The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-04

clear away the wreck by the use OF tor
| pedoes, and to prevent the escape of the
| small torpedo boats that might be able
to pass over the Merrimac's hull 0f
course it must be remembered that there
are drawbacks to the present situation
| for while the Spaniards cannot get out
! our ships cannot get into the harbor, and
| any land attack upon Santiago would be
made at great disadvantage for lack Of
| the support of the American fleet.
! The MerrIlmac's complement of officers
! consisted of Commander j. M. Miller
Lieutenant w. w. Gilmer, Executive Oiii-
Ger; Ensigns J. r. Y. Blakely and J. M
Luby, and Assistant Engineer r. ~
| Crank, Miller is from Missouri. 1Gilmer
from Virginia, Biakely from Pennsyiz
vania, Luby and Crank from Texas -
is expected that reports will be received
| today from Admiral Sampson which VIII
| give details of the Merrimac's destruc-
ton, and the names of the eight men who
have been captured.
/ The Merrimac was purchased by the
Government from the Lone Star Steam
! ship Company The transfer was made
| in Baltimore early in April. She was
formerly the Norwegian steamer Selveig
and was nearly destroyed by fire at New
port News in 1896. She was built at New
castle, Eng, in 1894, was $50 feet long a
! feet beam, and had a net register of 2,193
tons The Merrimac left Norfolk, where
she was fitted for Government purposes,
about a month ago.
| 1t is now known that the Eavy Depart
ment about ten daysSso Yas considering
| a plan for closing the haybor at Santiasp
hat
parently put into execution yesterday. If
/ was proposed to get two large hulks or
| soows and fill them with big boulders
| such as could be easily obtained in the
neighborhood of New York.
| These were to be lashed on either side
of tug and run into the harbor and at
| the proper point were to be scuttleas
| Provision was to be made for the safety
of the crew by attaching to the tug a
| torpedo boat, stern foremost. At the
proper moment the crew was to go aboard
| the torpedo boat, scuttle the hulks by an
electrical contrivance and cutting loose
| from the hulks make rush for liberty
| and the open sea.
There are signs that yesterdays project
! was a development of this idea. Probably
| the plan of taking in scows was rejected
|
able time in waiting for such craft to be
| brought from the United States. Again,
the scows would move so slowly with a
heavy load that they might have been
sunk by the Spanish gunners seeking to
| keep the harbor entrance clear long be-
fore they could reach the narrow part Of
| the channel.
Altogether the Department thinks it was
a better plan TO have the Merrimac creep
up and as soon as detected make a rush
for the channel. 1t is believed here that
she was fairly over the first line of tor
| pedoes before the Spanish gunners were
awake to what was going on.
There is some dc'lbt expressed at the
Department as to vhether the Spanish
managed to destroy Ahe ship at all and
considerable number Of naval officers con-
tend that the Merrimae was sunk by her
own crew at a selected spot. This might
have been accomplished, it is pointed out,
! in two ways; first, by placing a torpedo
/ in the bottom and forward of the ship, so
! arranged as to be exploded at will from
the stern, thus sinking the ship instantly.
The second plan would have been 10
open the flooding valves Of the ship at a
| certain distance from the harbor en-
trance, adjusting them so, relative to the
speed OF the ship, that the Merrimac
| would go down at certain point. No
j one believes that the Spaniards discharged
| a torpedo at the Merrimac from the shore,
/ as reported in the earlier dispatches, for
] the officers are confident that the Span
iards did not have in place the complicat-
1 ed and delicate mechanism necessary TO
| handle automobile or fish torepdoes.
/ AS to the prospects of he rbeing re-
moved by the Spaniards, as is reported
to be under way at Santiago, the Off
I cials at the Navy Department declare
that this is likely to be a difficult, dan
| gerous and consuming operation.
The hulk could be blown up by the use of
/ dynamite charges, which would not be
/ difficult to place in the shallow water
! where the Merrimac hes. for the reports
/ saw the top Of the funnel is above water,
4 indicating depth of about 40 to 50 feet.
But it is believed that the wreck lies
/ in sight from the sea and 1t is not doubt
/ ed that Sampson will post some Of the
heavy ironclads in such a position as to
be able to commend the site with her
heavy guns and prevent the Spanish
wreckers from working. At night some-
4 thing might be accomplished by the
wreckers but even then the work would
be full of danger.
Substantial promotion is in store for
the gallant men who took the Merrimac
in. according to the statement Of one OF
the officials competent to speak on this
subject and topledge the AMY Depart-
ment When they get out of their Span
ish prisons they will profit by this in the
shape of advance in numbers and in rat
i ing, which means money. How soon that
/ will be cannot be told at present.
The Department. SO far as known, now
holds no Spanish prisoners of war OF
/ rank. Col Cortijo and the Spanish Sur
geon, with him having been surrendered
in exchange for a couple of newspaper
men. there remain now Of prisoners Of
war. only two or three private soldiers
at Fort Mcpherson, and It cannot be ex-
4 pected that these can be exchanged for
| the American officers who were on the
| Merimac.
The captives, therefore. are likely to re-
main prisoners in Santiago until the place
surrenders or Sampson manages to cap
ture some Spanish officers of equal rank,
i and enlisted men to the same number as
the Merrimac's little crew.
4 The War Department today chartered
the Gate City and the City of Macon for
transport purposes for the Cuban army OF
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