The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-11-30
HOBSON'S FIRST
MERRIMAC PLAN


Lieutenant Richmond Pearson Hobson is
writing for the Century Magazine his story
of 1.-THE Sinking of the Merrimac. His
first paper appears in the December num-
Der, and is devoted to 1.-The Scheme and
the Preparations" Lieutenant Hobson
says, after telling of the decision to sink
the Merrimac in the harbor entrance:
''various plans were considered. That
of feigning chase suggested itself from
the fact that Spanish golfers were sup
posed 10 be on their way to Santiago. One
had recently been captured by the st. Paul,
AMI from her it was learned that others
were soon expected. BY this method the
Merrimae would approach by night from
the eastward when about five miles away
she would be discovered by blockading YES
sels segrchlights would be thrown toward
her. and fire opened, care being taken to
fire wide and throw the lights in front and
on the sides, to show the splash of strik-
ing pro5ectlles.
The Merrimac, upon discovery would
bear i'll toward the shore to within about
two thousand yards. apparently to seek
the shelter of batteries; she would throw
EilCh oH Tie HISS u LIdhc uCdNy ohiOhSs
IS if forcing to the utmost She would
head IN toward the entrance and turn
full down the course for entering the chan
mel, blowing her whistle in blasts as o.
fright ard distress. The searchlight would
flash across and show a Spanish flag at
her peak. On approaching, the light would
be thrown on the entrance to facilitate her
navigation, but carefully avoiding resting
upon ner The shore batteries opening on
the chfs ng vessels would be replied to and
kept diverted. If they opened on the Mer-
r.rrac. sca,cl, ghts would be thrown in The
slinncrs faces.
However, an examination of the chart
showed the difficulties of navigation to be
so great that no sane captain would at
tempt to take in collier at night or un-
der circumstances that did not admit of
the utmost elaboration. 1t was known
that tugs were used by single screw YES
sells of any size on account of the turn
in the channel abreast Estrela Point. The
chances seemed to be against the enemy's
being deceived, and navigation depending
upon. searchlights would entail chances of
failure.
''This plan, and various other plans in
volving the cooperation of the fleet, were
discarded in favor of the simpler plan of
going in alone by moonlight, just before
the moon should set. Surprise under any
condition, could be only partial at best.
since certain amount of light was abso-
lutely necessary for navigation. The con-
ditions for surprise would be more favora-
BILE toward daybreak. Moreover, a flood
tide must be chosen, so that, in case of
"a he vessel would
be set into the channel and have ample
time for sinking before the ebb could tend
to throw her out, while the chances of
being carried by the tide through the whole
length of the narrow channel into the inner
harbor seemed improbable. The establish
ment of the port" or time of high tide, was
about eight hours and quarter, so that the
tide would be running strong flood as the
moon set The moon was then approach
ing full, and calculations showed that 1t
would set at Santiago about half past on
Thursday, June 2. We were speeding at
about thirteen knots-the Oregon had DEM
onstrated her ability to maintain that speed
and we would therefore arrive off San
tiago early Wednesday morning and have
most of the day and night of Wednesday
for preparations. Thursday was therefore
set Tor entering, tnougn the autnlfdl eX-
pressed the opinion that it would be found
impossible to complete the preparations in
time. The special advantage of Thursday
was that there would be an interval of
darkness of about an hour and quarter
between the time of moonset and daybreak,
while on Friday this interval would be re-
duced to about half an hour, and on Sat
urday day would break before moonset. 1t
Will be understood that an interval of dark
ness, though short might be found of adj
vantage for completing the work or for
making escape.
preparations were therefore begun at
once, the greatest amount of detail being
required for the process of sinking.