The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-07
LIEUT.. HOBSON'S PLANS
HIS STORY or HOW HE INTENDED TO
SINK THE MERRIMAC.
He Might have Been Lecturing to Class Of
Naval Cadets on Theory, So Deliber-
ate was His Manner.


OFF Santiago de Cuba, June 3, via Port
Antonio, Jamaica, June 4.-What actu-
ally happened on board the Merrimac can
best be judged from what Lieut.. Hob
son said before leaving the flagship.
Sitting in his cabin, his face Drowned
by the sun, and his eyes flashing with
excitement he remarked
II shall go right into the harbor nntll
about 400 yards past the Estrella bat
terry, which is behind Moro Castle. /
do not think they can sink me before
/ reach somewhere near that point. me
Merrimac has 1000 tons buoyancy, anu
| shall keep her full speed ahead. She
can make about ten knots When the
narrowest part of the channel is reach-
ed shall put her helm hard aport, stop
the engines. drop the anchors, open the
sea connections. touch off the torpedoes,
and leave the Merrimac a wreck, lying
athwart the channel, which is not as
broad as the Merrimac is long. There
are ten eight-inch improved torpedoes
below the water line, ON the Merrimac's
port side. They are placed on her side
against the bulkheads and vital spots.
connected with each other by a wire un-
der the ships keel. Each torpedo CON
tains eighty-two pounds of gunpowder.
Each torpedo is also connected with the
bridge, and they should do their work in
minute. and it will be quick work even
il done in a minute and a quarter.
ION deck there will be four men and
myself. In the engine room there will be
two other men. This is the total crew,
and all of us will be in our undercloth-
ing. with revolvers and ammunition in
water-tight packing strapped around our
waists. Forward there will be a man on
deck, and around his waist will be Il
line. the other end of the line being
made fast to the bridge ON which | will
stand.
LET GO THE ANCHOR AND SWIM
by that mans side will be an axe
When / stop the engines | shall jerk this
cord and ne will thus get the signal to
cut the flashing which will be holding the
forward anchor He will then jump over
board and swim to the four-oared dingy
which we shall tow astern. The dingy
is full of life buoys and is unsuitable.
In it are rifles. 1t is to be held by two
ropes. one made fast al ner bow and one
ut her stern. The first man to reach her
will haul in the tow line and pull the
dingy out to starboard. The next to
leave the ship are the rest Of the crew.
The Quartermaster at the wheel will not
leave until after having put it hard
aport and dashed it so. He will then
jump overheard.
Down below the man at the reversing
gear viii stop the engines, scramble up
On decl1 and get over the side as quickly
as possible.
The man in the engine-r0om will break
open the sea connections with Il sledge-
hammer and will follow his leader into
the water. This last step insures the
sinking of the Merrimac whether the tor
pedoes work or not.
BY this time | calculate the six men
will be in the dingy and the Merrimac
will have swung athwart the channel to
the full length of her 800 yards of cable,
which will have been paid out before the
anchors were cut loose.
Then all that is left for me is to
touch the button. / shall stand on the
starboard side of the bridge. The explo-
sion will throw the Merrimac on her
starboard side Nothing on this side of
New York city will be able TO raise her
after that"
HAD A FAIR CHANCE To ESCAPE
And you expect to come out of this
aliye?" asked a companion of the Lieu
tenant.
..Ah that is another thing" said the
Lieutenant. i He was 50 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: Il suppose the Estrella bat
terry will fire down on us a bit. but the
ships will throw their searchlights in the
gunners faces and they won't see much
Of us. Then. if we are torpedoed we
should even then be able to make the
desired position in the channel. tt won't
lie so easy to hit us, and | think the
men should be able TO swim to the dingy.
/ may jump before ! am blown up. But
| don't see that it makes much difference
what | do / have fair chance Of
life either way. If our dingy gets shot
to pieces we shall then try to swim for
the beach right under MORO Castle. We
shall keep together ut all hazards. Then
we may be able to make our way along
side and perhaps get back TO the ship.
We shall fight the sentries or Il squad
until the last and we shall only surrender
to overwhelming numbers, and our sur
render will only take place as Il last
and as most uncontemplated emer-
gency."
Lieut.. Hobson might have been lee
turing to class of cadets on the theory
of how to build ships, so deliberate was
his manner.
CENTRAL. MISSIONARY SOCIETY.