The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-06-09


via Port Antonio, June 4.-(Delayed in
transmission n)-Lieutenan Richmon p.
Hobson Of the flagship New York, with
o volunteer crew of seven men, under
cover of the darkness, after the moon
had set, shortly after o'clock this
morning, ran the big collier Merrimac
into the throat of the harbor, swung
her broadside across the channel and
then exploded and sank her. He sue
ceeded in this desperate enterprise
under the fires of the batteries and
forts, which guard the entrance, with.
out support from the feet.
Ensign Powell of the New York, with
steam launch, crept close under the
guns of MORO castle to take off the
heroes of the Merrimac and remained
there pluclSily until daylight discovered
his position without seeing trace of
the Merrimac's daring crew. To have
remained longer would have been sheer
madness. AS it was, he retired under
q heavy fire from Mauser rifles and the
heavy guns of the batteries.
Lieutenant HObson and his men are
now Spanish prisoners, as a flag of
truce announced, and will be exchanged
in due course of time; but that their
mission was successful admits of no
doubt. Ensign Powell distinctly saw
the spars of the wrecked ship in the
middle of the channel. Lieutenant
Hobson planted her at the very spot he
had selected.
When Rear Admiral Sampson Joined
Commodore Schley ON Wednesday, the
latter had adlready ascertained that it
would be impossible for the fleet to
crawl into the rat hole in which the
Spanish fleet had taken refuge. The
mines across the entrance and the bat
teries which commanded it made the
mere contemplation of 1t an act of folly.
Commodore Schley was inclined to
think the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius
might be able to countermine, but the
ships would have to go in single file
and if one was sunk in the channel the
progress of the others would be blocked.
1t was then that Lieutenant Hobson
conceived the scheme of sinking q big
collier across the harbor entrance and
asked to be allowed to execute it
himself.
Lieutentant Hobsons chief anxiety
was that in the dark he might miss the
narrow gut and run on to the shoals at
the west Of the entrance. To prevent
the possibility of this the plan of allow
ing the Merrimac to run in under the
Spanish flag with the fleet in feigned
pursuit, firing the blank cartridges and
blazing the path to the harbor entrance
with searchlights was considered, but
abandoned, because, among other rea.
ons, Lieutenant Hobson and his volun-
teer crew did not want to die, if their
lives should be sacrificed, under false
colors. They wanted to 60 down with
the Stars and Stripes floating proudly
from the Merrimac.
When the admiral's consent was OBJ.
tanned, Lieutenant Hobson became i'm.
patient of all delay, and that very
night, after the moon went down, he
set the time for the attempt. Volun.
teers were called for on all the ships of
the feet, and to the credit of the Ameri.
can navy, be it said that few fiinched.
Hobson decided to risk as few lives as
possible. He picked three men from
the New York and three from the Mer-
rimac. The latter were green in the
service, but they knew the ship and had
pleaded hard to go, and one man slowed
away ON board the collier
Other men selected from various
ships, with Ensign Powell in command,
manned the launch which was to be at
the harbor mouth and take off those
who escaped.
The Merrimac was made ready. Six
torpedoes were strung along her port
side with wire connections to the bridge.
Her anchors were lashed at the bow and
stern. Her cargo of coal was shifted
and her cargo ports were opened so
that she would more readily fill when
the time came to cut her anchor lash.
ings, open the sea cocks and torpedo her
bulkheads.
The work was not completed until
after o'clock Thursday morning, but
with the sky paling in the east, Lieu.
tenant Hobson headed in on his des.
perate mission.
Admiral Sampson decided that the
Merrimac could not reach the entrance
before broad daylight. Consequently,
the torpedoboat Porter, which was
alongside, was dispatched to recall the
daring officer. Lieutenant Hobson sent
back protest, with request fUi per.
mission to proceed But the admiral
declined to allow him to take the risk
and slowly the Merrimac swung about.
This morning the Merrimac started
in shortly after 3 O'Clock. The full
moon had disappeared behind a black
cloud bank in the west Suddenly sev.
eral blood red tongues of flame shot
down from the rocky eminence ON
which MORO Castle is situated. They
were followed by jets and streams of
fire from the batteries opposite. Into
the murderous hail showered down ON
her the Merrimac passed and moved on
a full quarter of mile, enfiladed from
sides, rear and front with plunging
fire. from the hatteriaS that snrrou nd ed