THE TORPEDOED SHIP
During the next hour or more every field glass on board ship was put
into use, and many were the weary arms that used them until the luncheon
hour arrived at one o'clock. The captain, knowing how trying the
constant watching must be to civilians who are not used to this work,
appointed two watches, so they might relieve each other every hour.
The boys went to the dining room, and as Mr. Elton and his family sat at
the captain's table, the latter took occasion during the meal to refer
to Ralph and Alfred's services on the bridge in commendatory terms,
which was greatly appreciated by their parents.
"I am curious to know," said Ralph, "what the officer meant when he said
'two points to starboard.'"
"That is explained in this way," replied the captain. "The compass is
divided into thirty-two points, or eight points in each quadrant."
"I remember you spoke about a quadrant when we were on the bridge. What
is a quadrant?" asked Alfred.
"I should have said, in the beginning, that the compass is divided into
four parts, one line running, we will say, east and west, and the other
line north and south. In that way there are four cardinal points. You
will understand, therefore, that from the north cardinal point to the
east cardinal point, which represents one quadrant, are eight points,
and so on, from the cardinal point east to south, are eight more
points," responded the captain.
"Then when the officer said 'two points to starboard,' did he mean two
points from one of the cardinal points?" asked Ralph.
"No, he had reference to two points from the line ahead, or for the time
being, he took the line upon which we were traveling, as one of the
cardinal lines, and when he said two points he described a line which
was just one-fourth of the distance around the circle or quadrant to the
east," answered the captain.
"Then we might say that the keel of the ship is one of the cardinal
lines, and the bridge, which runs across the ship is the other line?"
asked Alfred.
"That is a very homely and plain way of putting it," replied the
captain.
An hour thereafter, while the boys were on the bridge, they noticed the
first signs of excitement on the part of the officers. A message had
been handed the captain a few moments before. Of course, all were
curious to know the news it contained, but no one seemed to be bold
enough to ask any questions.
[Illustration: _The Points of the Compass_]
As the second watch appeared at the bridge the boys descended and
rejoined their parents. A voice was heard outside summoning the
passengers on deck. They were ranged along the deck house, and the
second officer appeared.
"I wish to make an announcement, and give further instructions. In order
that there may be no confusion, in the event the enemy should attack us
and compel the passengers to take to the boats, I am going to assign
places to all of you, so that the moment you hear the five bells you
will know where to go, ready to man the boats. Now, notice the numbers
on the boats, which you see are swung out on the davits ready to be
launched. Be particular to note where your boat is located, and its
number. When you come up the companionway from your cabin, fix in your
mind whether your own boat is on the right or on the left side; some are
liable to become confused in coming up.
"Boat No. 1; Mr. Elton, how many are in your party?"
"Five," was the answer.
"Then three more will be assigned; Mr. Wardlaw, wife and daughter; that
will complete the first boat. No. 2," continued the officer, as he made
the assignments. This was continued until the entire list was completed.
Four seamen were then designated for each of the boats, and the steward
was directed to prepare emergency food for the different boats, and by
direct orders the food was actually placed in the boats.
It was really with a sigh of relief from the suspense that the boys
awaited the signal for their term of duty on the bridge. They were in
their places instantly, and seized the glasses. It was now four o'clock
in the afternoon. They were moving toward the setting sun. The sky was
free of clouds and the ocean fairly smooth. It was an ideal sea for
observation. The boys were on the port or left side of the ship.
"Ralph," said Alfred under his breath, as he moved toward Ralph, and
laid his hand on his arm, without lowering his glasses, "look over
there! there!--two or three points,----"
"I see it,--yes,--Captain, what is that, a half-mile off to the left?"
interrupted Ralph.
The captain shot a glance in the direction indicated. "Three points to
port!" he said, as he sprang to the wheel and gave a signal to the
engineer. As he came back to the point of observation, he said:
"Young eyes are very sharp. You have beaten the watch on the top mast."
The officer in charge of the telephone beckoned to the captain. The
latter rushed over, and the boys saw him nod.
"How far are they from us?" asked Alfred.
