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At
the
instant
of
touching
the
button
a
hydraulic
shock
was
felt
on
Repeller
No
.
1
.
This
was
supposed
to
be
occasioned
the
discharge
of
the
motor
,
but
it
was
also
felt
on
the
other
vessels
.
It
was
the
same
shock
that
had
been
felt
on
shore
,
but
less
in
degree
.
A
few
moments
after
there
was
a
great
heaving
swell
of
the
sea
,
which
tossed
and
rolled
the
four
vessels
,
and
lifted
the
steel
protecting
net
so
high
that
for
an
instant
parts
of
it
showed
themselves
above
the
surface
like
glistening
sea
-
ghosts
.
Experiments
with
motor
-
bombs
had
been
made
in
unsettled
mountainous
districts
,
but
this
was
the
first
one
which
had
ever
exerted
its
power
under
water
.
On
shore
,
in
the
forts
,
and
in
the
city
no
one
for
an
instant
supposed
that
the
terrific
phenomenon
which
had
just
occurred
was
in
any
way
due
to
the
vessels
of
the
Syndicate
.
The
repellers
were
in
plain
view
,
and
it
was
evident
that
neither
of
them
had
fired
a
gun
.
Besides
,
the
firing
of
cannon
did
not
produce
such
effects
.
It
was
the
general
opinion
that
there
had
been
an
earthquake
shock
,
accompanied
by
a
cloud
-
burst
and
extraordinary
convulsions
of
the
sea
.
Such
a
combination
of
elementary
disturbances
had
never
been
known
in
these
parts
;
and
a
great
many
persons
were
much
more
frightened
than
if
they
had
understood
what
had
really
happened
.
In
about
half
an
hour
after
the
discharge
of
the
motor
-
bomb
,
when
the
sea
had
resumed
its
usual
quiet
,
a
boat
carrying
a
white
flag
left
Repeller
No
.
1
,
rowed
directly
over
the
submerged
net
,
and
made
for
the
harbour
.
When
the
approach
of
this
flag
-
of
-
truce
was
perceived
from
the
fort
nearest
the
mouth
of
the
harbour
,
it
occasioned
much
surmise
.
Had
the
earthquake
brought
these
Syndicate
knaves
to
their
senses
?
Or
were
they
about
to
make
further
absurd
and
outrageous
demands
?
Some
irate
officers
were
of
the
opinion
that
enemies
like
these
should
be
considered
no
better
than
pirates
,
and
that
their
flag
-
of
-
truce
should
be
fired
upon
.
But
the
commandant
of
the
fort
paid
no
attention
to
such
counsels
,
and
sent
a
detachment
with
a
white
flag
down
to
the
beach
to
meet
the
approaching
boat
and
learn
its
errand
.
The
men
in
the
boat
had
nothing
to
do
but
to
deliver
a
letter
from
the
Director
-
in
-
chief
to
the
commandant
of
the
fort
,
and
then
row
back
again
.
No
answer
was
required
.
When
the
commandant
read
the
brief
note
,
he
made
no
remark
.
In
fact
,
he
could
think
of
no
appropriate
remark
to
make
.
The
missive
simply
informed
him
that
at
ten
o
’
clock
and
eighteen
minutes
A
.
M
.
,
of
that
day
,
the
first
bomb
from
the
marine
forces
of
the
Syndicate
had
been
discharged
into
the
waters
of
the
harbour
.
At
,
or
about
,
two
o
’
clock
P
.
M
.
,
the
second
bomb
would
be
discharged
at
Fort
Pilcher
.
That
was
all
.
What
this
extraordinary
message
meant
could
not
be
imagined
by
any
officer
of
the
garrison
.
If
the
people
on
board
the
ships
were
taking
advantage
of
the
earthquake
,
and
supposed
that
they
could
induce
British
soldiers
to
believe
that
it
had
been
caused
by
one
of
their
bombs
,
then
were
they
idiots
indeed
.
