“And that means chlorine gas,” added Jack.

“Yes, we notice it already aft,” said Blaine all righted.

The pungent odor of the deadly fumes swept into the control chamber as he spoke!

CHAPTER XXVI

THE STARS AND STRIPES

The salt water worked its way into the batteries of the Monitor the deadly acid was generated and the gas permeated the air.  Gasping for life, half the engine crew retreated forward, covering their eyes and noses to escape the asphyxiating vapor.  With bloodshot eyes Chief Engineer Blaine stumbled into the control chamber.

“Impossible to stay back there longer!” he exclaimed brokenly, addressing himself to Hammond.

“Any chance of putting a bilge pump on the water?” asked Jack.

“Not a chance in the world; no man can work back there,” replied the engineer.

By now the gas had increased in such volume that every man in the conning tower base was choking and coughing.  The only thing to do in such an emergency was to roll shut the steel partition shutting off the engine room from the remainder of the vessel.  To make matters worse the lights throughout the Monitor went out, leaving the vessel in utter darkness.

“Every man out of the engine room?” asked Jack.

“I’ll find out,” answered Blaine.

In the darkness the chief engineer called off the names of his men, getting a response, one by one, from the electricians, oilers and machinists who composed his crew.  Not a man was missing, but many of them were suffering from the effects of near-strangulation.  Jack ordered the opening of the reserve oxygen tanks, and this gave the sufferers temporary relief.

“Come here, Ted!” called Jack out of the darkness.

Groping his way to where his chum sat propped against the side of the conning tower, Ted bent over the prostrate form of the ship’s executive officer.

“I’m growing weak, chum,” said Jack feebly.  “My limbs are numb and I feel so cold.  In case I go under keep the Monitor down here about half an hour and then take your chances on going up.  Better to be taken prisoners than die here like a lot of rats in a trap.  Do you understand, Ted?”

His teeth chattering with mingled fear and cold—–­fear for the life of his old Brighton roommate and cold because of the falling temperature due to the cutting off of all electrical energy—–­Ted answered in the affirmative.

“I guess that’s about all we can do, chum,” he added.

Ted and Navigating Officer Binns conferred together in the control chamber.

“Better to go up and take our chances on the surface than to remain here under these conditions,” counseled Binns.

“I agree with you, Mr. Binns,” replied Ted.

And so, after another ten minutes’ wait, the two decided to empty the ballast tanks.