The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-24

I
lips, Diegman Murphy and Kely--were
called up and eiven final Instructions as
to their duties Everything was made
ready below. The relief crew and myself
Were sent aboard the Texas.
THE ship was steaming in toward the
entrance at dead Slow" so as to enAbie
the launch to so over TO the Texas and
then catch her. This was about 2:S0 a. m.
AT 3:15 O'Clock a. m. the first shot was
! fred coming from one of the uus on the
hill to the left twesD of the entrance. The
shot was seen to splash seaWard from the
| Merrimac, having passed over her. The
| firing became gene raj very soon after, be-
ing especially fierce and rapid from the
| batteries inside on the left of the harbor
| probably from the batteries on smith cay.
The flashes end reports were appar-
entity those of rapid-fire guns, ranging
! from small automatic guns TO 4-inch or
! larger. For fifteen minutes a perfect fusi-
lade was kept Up Then the fire slackened
and by $50 o clock had almost ceased.
"A close watch was keut on the mouth Of
| the harbOr, in order to pick mp the steam
! launch, There was a little desultorr firing
until about 3I5 O'Clock, when all became
/ quiet
daylight came about 5 O'clock. At about
! o:lo the launch was seen. steaming from
! west to east near or across the mouth OF
! the harbor. She steamed back from cast
| to west; then began skrtlng The coast TO
the west of the entrance.
! Mr.. Powell came alongside the Texas
| and reported that mo one had come out
| OF the entrance of the harbor" His
words sounded like the death knell of all
| VINO had gone in on the Merrimac
IT seemed Incredible almost impossible.
| that any of them could have lived through
the awful fire that was directed at the
ship.
There was probably no one in the feet
/ aT o. -
| men had persisted.
| In the afternoon, much to the surprise
OF every one, tug, flying a flag of truce,
was seen coming out of the entrance
The Vixen, flying a table cloth at the
| lore, went to meet her.
| "A Spanish officer was taken aboard 70
the flagship. Not long after a signal was
made that Murphy of the Iowa was saved
! and was prisoner of war
About o'clock another signal was
made from the flagship: Golfers crew
prisoners of war; two slightly wounded
all we'll
! 1T can be easily imagined the relief this
signal brought TO all hands, who had been
| mourning the death of the men
The Spanish officer said also that the
| prisoners were confined in MORO Castle.
He said further that Admiral Cervera
considered the attempt to run in and
| sink the Merrimac across the channel &C
an act of such bravery and desperate dar-
ing that he thought il only proper that
our admiral should be notified of the safe
! ty of these men.
Whatever the motive for sending out
the tug with the flag of truce. the act was
a most graceful one and one of most chiv-
! alrous courtesy
! The Spanish officer Is reported to have
! said: You have made 1t more ,lifficult.
but we can still get out From bearings
| OF the Merrimac (whose masts and smoke
! pipes could be plainly seem taken in the
| afternoon, 1t appears that she is living
with her bow to seward, just above Es-
| trella point, with her stern swung around
until she lies almost parallel to the direc-
| tion OF the channel From the fact that
| she is completely submerged, except her
masts and smoke pipes, it would seem
that she is sunk some little distance from
| across the channel
so far as blOckadlng the channel the
effort cannot be said to be a success. Per-
| maps the anchor carried away the stop
| per on the chain, and also the bits. which
were not very securely fastened in the
deck. And the chain must have cur
| through the rail as far as the midshin
section of the ship This would have per
mitted the stern to swing entirely around
until the ship lay up and down the chan~
mel.
according to the Spanish report OF the
AFFAIR sent to Madrid. one of the big
| American liners attempted to force the en-
trance of the harbor and had been sunk
IN the channel by the batteres and that
only seven of her crew escaped.
Whether failure or a success, the at,
tempt of the Merrimac will undoubtedly
go down to history as one of the bravest
and most daring deeds in naval annals
Mr.. Hobson and the men under him
were fully alive to the desperate If not
hopeless, nature Of the expedition and Cf
their small chance of escape from death.
There was no shrinking. On the contrary
there was the greatest eagerness to be al
lowed to go with the ship
THE steady refusal OF Mr. Hobson 70
have more on board than were absolutely
| Indispensable for the bare discharge of the
duties required showed how well he appre-
| ciated the danger. He declined 10 grant
| the persistent and earnest entreaties Of q
number of young officers, who begged per-
mission to go. 1t seems well now that he
went alone and that all the honor and
| praise are hiss