Close at hand lay a broad-beamed French ship, the Coronet, carrying a newly-invented battery of dynamite guns.
Another torpedo was quickly adjusted here and an explosion as loud as the first followed. The Coronet, however, was not blown to pieces, but suffered a hole in her bottom four feet long and three feet wide. Through this the ocean poured with the power of a Niagara, and swiftly the Frenchman sank from view, leaving her dead and dying scattered in all directions. Some of these sailors were picked up and they told of the explosion from the bottom, and then the foreigners knew a submarine craft was at work.
This explosion also revealed to Admiral Fielding the true state of affairs.
"Nothing but a torpedo from the Holland XI. could have done that!" he cried. "She is among us and is doing nobly. The day will be ours after all!" And the old salt almost fell to dancing a jig.
The news was quickly communicated from ship to ship and all felt the inspiration of the Holland's presence.
To the northward two big German cruisers had cornered the Virginia, a gunboat of fair size.
The Virginia was fighting desperately, but the German men-'o-war were slowly but surely driving the American ship on a low-lying reef.
"We will fight to the last," said the commander of the Virginia. "A man can die but once and what more noble than to give up one's life for his country!" And his men cheered him loudly.
Captain Oscar had noted this state of affairs, and as soon as the Coronet was disposed of he made after the two German vessels.
As he came closer, he noticed the two ships moving up side by side, as if their commanders were consulting together.