The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-07-14
aopsON TELLS HIS STORY
Broken Rudder Made the
Merrimac's Sinking a
Failure.
:. r,uier's Crew Was in the Water for an
uonr Before they We're Picked up
BY the Spaniards -Treatmeot
in Prison.

i by the SpanIardS-ifea'men'
4 in Prison.
4 x.u York, July 8.-A dispatch to
:. New York Herald from off San
bgo saye;
sYour correspondent saw Mr.,
/ aobson after he had made his re
| 1T to Admiral Sampson. He
4 mike in glowing terms CT the cour
. and bravery of his crew.
ave have been thirty-three days
/ = Spanish prison." said Dir. Hob
900, sand the more 1 think about it
/. more marvellous it seems that
70 are alive
Il was about three o'clock IN the
nouing when the Merrimac entered
8. narrow channel and steamed in
| rnder Il, 8 na 4 Moro Castle.
! The stiffness of death prevailed. 1t
.. 90 dark that we could scarcely
"a the headland. We had planned
b drop our starboard anchor at a
..rtsin point to the right of the chan
al reverse her engines and then
,v;np the Merrimac around, sinking
b.r directly across the channel
This plan was adhered to, but
arcumstances rendered it's execu
inn impossible. When the Merri.
mac poked her nose into the channel
mr troubles commenced. The dead
II silence was broken by the wash
81 small boat approaching us from
he shore. | made her out to be a
picket boat,
my THE HARBoR WAS NOT BLOCKED.
asbe ran close up under the stern
If the Merrimac and fred several
shots from what seemed to be three
pound guns. The Merrimac's rud
der was carried away by this fire.
That is why the collier was not sunk
across the channel.
We did not discover the loss Of
The ruddar until Murphy cast anchor
We then found that the Merrimat
would not answer to the helm anc
we're compelled to make the best o
The situation.
The run up the channel was YER.
exciting. The picket boat hat
given the alarm and in a momen
The guns of the Viscaya, the Alm'
rante Oquendo and of the shor
batteries were turned upon US.
Submarine mines and torpedoe
we're also exploded all around uf
adding to the excitement. Tn
mines did no damage, although W
could hear rumblings and could fee
the ship tremble.
We were running without light
and only the darkness saved US fror
utter destruction. When the shi
was in the desired position and W
found that the rudder was gone,
called the men on deck. While the
we're launching the catamaran
touched off the explosives.
STRUCK BY TWO ToRPEDos
"At the same moment two torp'
does, fired by the Reina Mercede
struck the Merrimac amIdships.
cannot say whether our own explo
ives or the Spanish torpedoes dl
the work, but the Merrimac ws
lifted out of the water and almo
rent asunder.
AS she settled down we scramble
overheard and cut away the catam
ran. A great cheer went up fro
the forts and war ships as the hu
OF the collier foundered, the Spa
iards thinking the Merrimac was
American war ship.
ave attempted to get out OF Il
hsrbor on the catamaran, but
strong tide was running, and da
light found US still struggling IN t
water. Then, for the first time, t
Spaniards saw US, and boat tro
the Reina Mercedes picked US up.
IN THE WATER AN HOUR.
ut was then shortly after 5 o'clo
in the morning, and we had been
the water more than an hour
were taken aboard the Reina Nj