The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-06

aport and dashed it SO, he viii then jump

|
| aport and lashed it SO, he will then jump
| overheard.
Down below the men at the reversing
| gear will stop the engines, scramble upon
| deck ana gct over the side as quickly as
possible, The man In the engine room VIII
! break open the sea connections with a
| Sedge hammer and viii follow his lead +
| into the water. This last step ensures tae
| sinking of the Merrimac whether the tor
| Iedoes work or not
| by this time the six men VIII be
| IN the dnrey and The Mcrrimac viii
| have swung athwart the channel 10 the full
! length OF her 300 yards of cable whcd
| will have been paid out before the anchors
were cut loose. Then all that Ia left for
me Is to touch the button. shall SIAM
| on the starboard side OF the bridge The
explosion will throw the Merrimac ON her
starboard side. Nothing on this side of
New York city will b. able TO raise her
after that.
And YOU expect to come out of this
alive2" asked companion OF the heuton-
! ant
"Ah. that is another question" 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 to frequent questions Hob
| son said
II suppose the Estrolla battery viii IRE
|
| their searchlights in the gunuers faces
and they won't SEQ much OF US Then, II
we are torpedoed we should even then be
able to make the desired position In the
channel 4, won't be 30 easy to hit us,
ana | think the men should he able 10
swim to the dngey. | may igmp before
gin blown up Hut | don't think that
| makes much difference have far
| chance az He either way. II our fineey
gc,s shot to pieces we shall then try 10
| swim for the beach right under MORO
| Castle. We shall keep together at oil
| hazards. Then we may be able TO make
our way alongside and perhaps gst back 10
the ship, We shall tight the seutrleR or
a squad until the last and VIC shall only
surrender to overwhelming numbers. and
! our surrender Will only take place as a
| last emergency
Lieutenant Hobson might have been
#, training a class of cadets how to build
! ships so deliberate was his manner. He
was lately at Annapolis in charge OF the
post graduate course in naval constrne-
| ton and Is accounted one Of the most able
naval constructors In the service, being
entirely wrapped up IN his profession.
The news Of Hobeons intended expedition
travelled quickly through the fleet. aud IL
| soon became known that volunteers wee
needed for the desperate undertaking From
the lowa's signal yard fluttered the an
| rcuncemeni that she had lao volunteers,
| and the other chips were net FER behind
| on the New York the enthusiasm was In
| tense Over 200 members OF the crew vol
unteered. The junior officers literally
jumped over each other in their caserness
| TO get their names t1 the volunteer list.
| Commander Miller, who had charge Of tho
| Meiiimac pleaded with the admiral 10 let
! him 20 but The latter thought ne had bot
| ter not when II was learned that only FIX
| men and Lieutenant ilohson were to go
there was considerable disappointment on
All sides. and when the Now Yorks con-
| tinpent went over the side late "Wednesday
| night some of those vino were loft were
almost ready brage aud strong ms they
| were 10 "a, down and cry When tho Mer-
rinac started yesterday morning on The
perillous trip she had on board Of her two
men who had no right to be there. They
were Asslstan. Engineer Crank OF the Mer-
Iirnac and BoatsNain Mullen of the New
| York, who had been working on The collier
all day. Thtse two men refused 10 leave
the ship and as their disobedience was OF
the nature that produced the Cushings and
Farraguts of the American navy, II was moi
officially recognized.
The spirit ehown by the men and Officers
OF the fleet IN connection with the Merri-
mac expedition IL really grand and beyond
being expressed In words. Under the cir
cunisiances one can imagine the immense
feeling OF satisfaction experienced yhea II
became known that IIObEon and the crew
Of the Merrimac were safe.
II Later in the day boat with white
flag put out from the harbor and Captain
Oyido. the chief OF staff OF Admiral Ger
vera boarded the New York and informed
the admiral that the whole OF the party
had bean captured and that only two o.
the heroes had been injured, Lieutenant
, Iiobson had not been injured. II appears
that the Spanish admiral was so strucl
with the courage OF the Mcrrimacs crew
, that he decided to inform Admiral Samp'
son that they had not lost their lives. bn
, we're prisoners OF war. and would be ex
. changed. The dinky portion OF tho pro
grarnme does not appear 10 have been car
n ried out which leads to the belief that !
may have been sunk by shot, aud 1t seefn
. Hobson and his men drifted ashore on al
old eatamarsn. which had been slung owe
, the Merrlmac's aide at the last moment a
| an extra precartion. They were capture
J | and sent 10 Santiago under guard previou
| TO being transferred 10 MORO Castle
where they are now understood TO be con
fined.
81 Money and provisions were sent to tn
prisoners through Captain Ovido. and
/ is believed Rear Admiral Sampson Ia TAX
| ing the steps necessary TO bring aDoh
3 their exchange.
The feet tonight IL In stage OF deliriun
OF enthusiasm and the crew Is Just a
4 happy as can be- The general opinion I
4 that no man ever deserved recognition 10