Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-06-07
It Will I'VE n HISTORY.
Heroic Deed of Sinking the Merri-
mac in the Mouth Of San
tiago Harbor.
BLOCKS THE CHANNEL AGAINST CERvERA

OLUUk0 ne UEANNEl HUHlNSl UInv InA
What the Spanish Exult Over as n
Victory Proves 10 Have Been n
brilliant Piece Of Strategy on Our
Pnrt--Brave Men Made Prisoners
by the Spanish.
Washington, June 4.-"The cork is
in the bottle" was the comment of the
naval officers at the navy department |
upon the news of the sinking of the col
lier Merrimac in the channel at the en-
trance of Santiago harbor. They are
absolutely satisfied that the ship was
sent in by design of Sampson to close
the channel and prevent the escape of
the Spanish squadron. and that the UNI
dertaking was successful. If SO, this
will rank as one of the boldest achieve
ments in naval history. 1t will outranls
even Cushing's famous attack upon the
Albemarle with his little torpedo boat.
That is the opinion of the navy depart. |
ment at least. The officers say that
Cushing had fighting chance to es-
cape after making his attack, and he |
did indeed escape. There was no such
chance for the men who took the Mer-
rimac into Santiago harbor under the
guns which Schley's report described
as of great power, and over nests of
submarine mines, any one of which
was sufficient to crush the bottom of
the ship. 1t is not possible now to
learn who made up this crew that is
destined to be famous in American his
tory, for the opinion at the navy de-
partment is that Admiral, Sampson d.
rected that no man be ordered into such
dangerous duty, but that volunteers be
called for.
Two of the Heroes.
There is no doubt, however, that at
least two of the officers were aboard,
namely Commander j. NJ. Miller, of
Missouri, and Assistant Engineer II. X.
Crank, of Texas. The captain could be
relied upon, it is said, to stick TO his
ship TO the last, and from what is known
of Crank's character, he would not be
likely to leave the ship. being the only
commissioned engineer officer ~ hSard.
There is only one c.,inion at the de-
partner. Of sne courage of the man
WIZ SoOlly StObtt tilS tuSlue leNGIS
down in the hold and directly above
the bottom of the ship that he mo.
mentarily expected TO come flying up
ward on the blast of a mine or torpedo.
Was Of Little Value.
One of the reasons that form the ba-
sis of the conviction that the Merrimac
was purposelN sunk in the channel is
the fact that the ship was of little value
as naval vessel. She had broken down
in her machinery and was kept at work
only with difficulty.
Some of Cranll's letters are at once
laughable and pathetic in their recital
of trials and tribulations the young
officer suffered Che is about 25 years
old) in his efforts to make the machin.
cry work at all This is just the kind
of craft that would be selected to block
up the channel. She is of iron and
therefore not likely to be easily re-
moved by the Spaniards. Then she was
empty and SO of no further immediate
value to the fleet.
Another reason for believing that the
Merrimac was purposely sunk is the
small number of the crew aboard, &C.
cording to the reports. There seems to
have been just enough on her to steer
the ship and keep the engines moving.
The normal crew of the collier was
about 40 men, SO that the others must
have been taken off in advance. 1t is
said at the navy department. that there
is no possibility that the American
sailors captured by the Spaniards will
suffer. They are not spies in any sense,
but prisoners of war, and so far there
has been no disposition shown by the
Spaniards to mistreat such prisoners.
Advantages to BE Gained.
As to the change wrought in the sit
uation by this bold exploit, it is said
that it will now be possible to draw
off the larger part of the American fleet
for service elsewhere than at Santiago,
perhaps at Sam Juan de Puerto Rico or
Havana, for instance. A small force Of
say two monitors and cruiser would
suffice to keep guard at Santiago, for
all that is necessary now is to be able
to bring enough guns to bear upon the
channel to prevent the Spaniards from
attempting to clear away the wreck by
the use of torpedoes. and to prevent the
escape of the small torpedo boats that
might be able to pass over the Merri.
macs hull.
Of course it must be remembered
that there are drawbacks to the pres.
ent situation, for while the Spaniards
cannot get out, our ships cannot get in
the harbor, and any land attack upon
Santiago would be made at great dis
advantage for lack of the support of
the American fleet.
The Merrimac's Omcers.
The Merrimac's complement of Off
GERS consisted of Commander j. M. Mil
Ter, Lieut. w. w. Gilmer, executive Off
Ger; Ensigns J. r. Y. Blakely and j.
M. Luby, and Assistant Engineer r. X
Crank. Miller is from Missouri, Gilmer
from Virginia, Blakely from Pennsyl-
vania, Luby and Crank from Texas.
The Merrimac was purchased by the
government from the Lone Star Steam
ship company. The transfer was made
in Baltimore early in April She was
( formerly the Norwegian steamer Sol
yeig, and was nearly destroyed by fire
at Newport News in 1896. She was
built at Newcastle, England, in 1894,
was 800 feet long, A feet beam, and had
net register of 2,193 tons. The Mer.
rimac left Norfolk, where she was fit,
tod for uoyarp m, y,,r.ooeac ol>o,,< /,