The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-09-29


the charges exploded, and as she sank
with lurch at the bow we got over her
sides. That we got into the water is
nearly all we know Of what happened
lin that rather brief period. Some sprang
over the ships sides, but more than one
Iof us was thrown over the rail by the
shock and the lurching Of the ship.
lit was our plan to escape on cata-
|maran float which lay on the roof Of
the midship house. One Of the greatest
dangers Of the thing was that of being
caught in the suction made by the ship
as she went down, so we tied the float
Ito the taffrail, giving it slack line
enough, as we thought, to let it float
loose after the ship had settled into her
resting place. Iswam away from the
ship as soon as struck the water, but
I could feel the eddies drawing me back
ward in spite Of all could do. That
did not last very long. however, and
as soon as I felt the tugging ease I
turned and struck out for the float,
which I could see dimly bobbing up
and down over the sunken hull.
"The Merrimac's masts were plainly
visible, and could see the heads of my
seven men as they followed my example
and made for the float also. We had ex-
ipected, of course, that the Spaniards
would investigate the wreck, but we
had no idea that they would be at it as
quickly as they were. Before we could
lget to the float several rowboats and
Launches came around the bluff from
inside the harbor They had officers on
board and armed marines as we'll, and
they searched that passage. rowing
backward and forward, until the next
morning. It was only by good luck that
we got to the float at all, for they were
upon us so quickly that we had barely
concealed ourselves when a boat with
quite large party on board was right
beside US.
| Unfortunately, we thought then.
but it turned out afterward that moth
ing more fortunate than that could have
happened to us, the rope with which
I'VE had secured the float to the ship
was too short to allow it to swing free,
and when we reached it we found that
!one Of the pontoons was entirely out Of
the water and the other one was SUBJ
merged. Had the raft lain fat on the
water we could not have got under it
and would have had to climb up on it
to be an excellent target for the first
party of marines that arrived. AS it
was, we could get under the raft and
by putting our hands through the crew
ices between the Stats which formed it's
deck we could hold our heads out Of
water and still be unseen. That is what
we did. and all night long we staid
there with our noses and mouths barely
out Of water.
''None of us expected to get out of
the affair alive, but luckily the Span
iards did not think Of the apparently
damaged, half sunken raft floating
about beside the wreck. They came to
within cables length Of us at inter.
walls Of only few minutes all night.
I'VE could hear their words distinctly
and even in the darkness could distin-
guish an occasional CLINT of light on the
rifle barrels of the marines and on the
lace Of the officers uniforms. We were
afraid to speak above whiser, and fo1
a good wilhelm fact, whenever they
were near us-we breathed as easily az
I'VE could. I ordered my men not to
speak unless to address me, and with
one exception they obeyed.
AFTER we had been there an hour OF
two the water, which we found rather
warm at first, began to get cold, and
my fingers ached where the wood was
pressing into them. The clouds, which
were running before pretty stiff breeze
when we went in, blew over, and ther
by the starlight we could see the boats
when they came out Of the shadows Of
the cliffs on either side, and even wher
we could not see them we knew thai
they were still near, because we could
hear very plainly the splash Of the oarl
and the grinding Of the oarlocks.
"Our teeth began to chatter before
very long, and was in constant fea,
that the Spaniards would hear us wher
they came close. It was 80 still ther
that the chattering sound seemed to ii
loud as hammer, but the Spaniards
i,rs were not sharp enough to hear it
My men tried to keep their teeth still
but it was hard work and not ATTENDED
with any great success at the best. W.
| nll knew that we would be shot if dis
lowered by an ordinary seaman or ma
Nine, and ordered my men not to stir
Is the boats having officers on boart
spt we'll in the distance. One Of m,
zen disobeyed my orders and startet
swim ashore, and had to call hin
,ck. He obeyed at once. but my voic
emed to create some commotlol
Rnong the boats, and several Of then
ppeared CLOSE beside Us before the dis
urbanoe in the water made BY the MAJ