluding him but, tired of tliis, it turned, and raising its huge nippers almost out of tho water, it seized the bow of tho boat and gavo it a gentle crunch, after which it released its hold and retired. Tho boat, leaking rapidly through two ragged holes, was rowed back to tho ship, which it reached half full of water.

Tho great battlo ship, totally bereft of tho [tower of moving herself, was now rolling in tho trough of tho sea, aud a signal came from the repeller for Crab IC to make fast to her and put her head to the wind. This was quickly done, the crab attaching itself to the stern post of tho Adamant by a pair of towing nippers. Those were projected from tho fcternol' the crab, and wero so constructed tliat the larger vessel did not communicate all its motion to the smaller one, and could not run down upon it.

As soon as tho Adamant was brought up with her head to tho wind she opened firo upon tho re[elkr. Tho latter vessel could easily have sailed out of tho rango of a motionless enemy, but her orders forbade this. Her director had lieen instructed by. tho syndicate to exposo his vessel to tho iiro of tho Adamant's heavy guns. Accordingly tho repeller steamed nearer, and turned her broadsido toward tho British ship.

Scarcely had this been dono when the two great bow guns of the Adamant jehook tho air with tremendous roars, each hurling over the sea nearly a ton of steel. Ono of thoso great shot passed over tho repeller, but the other struck her armored sido fairly amidship. There was a crash and scream of creaking Jtcel, and Itepeller No. 7 rolled over to windward as if she had boon struck by heavy sea. In a moment sho righted, nnd shot ahead, and, turning, presented her port sido to the cnemv. Instant ex

amination oi itie unnor on nci om-i sido showed that thotwolianksof springs wore uninjnred, and that not -n nir butler had exploded or failed to spring back to its normal length.

Firing from tho Adamant now came thick and fast, tho crab in obedience to signals turning her nlxuit so as to admit the firing of some heavy guns mounted amidships. Throe enormous solid shot struck tho repeller at different points on her starboard armor without inflicting damage, while tho explosion of several shells which ilit her had no more effect upon her elastic •irmor than the impact of tho solid shot.

It was the desire of the syndicate not only to demonstrate to its own satisfaction tho efficiency of its spring armor, but to convince Great Britain that her heaviest guns on her mightiest battlo ships couhl have no effect upon its armored vessels. To (trove tho absolute superiority of their means of offense and defense was the supremo object of the syndicate. For this its members studied and worked by day and by night for this they [toured out their millions for this they waged war. To [trove what tliev claimed would be viet :. •. [TO lit CONT1M H1I.1

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