They
would
fire
their
second
shot
at
Fort
Pilcher
!
This
was
impossible
,
for
they
had
not
yet
fired
their
first
shot
.
These
Syndicate
people
were
evidently
very
tricky
,
and
the
defenders
of
the
port
must
therefore
be
very
cautious
.
Fort
Pilcher
was
a
very
large
and
unfinished
fortification
,
on
a
bluff
on
the
opposite
side
of
the
harbour
.
Work
had
been
discontinued
on
it
as
soon
as
the
Syndicate
’
s
vessels
had
appeared
off
the
port
,
for
it
was
not
desired
to
expose
the
builders
and
workmen
to
a
possible
bombardment
.
The
place
was
now
,
therefore
,
almost
deserted
;
but
after
the
receipt
of
the
Syndicate
’
s
message
,
the
commandant
feared
that
the
enemy
might
throw
an
ordinary
shell
into
the
unfinished
works
,
and
he
sent
a
boat
across
the
bay
to
order
away
any
workmen
or
others
who
might
be
lingering
about
the
place
.
A
little
after
two
o
’
clock
P
.
M
.
,
an
instantaneous
motor
-
bomb
was
discharged
from
Repeller
No
.
1
into
Fort
Pilcher
.
It
was
set
to
act
five
seconds
after
impact
with
the
object
aimed
at
.
It
struck
in
a
central
portion
of
the
unfinished
fort
,
and
having
described
a
high
curve
in
the
air
,
descended
not
only
with
its
own
motive
power
,
but
with
the
force
of
gravitation
,
and
penetrated
deep
into
the
earth
.
Five
seconds
later
a
vast
brown
cloud
appeared
on
the
Fort
Pilcher
promontory
.
This
cloud
was
nearly
spherical
in
form
,
with
an
apparent
diameter
of
about
a
thousand
yards
.
At
the
same
instant
a
shock
similar
to
that
accompanying
the
first
motor
-
bomb
was
felt
in
the
city
and
surrounding
country
;
but
this
was
not
so
severe
as
the
other
,
for
the
second
bomb
did
not
exert
its
force
upon
the
underlying
rocks
of
the
region
as
the
first
one
had
done
.
The
great
brown
cloud
quickly
began
to
lose
its
spherical
form
,
part
of
it
descending
heavily
to
the
earth
,
and
part
floating
away
in
vast
dust
-
clouds
borne
inland
by
the
breeze
,
settling
downward
as
they
moved
,
and
depositing
on
land
,
water
,
ships
,
houses
,
domes
,
and
trees
an
almost
impalpable
powder
.
When
the
cloud
had
cleared
away
there
were
no
fortifications
,
and
the
bluff
on
which
they
had
stood
had
disappeared
.
Part
of
this
bluff
had
floated
away
on
the
wind
,
and
part
of
it
lay
piled
in
great
heaps
of
sand
on
the
spot
where
its
rocks
were
to
have
upheld
a
fort
.
The
effect
of
the
motor
-
bomb
was
fully
observed
with
glasses
from
the
various
fortifications
of
the
port
,
and
from
many
points
of
the
city
and
harbour
;
and
those
familiar
with
the
effects
of
explosives
were
not
long
in
making
up
their
minds
what
had
happened
.
They
felt
sure
that
a
mine
had
been
sprung
beneath
Fort
Pilcher
;
and
they
were
now
equally
confident
that
in
the
morning
a
torpedo
of
novel
and
terrible
power
had
been
exploded
in
the
harbour
.
They
now
disbelieved
in
the
earthquake
,
and
treated
with
contempt
the
pretence
that
shots
had
been
fired
from
the
Syndicate
’
s
vessel
.
This
was
merely
a
trick
of
the
enemy
.
It
was
not
even
likely
that
the
mine
or
the
torpedo
had
been
operated
from
the
ship
.
These
were
,
in
all
probability
,
under
the
control
of
confederates
on
shore
,
and
had
been
exploded
at
times
agreed
upon
beforehand
.
