Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-06-07
Are the Crew of the
Powell.
They Bid Defiance to Big
Guns of Moro,
Shot and Shell Go Screaming Oyer
the Little Craft.

(CopYrlghted1s9s by Associated Press.
On board the Associated Press Dis
patch boat Dauntless, of Santiago de
Cuba, 7. a. M, June 3, Via Port An
tonia, Jamaica, June 4.-(Delayed In
transmission) - Knowing Hobson's
desperate plan, the dispatch boat took
upa position at sunset opposite the
narrow harbor entrance and just out.
side the line of the blockadlng war.
ships. ls
The last sign of the doomed Merri-
mac seen from the dispatch boat was
her black shadow close in shore, seven
miles east of Moro, and probably hid.
den from Its outlooks by the high
land close to the coast.
Black cloud banks to the westward
had hidden the moon for two hours
before It's setting, depriving Hobson
of his own wish for just a bit of light
to guide him in under Spanish
guns. Ia rl. .
At 8 O'Clock the moon showed for
few moments blood red and then it
was eXtinguish in the sea.
Almost at the same moment dawn
broke in the east as quietly as night
had fallen the previous evening. To
the eastward. just where the Merri-
mac lay last night, loomed up the
black shadow Of vessel.
"He has missed hischance" was the
remark. There the collier lay, spread
In the southern brilliancy. Morro's
deep red walls showed against. the
blue hills aud opal clouds,
Suddenly a dazzling fash, like q
heliograph ray, leaped from the bat
tlement, followed by slow spreading
cloud of white smoke. There was no
| report, but far up the coast white
jet of spray leaped from the sea. The
battleships were waking up.
Glasses were trained where the Mer.
rlmac had been. She was not there,
The vision had been mistaken for her
during the morning light. Glasses
swept the horizon in search of the
Merrimac. She was nowhere visible.
Bright flashes and billowing smoke
rose from point to point, where the
haIbor batteries were located. The
Spaniards were awake sure enough,
and busy, like an upset hive.
"Hobson has run in on them and
fooled us ALL" was said, "but what are
the idiots shooting at ?"
The spray from shells rose every
where beyond the Brooklyn and in
side the Texas, but the fire was SEEM
ingly concentrated westward close to
the shore. There a thin thread Of
smoke disclosed their target, the New
York's launch. which Ensign Powell
had gallantly held close under MOrro's
walls until after daylight, when,
driven out by the fire of the big guns
he had run far up the shore under the
partial coYer Of the bluffs, and had
turned aid eventually boarded the
Texas. Then he passes on to the
New York, The brave fellow was
heartbroken at not finding Hobson
and his men.
Being closer in than the warship,
Powell had seen the firing before day
light when the Merrlmac and her
dare devil crew, then we'll inside
MORO castle, were probably first dis
covered by the Spaniards.
He also heard an explosion which
may have been caused by Hobson's
torpedo. The signal was secure. He
waited, vainly hoping TO rescue the
crew OF the Merrlmac. until he was
shelled out by the forts,
The fleet, during the return OF the
launch. crowded close In shore to learn
news and learning 1t, went In closer
still, hoping 10 draw the Spanish fire,
but the forts were silent. Inside the
hills, enclosing the harbor, could be
seen dense column Of moving smoke.
as II at least one Spanish vesseLmoyed |
down the tortuous channel TO the
harbor mouth. She did not show be-
ycnd CayO Smith while the Dauntless
remained in sight.
Beyond that her way was blocked |
by the Merrimac's hulk sunk whore