The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-07

arranged about ten feet below the water
line, six torpedoes being placed so as to
break open the compartments. These tor
pedoes had electrical connection with bat
terry on the bridge and were to he dis
charged by pressing a button.
1.-The channel is only few hundred yards
wide. 1t was arranged that the Merrimac
was to be swung across the channel till one
end grounded. The man that let go the
starboard anchor was to let the life raft fall
and jump overheard. The man at the port
anchor was to be the next to jump off. then
the helmsman; next the engineers, on sig
nails, were to open the valves, let in the
water, climb to the deck and leap over
board. Last of all the man that pressed the
key was to plunge into the water. The man
at the key was undoubtedly Hobson. He
would be unlikely to assign another man
the most dangerous post. Besides, he is the
best swimmer in the navy.
THE plan was carried out perfectly The
only thing we had not counted on was the
Spaniards keeping such sharp watch. Un
doubtedly they knew something was afoot
They permitted the Merrimac to pass be-
tween the Morro and Estrella forts without
roticing her, but when she was in range of
the other forts every gun in the harbor
shots the firing was so furious. The forts
must have fired a thousand times. / was
on the New York watching and the hearts
of all of us faltered, for it seemed as if no
ship could live in that hell of fire, and that
no one on board could escape. The Merri-
mac anchored, the men jumped overheard
and the forts then subsidized. refusing to fire
at the men struggling in the water. The
men reached the raft, where they were cap
tured and taken to MORO fort.
After daylight Admiral Cerveras chief
officer of staff came aboard the New York.
He said the Merrimac's men were safe and
would be we'll treated. Two of them were
slightly wounded. They lacked clothes and
money, and their friends might send them
anything but written communications. We
sent them clothes, money and food. OfhceTs
of the New York asked to be allowed to
exchange places with Hobson but this was
not permissible. Cerveras officer could not
find strong enough language to express his
admiration for the bravery of the Ameri-
cans. His courtesy and the action of the
forts in sparing the men struggling in the
water changed our opinion of the Spaniards.
and made us think the stories of their honor
and chivalry not so far wrong.
After daylight we could see the masts
and funnel of the Merrimac stick out of
the water. She was sunk exactly where
we wanted her. We saw in the harbor three
cruisers the Cristobal Colon and Infanta
Maria Teresa being among them, but
don't know whether the other cruisers or
the torpedo boat destroyers are there. The
black thing that some of the officers of the
ships thought they saw coming after them
has not been identified yet, and we are not
sure that any of the destroyers are at San
tiago.
THE insurgents sent us word that the
men and guns from the cruisers had been
sent ashore, and it looks as though the
vessels would not try to get out and the
Spanish officers had no hope of escape or
victory, but were determined to make d
brave. stubborn fight to maintain Spain's
honor. The story printed in New York that
Lieutenant Hobson and Rear Admiral
Sampson quarreled just before the Merri-
mac went in is an entire falsehood"