All
this
was
perfectly
plain
to
the
military
authorities
.
But
the
people
of
the
city
derived
no
comfort
from
the
announcement
of
these
conclusions
.
For
all
that
anybody
knew
the
whole
city
might
be
undermined
,
and
at
any
moment
might
ascend
in
a
cloud
of
minute
particles
.
They
felt
that
they
were
in
a
region
of
hidden
traitors
and
bombs
,
and
in
consequence
of
this
belief
thousands
of
citizens
left
their
homes
.
That
afternoon
a
truce
-
boat
again
went
out
from
Repeller
No
.
1
,
and
rowed
to
the
fort
,
where
a
letter
to
the
commandant
was
delivered
.
This
,
like
the
other
,
demanded
no
answer
,
and
the
boat
returned
.
Later
in
the
afternoon
the
two
repellers
,
accompanied
by
the
crabs
,
and
leaving
the
steel
net
still
anchored
in
its
place
,
retired
a
few
miles
seaward
,
where
they
prepared
to
lay
to
for
the
night
.
The
letter
brought
by
the
truce
-
boat
was
read
by
the
commandant
,
surrounded
by
his
officers
.
It
stated
that
in
twenty
-
four
hours
from
time
of
writing
it
,
which
would
be
at
or
about
four
o
’
clock
on
the
next
afternoon
,
a
bomb
would
be
thrown
into
the
garrisoned
fort
,
under
the
command
of
the
officer
addressed
.
As
this
would
result
in
the
entire
destruction
of
the
fortification
,
the
commandant
was
earnestly
counselled
to
evacuate
the
fort
before
the
hour
specified
.
Ordinarily
the
commandant
of
the
fort
was
of
a
calm
and
unexcitable
temperament
.
During
the
astounding
events
of
that
day
and
the
day
before
he
had
kept
his
head
cool
;
his
judgment
,
if
not
correct
,
was
the
result
of
sober
and
earnest
consideration
.
But
now
he
lost
his
temper
.
The
unparalleled
effrontery
and
impertinence
of
this
demand
of
the
American
Syndicate
was
too
much
for
his
self
-
possession
.
He
stormed
in
anger
.
Here
was
the
culmination
of
the
knavish
trickery
of
these
conscienceless
pirates
who
had
attacked
the
port
.
A
torpedo
had
been
exploded
in
the
harbour
,
an
unfinished
fort
had
been
mined
and
blown
up
,
and
all
this
had
been
done
to
frighten
him
—
a
British
soldier
—
in
command
of
a
strong
fort
well
garrisoned
and
fully
supplied
with
all
the
munitions
of
war
.
In
the
fear
that
his
fort
would
be
destroyed
by
a
mystical
bomb
,
he
was
expected
to
march
to
a
place
of
safety
with
all
his
forces
.
If
this
should
be
done
it
would
not
be
long
before
these
crafty
fellows
would
occupy
the
fort
,
and
with
its
great
guns
turned
inland
,
would
hold
the
city
at
their
mercy
.
There
could
be
no
greater
insult
to
a
soldier
than
to
suppose
that
he
could
be
gulled
by
a
trick
like
this
.
No
thought
of
actual
danger
entered
the
mind
of
the
commandant
.
It
had
been
easy
enough
to
sink
a
great
torpedo
in
the
harbour
,
and
the
unguarded
bluffs
of
Fort
Pilcher
offered
every
opportunity
to
the
scoundrels
who
may
have
worked
at
their
mines
through
the
nights
of
several
months
.
But
a
mine
under
the
fort
which
he
commanded
was
an
impossibility
;
its
guarded
outposts
prevented
any
such
method
of
attack
.
At
a
bomb
,
or
a
dozen
,
or
a
hundred
of
the
Syndicate
’
s
bombs
he
snapped
his
fingers
.
He
could
throw
bombs
as
well
.
