The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-06-09

bieeksd. n W. tAsa tAat LisutsulnA
Hobsoa eeasslJ6a !. ths'lsAsns q s1nAe'
ing u blg esllts aeross Tie Aas1ar
sntranes, and aaked % - allowed u
execute Il himsslf u sssmsd esgtAin
death and almost certain failure. but
Hobson was % entAusiastic that his
confidence was .infeetious. and the ID
miral finally reluctantly yave his coz
sent W
Would Not saal Under Falss Cel6ss. 1
The plan Of allowing the Merrimae to
run in under the Spanish nag. with the
fsst In fsiensd pursuit. firing blank
cartridges and blasing the path to the
harbor entrancs with search lights,
was considered. but abandoned. b.
cause Lieutenant Hobson and his vol
untser crew did not want to die. u
their LIES should b sacrificed. under
false colors. They wanted to 60 down
with the Stars and Stripes floating
proudly from the Msrrimae.
When the admiral's consent was OBJ
tanned Lieutenant Hobson became i'm
patient Of sll delay. and that very
night, wednesday. after the moon
went down, hs set the time for the At
tempt. Volunteers were called for
ON all the ships Of the feet, and whole
cheering crews stepped forward at tine
summons for the extra hazardous duty.
About so on board the New York.
some $50 On board the Iowa and like
proportion from the other ships VOL
unteered, but Lieutenant Hobson de-
cided to risk as few lives a possible.
He picked three men from the New
York and three from the Merrimac.
The latSer were green In the service.
but they knew the ship and had plead
cd hard to 60.
Other men selected from various
ships, with Ensign Powell in command,
manned the launch, which was to lie
at the harbor mouth and take of those
who escaped.
Lieutenant Hobson had his plans
carefully prepared. The seven men who
were to risk their lives In the Merrimac
were as cheerful as schoolboys on a
frolsc, despite "a hours sleeplessness
and hard work. Murphy was to cut
loose the forward anchor. Montague
thu after one. and they we're then to
jump overheard and swim to the life
boat, which was towing astern. Phil
lipps. Kelly and Deignan we're to stop
the engines and knock away the
Kingston valves to food the holA, and
Lieutenant Hobson and Charette were
TO fire the torpedoes from the bridge.
! And you expect to come ont OF
this alive?" issked companion of the
lieutenant.
Their Disregard OF Death.
"Ah, that as another thing" said the
lieutenant He was so interested In
the mechanical details Of the scheme
that he scarcely stopped to talk OF
life and death. But In reply 10 fire.
'quent questions Hobson said:
II suppose the Estralla battery will
fire down on us a bit, but the ships
will throw their searchlights in the
gunners' faces and they won't See
much of ua. Then ik we are Drpedoed
we should even then be able to make
the desired position In the channel
It won't be 80 easy to hit US, and
think the men should be able 10 swim
to the dingy. i may Jump before
am blown mp. But l don't soc that II
makes much difference what ! do.
have fair chance of life either way
II our diRxy gets shot to pieces we
shall then TRY to swim for the beach
right under MORO Castle. We shall
keep together at all hazards. Then
We may be able to make our wy alone
and perhaps get back to the shsp. We
tshall fight the sautries or q squad
until the hast. and we shall only sur
render to overwhelming numbers. and
rour surrender will only take place as
"a last and almost uncontenplat
semergeney."
Words cannot paint the cool, matter
of fact heroism of the enlisted men
Nd calmly confident of success in their
audacious undertaking. 50 implicitly
'trustful In eheir young lieutenant who
was to LEAD them, 30 oblivious of
everything except that they were 9oins
In. They did not speak Of coming out.
~itA the exception ,of Deignan, who
said 'nonchalantly: ''Oh, I guess wa
stand fair show Of getting out, but
they can't stGp us going in." this last
in "a most matter of fact styk. a
though going in was the only point
worth considering. So 1t was to them.
Ready For the Groat Feat.
The Merfinac was made ready.
Six stsrpedoes 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 Mas shifted and her cargo ports
were opened 90 that she would nose
readily al when the time came to cut
her andhOr lashings. open me seacocks
and tNrpedo her bnlkheads.
The work was not complete until
after o'clock Thursday msrning, but
with the slky paling In the east Lieu
tenant Hobson heaAed in On his des-