The Wasp, 1913 · page 257 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 257: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a prose narrative (not a cartoon) describing a naval battle involving three vessels: a sloop, a French brig, and a white schooner commanded by Commander Scovil. The text depicts an intense combat sequence where the sloop, despite being damaged and suffering casualties, manages to disable the French brig's rigging while a white schooner provides supporting fire from a distance. The narrative emphasizes the schooner's superior gunnery and tactical positioning. **Context:** This appears to be from a serialized naval adventure story—likely involving American vessels engaging a French enemy. *The Wasp* was a San Francisco-based satirical magazine, but this particular page reads as straightforward military fiction rather than satire or political commentary. Without seeing page numbers or issue dates, the specific historical naval action referenced remains unclear.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SE 252 THE WASP the unfortunate sloop from stem to stern; but he fought on, at the same time clearing the wreckage of top-hamper from the deck. In a lull in the firing of his own guns he was as- tonished to see the French brig’s foretop sway and crash down. He did not stop to wonder at it, but crawled across the brig’s bows and put four red- hot shot into her and a score of bullets into her open ports. Then, as he drew away, he gave her a rap with his heavy metal aft. The brig’s maintop went by the board. The sloop, sadly splintered, and with a third of her crew dead or wounded, drew away from her big antagonist as fast as her crippled condition would permit. The white schooner, now about a quarter of a. mile away from the brig, calmly continued her target-practice with her big bow-chaser and the brig as her target. She shifted her ground constantly. The brig returned her attentions somewhat wildly. The schooner seemed to possess a very fine gun and an_exceptional gunner. Commander Scovil thanked Heaven for the amaz- ing thing that had happened and took full advan- Comichooks.com