Project Gutenberg's Harper's Round Table, September 3, 1895, by Various

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Title: Harper's Round Table, September 3, 1895

Author: Various

Release Date: July 9, 2010 [EBook #33126]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HARPER'S ROUND TABLE, SEPTEMBER 3, 1895 ***

Produced by Annie McGuire

[Illustration: HARPER'S ROUND TABLE]

Copyright, 1895, by HARPER & BROTHERS. All Rights Reserved.

* * * * *

PUBLISHED WEEKLY. NEW YORK, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1895. FIVE CENTS A
COPY.

VOL. XVI.--NO. 827. TWO DOLLARS A YEAR.

* * * * *

[Illustration]

A FIGHT IN THE FOG.

BY YATES STIRLING, JUN., ENSIGN U.S.N.

"All hands to muster!" rang out from the harsh throats of the
boatswain's mates of the U.S.S. _Kearsarge_, and the crew came tumbling
aft to the quarter-deck. They were as fine-looking a set of bluejackets
as one would care to see, the cream of the navy and the naval reserve.

The new _Kearsarge_ was cruising off the coast of Great Britain for the
purpose of intercepting one of the enemy's finest cruisers, which was
known to have recently left England, and was on the way to join her
sister ships in her own country.

Every one aboard the American ship was wild to meet the enemy, and the
_Kearsarge_'s crew had not a fear that the fight would result
differently from the one fought by her namesake forty-five years before.

The lookout had just reported smoke to the eastward, from which
direction the enemy was expected. When all hands were "up and aft," the
Captain addressed his men upon the impending conflict.

"Men," he said, "we are here to fight the most formidable of our enemy's
cruisers. She is equal in every respect to the mighty ship upon which we
stand. There are no chances in our favor. The battle will depend upon
your coolness and courage.

"Men of the main battery, upon you depends the result of the action.
Your target is the armored sides and turrets.

"Men of the secondary battery, your nerve and endurance are to be put to
the crucial test. Your guns must be directed at the unarmored gun parts
an