The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-06-24
TOLD BY AN EYE WITNESS.
Story OF Hobson's Brave Act in Santiago
Harbor.

New York, June 2S,-A Tribune dis
patch from Washington says:
The following description OF the heroic
feat OF Lieutenant Hobson In sinking the
Merrimac has been received al the navy
department from Assistant Engineer r.
H. Crank. former shipmate and per-
sonal friend OF the gallant prisoner whose
exchange has been refused by the Span
lards,
II Is valuable as being the account OF
an eye witness as well as an officer OF
distinguished ability. who barely missed
sharing Hobsons fame, as he started
into the harbor with the vessel when the
first attempt was made, but was not al
lowed 10 accompany her on her second
trip, in spite OF his earnest protesta,ions
against being detached after he had vol
unteered and been accepted conclu-
sively shows that the Merrimacs mis-
sion was unsuccessful.
II had been decided TO try to block the
entrance to the harbor in order to bottle
up the Spanish ships inside. on Wednes-
day. June l. while the officers Of the Mer-
rimac were sitting at luncheon, assistant
naval constructor r. p. Hobsou came
aboard from the flagship with the start
ling announcement that the admiral had
decided to run the Merrimac into the en-
trance OF the channel leading to the har-
Dor OF Santiago and sink her. Hobson
roughly outlined his plans and prepara-
tlons We're Immediately begun for putting
them into execution.
The four transverse bulkheads were To-
Gated approximately and their position
marked on the port side Of the ship
at length, The Merrimac is about Si4
feet long and her breadth about A feet,
as nearly as can be made. 4 line was
run along the port side of the ship par
allel to the water line. This line was sup
ported by "hodging lines" that were run
over the rail outside. Along this line
We're to be suspended, in eight inch cop
per cases, ten charges of ordinary brown
prlsmatic powder, each charge Weighing
about 50 pounds; over this an ordinary
ignlting charge of brown powder was
placed, and the whole was covered up
with pitch for protection against the
water, with a primer and wire for explod-
ing the charges.
The ship at this time contained about
1000 tons Of coal. AS far as possible all
stores were removed. About dark the
powder charges were brought on board
and lowered into position over the port
side. The wire for exploding the charge
was run and connected and the dry bat
terry was made ready. The first plan
contemplated the simultaneous explosion
of all ten charges 1t was found, how
ever that the battery on hand was not
sufficient to explode with certainty more
than six of the charges, SO only six were
connected
Meantime one Of the ships anchors had
been taken aft to the starboard quarter
and lashed over the rail, ready for drop
ping as soon as the lashes were cut. The
chain of this anchor had been led aft Is
feet along the deck clear for running
and the chain stoppered at the after star
board bits, The starboard bow anchor
and chain were also made ready in a sim
liar manner for letting SO, The cargo
ports (of which there re two on each
side, one fore and one afD were opened.
The ship was drawing about sixteen feet
of water aft and there was about three
feet of freeboard from the water to the
lower edge Of the cargo ports.
Below in the engine room the nuts