"Two miles," was the answer.
"Two miles!" said Ralph in astonishment. "Why, I thought I was
stretching it when I said a half mile."
"To be more exact, the range finder in the crow's nest makes the
distance 10,980 feet," said the captain.
"Well, they can't hit us at that distance," said Ralph, "can they?"
"No; we can easily avoid that fellow, but he may have appeared as a
ruse," said the captain, glancing to starboard, with an anxious air.
The first officer standing near, although intently watching the
submarine in the distance, remarked: "It is now the custom for two or
more of the undersea boats to operate in unison; the one we are now
looking at may be a decoy."
"What do you mean by 'decoy'" asked Ralph, in astonishment. "Is it
likely that they would expect us to steer right into them?"
[Illustration: _The Submarine Decoy_]
"No; their idea is to have one of the submarines show up in front,
knowing that the intercepted vessel will turn to avoid it. Then the
other submarine, with nothing but its periscope above the water, and on
the other side of the sailing course of the ship, will be in position,
the moment the turn is made, to deliver the shot. That is why the
captain has gone to the other side, as you will notice the vessel is
now going to starboard," said the officer.
The ship had now turned so that it was broadside to the distant
submarine. Not only its conning tower was now visible, but a long black
object fore and aft could be plainly observed.
"Three points to port!" shouted the captain.
The quartermaster swung the wheel around, and the ship seemed to heel
over, so suddenly did the rudder act.
"One point to starboard, and full speed ahead!" was the next order from
the captain.
It seemed that the order had no more than been executed than he again
sang out:
"Two points to port!"
"What is that for?" asked Alfred.
"He is zig-zagging the ship through the sea," replied the officer.
"What for?" inquired Ralph.
"There is another submarine three points to starboard astern."
"Then,--then the captain,----"
"Yes; the one behind us is near enough to reach us if we keep on a
straight course, but the captain has manoeuvered so as to bring him
directly in our wake, and continually changed the target so that the
submarine cannot aim with accuracy," interrupted the officer.
The passengers on the decks below did not need to be told that something
unusual was happening. The changing course of the ship, the unusual
activity on the bridge, the leveling of the glasses to the port side
and to the stern by the different groups, were sufficient warnings of
the presence of the dread monsters.
The submarine on the port side was now coming forward with all the speed
it possessed, and again the captain turned the ship another point to
starboard. The funnels were belching smoke, and sparks flying from the
top. The engineers were putting on forced draft and the ship seemed to
be trembling as it shot through the smooth sea. It was an ideal
condition for the launching of a torpedo.
"Torpedo coming on starboard side!" shouted a voice.
Every one now rushed to the right side of the bridge. There was a shriek
below. From an unexpected quarter the third submarine's periscope was
visible, and a foamy trail, straight as a mark, began to lengthen out
toward their vessel.
"Reverse! Reverse engines!" shouted the captain. The order was executed,
but too late. The trail came nearer and grew broader. Some of the
passengers put their hands over their eyes, others stood like fixed
statues. The captain placed his hand to his brow, but quickly turned.
"Order the men to the boat!" he said in a quiet voice, as he stepped
forward and seized the handle of the boat's whistle.
No sooner had the order been given when a terrific crash followed. The
bridge seemed to have been seized with a giant hand and it vibrated with
an intense force. A hundred feet from the stern of the ship a great
mass of water shot upward and fragments of the deck were hoisted up and
scattered around.
The ship at first swayed to port and then quickly swung back to
starboard, but did not again roll back to port. The captain shook his
head. There was a perceptible list in the position of the ship.
"Take your position in the boats!" he shouted to the men on the bridge,
and as he did so he quickly pulled the lever,--one, two, three, four,
five.
By the time the last blast sounded the seamen were at the boats assigned
to them. The engines had stopped. The passengers, all except those who
had fainted, had left the deck. Ralph and Alfred made a dash for the
waiting room. Their parents were not there. Down they went to the
cabins, passing on the way the crowded hallways and the unutterable
confusion which resulted from the order to hurriedly leave the ship.