Nothing
would
please
him
better
than
that
those
ark
-
like
ships
in
the
offing
should
come
near
enough
for
an
artillery
fight
.
A
few
tons
of
solid
shot
and
shell
dropped
on
top
of
them
might
be
a
very
conclusive
answer
to
their
impudent
demands
.
The
letter
from
the
Syndicate
,
together
with
his
own
convictions
on
the
subject
,
were
communicated
by
the
commandant
to
the
military
authorities
of
the
port
,
and
to
the
War
Office
of
the
Dominion
.
The
news
of
what
had
happened
that
day
had
already
been
cabled
across
the
Atlantic
back
to
the
United
States
,
and
all
over
the
world
;
and
the
profound
impression
created
by
it
was
intensified
when
it
became
known
what
the
Syndicate
proposed
to
do
the
next
day
.
Orders
and
advices
from
the
British
Admiralty
and
War
Office
sped
across
the
ocean
,
and
that
night
few
of
the
leaders
in
government
circles
in
England
or
Canada
closed
their
eyes
.
The
opinions
of
the
commandant
of
the
fort
were
received
with
but
little
favour
by
the
military
and
naval
authorities
.
Great
preparations
were
already
ordered
to
repel
and
crush
this
most
audacious
attack
upon
the
port
,
but
in
the
mean
time
it
was
highly
desirable
that
the
utmost
caution
and
prudence
should
be
observed
.
Three
men
-
of
-
war
had
already
been
disabled
by
the
novel
and
destructive
machines
of
the
enemy
,
and
it
had
been
ordered
that
for
the
present
no
more
vessels
of
the
British
navy
be
allowed
to
approach
the
crabs
of
the
Syndicate
.
Whether
it
was
a
mine
or
a
bomb
which
had
been
used
in
the
destruction
of
the
unfinished
works
of
Fort
Pilcher
,
it
would
be
impossible
to
determine
until
an
official
survey
had
been
made
of
the
ruins
;
but
,
in
any
event
,
it
would
be
wise
and
humane
not
to
expose
the
garrison
of
the
fort
on
the
south
side
of
the
harbour
to
the
danger
which
had
overtaken
the
works
on
the
opposite
shore
.
If
,
contrary
to
the
opinion
of
the
commandant
,
the
garrisoned
fort
were
really
mined
,
the
following
day
would
probably
prove
the
fact
.
Until
this
point
should
be
determined
it
would
be
highly
judicious
to
temporarily
evacuate
the
fort
.
This
could
not
be
followed
by
occupation
of
the
works
by
the
enemy
,
for
all
approaches
,
either
by
troops
in
boats
or
by
bodies
of
confederates
by
land
,
could
be
fully
covered
by
the
inland
redoubts
and
fortifications
.
When
the
orders
for
evacuation
reached
the
commandant
of
the
fort
,
he
protested
hotly
,
and
urged
that
his
protest
be
considered
.
It
was
not
until
the
command
had
been
reiterated
both
from
London
and
Ottawa
,
that
he
accepted
the
situation
,
and
with
bowed
head
prepared
to
leave
his
post
.
All
night
preparations
for
evacuation
went
on
,
and
during
the
next
morning
the
garrison
left
the
fort
,
and
established
itself
far
enough
away
to
preclude
danger
from
the
explosion
of
a
mine
,
but
near
enough
to
be
available
in
case
of
necessity
.
During
this
morning
there
arrived
in
the
offing
another
Syndicate
vessel
.
This
had
started
from
a
northern
part
of
the
United
States
,
before
the
repellers
and
the
crabs
,
and
it
had
been
engaged
in
laying
a
private
submarine
cable
,
which
should
put
the
office
of
the
Syndicate
in
New
York
in
direct
communication
with
its
naval
forces
engaged
with
the
enemy
.
Telegraphic
connection
between
the
cable
boat
and
Repeller
No
.
