The herald., 1898-06-06
POWELL'S CALAMITY
The Dispatch Boat Commander Also
Deserves Credit

The Dispatch Boat Commander Also
Deserves Credit
OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, June 8, Z
a. M, on board the Associated Press dis
patch boat Dauntless, via Port Antonio,
Jamaica, June 4.-(Copyrighted, 1899.
knowing Hobsons desperate plan, the dis
patch boat took up a position at sunset
opposite the harbor entrance and just out
side the line of the blockading warships.
The swift tropical twilight blotted out tho
| Cuban shore like a dssolving view in a
| theater.
The last sign of the doomed Merrimac
seen from the dispatch boat was her black
shadow close In shore, seven miles east
of Moro and probably hidden from its
lookouts by the high land close to the
coast.
All night long glasses had been trained
on the streak of gloom, which was all that
| marked the shore line. Heavy clouds
blotted out the full moon, except at brief
intervals, when its light brought out the
shadowy bulk of the battleships, which
was as quickly swallowed up again.
Now and then signal light of the fleet
winked and was answered by another far
down the coast. Then more darkness, ST.
lence and waiting.
The center of interest, the moon, remained
black. Knowing that one tentative plan
was for the fleet to chase the Merrimac
In as a pseudo blockade runner. using
blank cartridges on her and searchlights
to point to Hobson the harbor entrance,
every one waited for this pyrotechncal
display. But 1t did not come, SO Hobson
had apparently chosen the less spectacular
| hui u 70 ,1ay, rf Sta1k
ing the forts alone and in darkness. Black
cloud banks to the westward had hidden
the moon for two hours before its setting,
deprivng Hobson of his own wish for just
a bit of light to guide him in under the
been harder. AT 3 o'clock the moon shown
for a few moments, blood red, and then 1t
was extinguished in the sea.
| "Too late" said every one. "He will
never have time to run in by that"
Almost at the same moment dawn br oke
in the east as quickly as night had fallen
the previous evening. To the eastward,
just where the Merrimac lay last night,
doomed up the black shadow of vessel.
HE has missed his chance was the re-
mark. There the collier lay, spread in the
southern brilliancy. Morros deep red
clouds.
Suddenly a dazzling flash like a hello
graph ray leaped from the battlements,
followed by slow spreading cloud of
white smoke. There was no report, but
far up the coast a white jet of spray leaped
from the sea. The battleships were waking
up. Glasses were trained where the Merri-
mac had been. She was gone. The Vixen
be, 60 ba,. rive he
ing light.
Glasses swept the horizon in search for
the Merrmac. She was nowhere visible
Bright flames and billowing smoke rose
from point to point where the harbor bat
| teries were located. The Spaniards were
! awake, sure enough, and buzzing like ar
upset hive.
"Hobson has run in on them and fooled
us ALL" was said, but" 1t was added
what are the idiots shooting at?"
The spraying shells rose everywhere, be-
lyond the Brooklyn and inside the Texas
but the fire was seemingly concen-
trated westward, close to the shore. There
a thin thread of smoke disclosed their tar
get, the New York's launch, which Ensign
Powell had CALAMITY held close under
Morro's walls until after daylight, when
had run far up the shore, under the partial
cover of the bluffs, and had turned and
eventually boarded the Texas, out of range.
Then he passed on to the New York
The brave fellow was heart-broken at
not finding Hobson and his men.
Being closer in than the warships, Powell
had seen the firing before daylight when
the Merrimac and her daredevil crew, then
r
first discovered by the Spaniards.
He also heard an explosion which may
have been caused by Hobson's torpedo.
The ensign was not sure. He waited vain
ly. hoping to rescue the heroes of the Mer-
rimac, until he was shelled out by the
forts.
| The fleet, seeing the launch return
crowded close inshore to learn the news,
and learning it, went in still closer, hoping
to draw the Spanish fire. but the forts
were silent. inside the hills enclosing the
harbor could be seen dense column of
moving smoke, as at least one Spanish
vessel moved down the tortuous channel
to the harbor's mouth. She did not show
beyond Cayosmith while the Dauntless re-
manned in sight.
Beyond that, the way was blocked by
the Merrimac's hulk, sunk where Hobson
promised, crosswise of the narrow chan
mel.
| Yesterday afternoon while the Merri-
Imac lay stripped to the buff" for her last
desperate run, she was inspected by the
| Associated Press representative. With
matches off, gaping cargo ports swung
back, and everything valuable save her
engines and 300 tons of coal, which scarce
ly seemed to count in her cavernous hold
she was not an inviting spectacle.
The seven men who were to- risk their
lives in her were as cheerful as schoolboys
on a frolc, despite twenty-four hours of
sleeplessness and hard work. Coxswain
Diegnan, with professional pride, ex-
planned the several stations of the forlorn
crew. Murphy was to cut loose the for
ward anchor and Daniel, Montague the af-
ter one, and they were then to jump over
board and swim to the lifeboat which was
towing astern. Phillips, Kelly and Crank
were to stop the engines and knock away
the Kingston valves to flood the hold and
Lieutenant Hobson and Charrette were 10
fire the torpedoes from the bridge.
Words cannot paint the COOL matter-of-
} fact heroism of these enlisted men, con-
fident in the success of their audacious I'M
dertaking, so implicitly trustful in their
young lieutenant who was to lead them
so oblivious of everything except that they
} were going in. They did not speak of COM
J ing out, with the exception of Diegnan
who said nonchalantly: "Oh, 1 guess wa
! stand a fair show of getting out; but they