They found their parents in the cabin, and, due to the forethought of
Mr. Elton, the lifebuoys had been adjusted, and their valuables secured
beforehand. Others, however, were not so fortunate. Across the way were
several women and children.
"Let me help you," said Alfred, as he entered the first cabin. "I will
take care of the baby," he remarked, as he picked it up, while the
mother was almost frantic.
"I will take the other one," shouted Ralph.
"We can't stop here another minute," said Alfred. "Do you see how the
ship is leaning over?"
"Come on, Mother," cried Ralph; "follow us or we may not be able to go
up the stairs."
Alfred crowded close behind Ralph, and Mr. Elton assisted the two women
along the passageway. All arrived on deck, the boys with the two
children in their arms.
"Where is No. 8?" "I can't find No. 9," said another. "What has become
of the girl?" shrieked one; "Are we going to turn over?" asked a
trembling voice. The officers were going to and fro, mingling with the
passengers.
"What is your boat number?" asks one officer. "This way; that is the
place you are assigned to."
Mr. Elton and his party reached No. 1 without accident, and all but the
boys were safely placed in the boat.
"Come on, boys," said Mr. Elton. "But where is the mother of the
children?" he asked, as he saw the boys were unaccompanied.
"Take the baby," said Alfred, as he passed it to his mother.
Ralph handed the little girl to one of the seamen, and sprang after
Alfred. There was now a dangerous list, and Mrs. Elton noticed it.
"Is there any danger if our boys go below to the stateroom?" she asked
the petty officer, who was holding the rope connected with the tackle of
their boat.
"She'll have to sway over a great deal further to go down," he remarked.
This comforted her for the moment. Passengers were still coming up from
the companionways; some were being dragged along, and others acted like
drunken men and women. It was a terribly trying sight.
An old man shambled forward as he emerged from the cabin door, glanced
along at the filled boats held in the davit, tried to speak, and fell
headlong on the deck. A surgeon near by rushed up, turned him over, felt
of his heart and pulse, shook his head, and drew the body close up to
the side of the cabin wall. Then the officer made a search to ascertain
the name of the man, and extracted papers from his pockets.
Meanwhile, the boys had not returned, and the ship was turning over on
its side more and more.
"Launch the boats!" ordered the captain.
"But our boys! our boys!" shrieked Ralph's mother, but as she arose she
was forcibly restrained. The captain did not hear, and at the command
the boats went down. Even then a half-dozen passengers emerged from the
door too late, and one of them, notwithstanding the warning, was without
a life belt.
The ship's deck was now at an angle of fully thirty degrees,--as steep
as the ordinary roof. Those emerging from the cabin on the port side
could not maintain a footing, but were compelled to slide down to the
side railing. This was the situation when Ralph and Alfred reached the
door which led to the deck from the companionway. They were carrying the
woman whose children they had rescued, as she was in a frenzy, and
struggled with the boys. The moment the inclined deck was reached
Alfred said:
"See that she goes overboard, and I will go down for that little girl,"
and he crawled back into the ship.
Ralph finally succeeded in loosening the woman's hold, and together they
slid down the deck. The woman was now uncontrollable. She threw her arms
about wildly, and cried for her children. Ralph pointed to the boats
below, but this did not quiet her. Taking advantage of the moment when
both hands were free, Ralph, by a terrific effort, pushed her across the
railing, and, with a loud shriek, she shot downward.
Ralph looked around, and caught a momentary sight of his parents in the
boat below. Mrs. Elton was calling for Alfred. Ralph nodded his head and
tried to crawl back up the inclined deck, but it was useless. An arm
then appeared through the door opening, then a head, and he knew it must
be Alfred.
"Can't you help me up?" shouted Ralph.
Alfred disengaged himself and extended his body down along the deck.
This enabled Ralph to seize hold of his legs and draw himself up into
the doorway.
Once there he saw the trouble that Alfred had to contend with. Lying
half-way up the stairs was a poor cripple, half dead with fright, and
the little girl, not much better. Laboriously, he had assisted, first
one and then the other, and was about exhausted when Ralph came to the
rescue.