Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 15, 2025
The sun set luridly in the midst of a blaze of wild and threatening cloud, and the light breeze which they had so far carried with them suddenly died away to nothing, leaving the surface of the sea like a sheet of oil, through which the San-chau drove her bows as through something solid.
After this the hemp portion of the tow-rope was secured to bollards on the quarter-decks of both craft, the slack of the hawsers attached to the kedge-anchors was taken up, the skippers stood by their respective engine-room telegraphs, and, at a signal from Wong-lih, the San-chau went slowly ahead until the towing hawser was taut.
And here it may be stated that they were not pursued, and all arrived safely at Wei-hai-wei without any mishap whatever. Ting now hoisted the signal to clear for action, and a scene of bustle and orderly confusion at once ensued. All the boats belonging to the squadron were hoisted out and lowered, and the San-chau went the rounds, collecting them all.
Frobisher's old acquaintance, the Hat-yen, which had been Admiral Wong-lih's flagship at the battle of Asan, was also to be seen busily preparing for sea; and the dispatch vessel San-chau, which he likewise recognised, had also been pressed into service.
The wall of water crashed into and over the San-chau with a power that made it appear as though she had struck something solid; and for a few moments Frobisher, clinging to the bridge rail beside the captain and Wong-lih, could see nothing of the deck of the ship, so deeply was she buried in the wave.
Steam was then given to the after-winches aboard the cruiser, to which the kedge-hawsers were led, the screws of the Chih' Yuen were sent astern at full speed, while the San-chau went ahead with every ounce of steam her boilers could supply to the engines.
Steam was therefore ordered for full speed about seventeen knots and the San-chau began to move more rapidly through the water, at the same time altering her course so as to pass outside the islands instead of through the Chang-shan-tao channel, as had at first been intended.
Then came Frobisher's own ship, the Chih' Yuen, in the starboard division, with the Shan-si as her companion; the Yen-fu and Khu-ling came next, then the Yung-chau and Tung-yen; while the old Hai-yen and San-chau ended the lines, the fleet thus being composed often vessels, two of which the two last named were practically useless for the fighting line, but were to be employed as tenders or dispatch vessels as occasion might require.
It was therefore to be hoped that her bottom was not so badly injured as Wong-lih had at first anticipated, and that, at the rising of the tide, it might be possible, with the assistance of the San-chau, to get her safely off again.
Wong-lih and the captain having boarded the San-chau, steam was rung for, and presently the two ships proceeded on their respective voyages, dipping their flags to each other as they parted company. "It was most fortunate that we saw those rockets last night," observed Wong-lih, when he and Frobisher were again standing together on the San-chau's bridge.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking