The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-07

AOP OF couee since Gay before PcSteE-
day"
It was a trivial incident, but coming
from a man dc ped TO almost certain
death, 1t seemed 10 add the last touch
OF the pathetic situation. heart-breahng
enough in itself.
What actually happened on board the
Merrinac can best be judged from what
Lieutenant Hobson said just before leav-
ing the flagship. Sitting in his cabin, his
face Drowned in che sun and his eyes
flashing with excitement, ne remarked;
Il shah go right into the harbor until
about 400 yards past the Esterela Battery,
which is behind MORO castle. l 90 not
think they can sink me before ] reach
somewhere near that point. The Merri-
mac IS 1000 tons buoyancy. and I shall
keep her fun speed ahead. She can make
about ten knots. When the narrowest
part OF the channel is reached shall put
her helm hard aport stop the engines,
drop the anchors. open the sea connec-
lions, touch off che torpedoes. and leave
the Merrtmac a wreck, lying athwart the
channel. which Is not as broad as the
Merrimac Is long. There are ten s-tnch
improvised torpedoes below the water line
on the Merrimac's port side. They are
placed on her against the bulkheads and
vital spots, connected with each other by
wire under the ships keel. Each torpedo
is also connected with the bridge and they
should do their work IN a minute. and it
will be quick work even II done In a
minute and quarter.
ION tha lAcx will fn oIA
self. In the engine room there viii be two
other men This IS the total crew and all
ofv us will be in our Undertaking, with
revolvers and ammunition in water-rght
packing strapped around our waists For
ward there will be a man on deck and
around his waist there will be a line, the
other end of the line being made fast to
the bridge on which I will stand. BY that
mans side will be an axe. When I stop
the engine shall jerk this cord, and he
Will thus get the signal to cut the lash
ing, which Will be holding the forward
anchor. He will then jump overheard and
swim TO the four-oared dingy which we
will tow astern. The iingy is full OF life
buoys and is unsuitable In It are rifles
1t is to be held by two ropes, one made
fast to her bow and one at her stern The
frs. man 10 reach her will haul in the
tow-line and pull the dingy out to star
board. The next to leave the ship are
the rest Of the crew. The quarter-master
at the wheel viii not leave her until after
having put It hard aport and dashed it
so; he will lthen jump overheard
Down below. the man at the reversing
deck and get over the side as quickly as
possible.
1.-THE man in the engineroom will break
open the sea connections with a sledge
hammer and will follow his leader into the
water This last step insures the sinking
of the Merrimac. whether the torpedoes
work or not.
by this time I calculate the six men
will be in the dingy, and the Merrimac
will have swung athwart the channel to
the full length of her 300 yards of cable,
which will have been paid out before the
anchors were cut loose. Then all that is
left for me is to touch the button
shall stand on the starboard side of the
bridge. The explosion will throw the Mer-
rimac on her starboard side. Nothing on
this side Of New York City will be able
to raise her after that
''And you expect to come out Of this
a1ive?" asked a companion of the lieu
tenant.
'Ahl That is another thing" said the
lieutenant. He was so interested in the
mechanical details of the scheme that he
scarcely stopped to talk of life and death.
But in reply to frequent questions, Hob
son said:
az suppose the EstrelIa battery will fire
down on us a bit but the ships will throw
their searchlights in the gunners' faces
and they wont see much of US. Then if we
are torpedoed we should even then be able
to make the desired position in the chan
mel. It won't be so easy to hit us, and L
think the men should be able to swim to
the dingy. may jump before am biown
up. But I don't see that it makes much
difference what do. I have a fair chance
of life either way. If our dingy gets shot
TO pieces we shall then try to swim for
the beach right under MORO castle. We
shall keep together at all hazards. Then
we may be able to make our way along
side. and perhaps get back 10 the ship.
We shall fight the sentries or squad until
the last, and we shall surrender only TO
overwhelming numbers, and our surrender
viii lonIy take place as last and as
most uncontemplated emergency"
Lieutenant Hobson might have been lee
turing 10 class of cadets on the theory
o fhow TO build ships so deliberate was
his manner. He was lately at Annapolis
in charge of the postgraduate course in
naval construction. and is accounted one
of the most able naval constructors IN the
service being entirely wrapped up IN ms
profession.