366 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[February, igo6. 



their former treaties, were erecting strong- defences at 

 the end of the Canal and wore mounting such guns as 

 would prevent our fleet from forcing its way through. 

 And the position was in other ways very unsatisfactory. 

 Most of our defence ships were convoying our troops 

 to Canada, vet they would hardly be strong enough to 

 resist the attack of the entire United States Navy. 

 Many of the transports with their escorting men-of- 

 war were captured in mid-.iXtlantic, and urgent messages 

 had to be dispatched calling together all ships that 

 could possibly be spared from other places to return 

 immediatelv to the Channel for home defence. The 

 Trans-.^tlantic cables were cut, and direct communica- 

 tion with Canada ceased. 



It was now evident that a very important naval en- 

 gagement was about to take place, and, as practically 

 all available ships of both sides were concentrated, it 

 should have mo<:t decisive results. Both nationalities were 

 confident of victory, and the movements of the two 

 fleets, sent back by wireless telegraphy, were watched 

 with the greatest of interest. Foreign nations, too, all 

 stood by with bated breath as the two most powerful 

 naval powers closed in the deadly embrace. 



It was a calm, misty morning, the sea as smooth as a 

 sheet of glass, but with a slight swell on, sufficient to 

 cause a slo\\-, lazy roll on the great leviathans awaiting 

 their turn to enter the bloody arena. Suddenly the 

 news flashed in from one of the reconnoitring destroyers 

 that the hostile fleet was approaching. The British 

 Fleet, responsive to the .Admiral's signals, moved out 

 to meet its foe. Scarcely had the first gun been fired 

 from one of the advanced vessels than the Queen 

 Vicinria, the finest ship in our Xavy, was seen to heel 

 over as a fountain of water flew up at her side, and 

 rapidlv she turned on her beam ends and sunk. Un- 

 doubtedly she had been struck by a torpedo, but whence 

 did that come? Very shortly after another fine vessel 

 went down in an exactly similar manner. The day was 

 not favourable for gunnery, for the haze was so great 

 that ships could not be seen at any distance. The 

 British destroyers dashed boldly forth to launch their 

 torpedoes, but they suffered heavily, for the enemy, 

 awaiting their onslaught, could hear the approaching 

 destrover before she became visible, and were ready 

 with their numerous guns to give the little vessel a 

 terrible salvo directly she appeared in sight. A third 

 of the big battleships having gone to the bottom in the 

 same mysterious way, it was soon conjectured that the 

 cause could be assigned only to submarines. Yet how 

 could these be employed in mid-ocean? Soon the sharp 

 look-out detected one emerging above the surface. It 

 was soon seen to be of vast dimensions. Machine guns 

 were at once trained to bear upon it, but the shots only 

 spattered on the turtle-back harmless as rain. \x\d 

 now for the first time did the British officers realise that 

 the .Americans possessed a huge submarine battleship 

 of the most powerful kind with armoured decks capable 

 of turning aside even the heaviest projectiles. Another 

 terrific report and a fourth splendid vessel became a 

 total wreck. There was but one course to pursue, and 

 that was to sf>eedily flv from this infernal leviathan, and 

 the British sViips turned homeward, pursued by the un- 

 damaged enemy. 



The game was up. The mighty British fleet, which 

 had for so long ruled the waves, was beaten. The 

 battered remnants put in to various ports around the 

 coast, crest-fallen and vanquished. -All that could be 

 hoped now was that our ships from the far Pacific, 

 hurrving on their homeward journey, and now already 

 passing Malta, would be back in time to prevent any 



attempt at the invasion of England. But there came 

 the awful news that several of the enemy '.s big ships 

 had bc'^n sighted off Gibraltar, and that the door of the 

 Mediterranean was carefully guarded. \o single vessel 

 dare approach the English coast for fear of encounter- 

 ing the powerful hostile fleet now patrolling around. 

 Frantic efforts were being made meanwhile to prepare 

 to resist any attempt at invasion. Food supply was 

 the great question. .So far most of the Continental 

 routes were still open, guarded by the remnants of our 

 navy. Vast stores were by this means being got into 

 the' country, though purchased at fabulous prices. 

 Every available plot of land wiis being ploughed up to 

 plant wheat. Cattle, imported by the thousand, were 

 being killed off, and the meat preserved, so that the 

 pastures could be turned into cornfields. The great 

 fortifications already constructed around the North 

 Downs were being supplemented by other works. The 

 arsenals, as well as the dockyards, were as busy as 

 they could be. Many of our best troops were either in 

 Canada or had been captured en route. And what with 

 our troubles in the Far East and a small frontier war 

 in India having called away many more, we had but 

 few regular troops left at home. Volunteers, however, 

 came well to the fore, and were being rapidly armed, 

 equipped, and drilled. 



And meanwhile what was doing in .America? The 

 utmost enthusiasm prevailed. On the receipt of the 

 news of the naval victory, citizens seemed to go quite 

 mad with delight. President Tush, on leaving the 

 Senate, received such an ovation as has seldom before 

 bc'Cn the lot of any man to receive. He was proclaimed 

 \'ictor ! Hero ! Saviour of his country ! His popu- 

 laritv and success were such that he had the whole 

 nation in the palm of his hand and could do as he liked 

 with it. 



CHAPTER XII. 



The Invasio.v. 



One morning the good citizens of London were 

 awakened to hear more alarming news. The .American 

 fleet had steamed up the Channel, driving before it 

 such ships as remained to guard our shores. Follow- 

 ing in the wake of this great squadron were a number of 

 large transports full of troops. These, each having its 

 appointed station, approached various points on the 

 south coast and at once commenced to disembark its 

 human freight. Urgent telegrams were sent hither and 

 thither asking for troops and guns to be at once dis- 

 patched to this or that particular place. But when it 

 became evident that there were some 12 distinct points 

 of disembarkation, it was seen to be impossible to send 

 to oppose each and all. To eight different districts had 

 forces been sent, and these had arrived in time to offer 

 good opposition to the landing ; indeed, in several of 

 these the invaders had received severe defeats and 

 suffered heavy losses. But as more and more messages 

 came to hand of forces landing all along the coast, it 

 was evident that the actual invasion had commenced, 

 and the enemy obtained a footing on our shores. When 

 once complete units had been successfully landed in four 

 different places, the troops from other points of at- 

 tempted invasion were re-embarked and taken to these 

 bases. The British Commander-in-Chief now decided 

 on a plan of action. His forces being scattered and 

 consisting mostly of untrained troops caused him to 

 order a concentration on London, believing that to be 

 the undoubted goal for which the enemy would make. 

 The invaders could then knock their heads against our 



