The San Francisco call., 1898-06-23
Hull of tbe Merrirnuc Is Swung Round by tbe
 Tide.
Engineer CroDk Explains Why Brave Hobson's MissioD Was
 Not q Success.

NEW YORK, June 22.-The Herald's Washington correspondent sends the following Notwithstanding the heroic attempt made by Assistant Naval Con- structor Hobson and the men under his command to bottle up Cervera's fieec in the harbor of Santiago, the success that usually attends the brave did not reward tleir efforts. Assistant Engineer R. K. Crank, who was the senior engi- neer of the collier Merrimac, testifies to this fact in an interesting letter which has been received by an officer on duty in the Navy Department.
 From the bearings of the Merrimac (whose mast and smoke pipe could be plainly seem taken in the afternoon" he says, it appears that she is lying with her bow to seaWard just above Estrella Point, with her stern swung around until she lies almost parallel to the direction of the channel. From the fact that she is completely sub- merged except her masts and smoke pipe, it would seem she is sunk some little distance from the right bank. However, she is not lying across the channel. So far as blocking the chan nel, the attempt cannot be said to be successful. It is probable the anchor on the starboard quarter carried the stopperS on the chain and also the pitts, which were not very securely fastened in the deck. And the chain must have cut through the rail as far as the mid ship section of the ship. This would have permitted the stern to swing en- tirely around until the ship lay up and down the channel
 AS MT. Crank assisted in putting the Merrimac in condition to perform the valuable service for which she was se- lected, his statements on this point are interesting because of their accuracy. He writes:
 All the preparations were made with the greatest haste, as it was de- sired to send the ship before daybreak on the morning of the 2d. One of the ships life boats was to be lowed from line amidships on the starboard side. Mir. Hobson wished to creep in, ap- proach the entrance from the westward until he could shape his course, as nearly as possible, directly for Estrella Point. He wished to put the bow of the ship near this point and then swing across the channel abreast of this point When the ship was near enough in his judgment, the bonnets were to be knocked off, and the sea valves and engines stopped. The helm was to be put hard to port and the starboard bower anchor let go. This would swing the ship across the channel and check her headway. When she had swung far enough the quarter anchor was to be let go to check her, and the mines ex- ploded. The strong flood tide was re- lied on to heel the ship to port and as sist in sinking her. The powder charges were about thirty-fve feet apart and ten feet below the water line The admiral was aboard until nearly daylight. Signals to the men at the anchors were to be given by means of a rope attached to their wrists and leading to the bridge. It was the in tention for --obson to remain on the bridge until he felt the ship settle. The other men as soon as each had done the duty assigned him were to jump over the side and make for the boat. Life preservers were served out as we'll as revolvers and ammunition to all the men. Daylight breaking be- fore the plans were perfected, the ship was not allowed to go in.
 About half past 1 MT. Hobson came on the bridge All the men who were to go in with the ship-Montague Cherett, Phillips, Diegnan, Murphy and Kelly-were called up and given final instructions as to their duties. Every thing was made ready below. The ship was steaming in toward the entrance at dead slow so as enable the launches to go over to the Texas and then catch her. This was about half past 2 a. m. The big black hull of the Merrimac could be easily followed from the other shops. At a quarter past the first shot was fired, coming from one of the guns on the hill to the left (west) of the entrance. The shot was seen to splash seaward from the Merrimac, having passed over her. The firing be- came general very soon after, being especially fierce and rapid from the batteries inside on the left of the har- bor, probably from batteries on Cayo Smith. The flashes and reports were apparently those of rapid-fire guns, ranging from small automatic guns to finch or larger. For fifteen minutes a perfect fusillade was kept up. Then the fire slackened and by half past 8 had almost ceased. A close watch was kept on the mouth of the harbor in order to pick up the steam launch. There was little desultory firing about quarter