MISDIRECTED ZEAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2071, 18 August 1885, Page 2

MISDIRECTED ZEAL.

A strange story has been going the rounds of the papers regarding the 100ton guns sent to Gibraltar. As will be remembered, some time ago the Ordnance Department despatched two of the 100ton guns to Gibraltar for the defence of that fortress. The huge weapons were duly mounted, but the batteries were constructed by the engineer authorities in so fragile a manner that it was deemed expedient not to put the monsters to the test of firing them, lest the foundations on which they rested should five way undor them. However, it chanced that a few weeks ago a detachment of artillery, under the command of a young lieutenant just fresh from Woolwich, and burning to distinguish himself, was on guard at the 100-ton battery. During the day there appeared 011 the scene a very tiny Spanish gunboat engaged in chasing one of the numerous tobacco-smuggling vessels, The Spanish . commander, carried away 110 doubt by the thought of the prize money, miscalculated his distance,_ and continued his course of pursuit well within the 3000 yards radius, of which, according to convention, 110 chasing is permitted. The young R.A. saw the blunder of the Spanish skipper, and eagerly seized the opportunity ; for he promptly ordered one of theguna unJer his charge to bo loaded and fired at the offending ship. This was done, and the huge shot, though it went near the Spaniard, fortunately did not hit her, or else the boat must have gone to the bottom. The Dons, however, were so alarmed at the projectile, that they all bolted below, including the man at the wheel, and consequently his Spanish Majesty'sshiphad a narrow escapeofgoing on shore. The aspiring subaltern naturally expected praise for his doughty deed, instead of which he received—first, asevere reprimand for firing a gun without orders; secondly, an order to pay £3O, the cost of the powder and shot; thirdly, a demand for compensation from the inhabitants or the houses adjacent to the battery, as broken glass, damaged walls, roofs, and ceilings, were all due to the concussion caused by tne gun. The total of the claim was about £IOO, and this also the unfortunate subaltern was ordered by the Government to pay.