1
having
been
established
,
the
Syndicate
soon
received
from
its
Director
-
in
-
chief
full
and
comprehensive
accounts
of
what
had
been
done
and
what
it
was
proposed
to
do
.
Great
was
the
satisfaction
among
the
members
of
the
Syndicate
when
these
direct
and
official
reports
came
in
.
Up
to
this
time
they
had
been
obliged
to
depend
upon
very
unsatisfactory
intelligence
communicated
from
Europe
,
which
had
been
supplemented
by
wild
statements
and
rumours
smuggled
across
the
Canadian
border
.
To
counteract
the
effect
of
these
,
a
full
report
was
immediately
made
by
the
Syndicate
to
the
Government
of
the
United
States
,
and
a
bulletin
distinctly
describing
what
had
happened
was
issued
to
the
people
of
the
country
.
These
reports
,
which
received
a
world
-
wide
circulation
in
the
newspapers
,
created
a
popular
elation
in
the
United
States
,
and
gave
rise
to
serious
apprehensions
and
concern
in
many
other
countries
.
But
under
both
elation
and
concern
there
was
a
certain
doubtfulness
.
So
far
the
Syndicate
had
been
successful
;
but
its
style
of
warfare
was
decidedly
experimental
,
and
its
forces
,
in
numerical
strength
at
least
,
were
weak
.
What
would
happen
when
the
great
naval
power
of
Great
Britain
should
be
brought
to
bear
upon
the
Syndicate
,
was
a
question
whose
probable
answer
was
likely
to
cause
apprehension
and
concern
in
the
United
States
,
and
elation
in
many
other
countries
.
The
commencement
of
active
hostilities
had
been
precipitated
by
this
Syndicate
.
In
England
preparations
were
making
by
day
and
by
night
to
send
upon
the
coast
-
lines
of
the
United
States
a
fleet
which
,
in
numbers
and
power
,
would
be
greater
than
that
of
any
naval
expedition
in
the
history
of
the
world
.
It
is
no
wonder
that
many
people
of
sober
judgment
in
America
looked
upon
the
affair
of
the
crabs
and
the
repellers
as
but
an
incident
in
the
beginning
of
a
great
and
disastrous
war
.
On
the
morning
of
the
destruction
of
Fort
Pilcher
,
the
Syndicate
’
s
vessels
moved
toward
the
port
,
and
the
steel
net
was
taken
up
by
the
two
crabs
,
and
moved
nearer
the
mouth
of
the
harbour
,
at
a
point
from
which
the
fort
,
now
in
process
of
evacuation
,
was
in
full
view
.
When
this
had
been
done
,
Repeller
No
.
2
took
up
her
position
at
a
moderate
distance
behind
the
net
,
and
the
other
vessels
stationed
themselves
near
by
.
The
protection
of
the
net
was
considered
necessary
,
for
although
there
could
be
no
reasonable
doubt
that
all
the
torpedoes
in
the
harbour
and
river
had
been
exploded
,
others
might
be
sent
out
against
the
Syndicate
’
s
vessels
;
and
a
torpedo
under
a
crab
or
a
repeller
was
the
enemy
most
feared
by
the
Syndicate
.
About
three
o
’
clock
the
signals
between
the
repellers
became
very
frequent
,
and
soon
afterwards
a
truce
-
boat
went
out
from
Repeller
No
.
1
.
This
was
rowed
with
great
rapidity
,
but
it
was
obliged
to
go
much
farther
up
the
harbour
than
on
previous
occasions
,
in
order
to
deliver
its
message
to
an
officer
of
the
garrison
.
This
was
to
the
effect
that
the
evacuation
of
the
fort
had
been
observed
from
the
Syndicate
’
s
vessels
,
and
although
it
had
been
apparently
complete
,
one
of
the
scientific
corps
,
with
a
powerful
glass
,
had
discovered
a
man
in
one
of
the
outer
redoubts
,
whose
presence
there
was
probably
unknown
to
the
officers
of
the
garrison
.
