The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-06-06

should even then be able TO make the
position I'm the channel 1t wont be so
easy 10 do this and l think the men
should be able TO swim to the dingy.
J may lump before 7 am blown up.
But I don't see that IL makes much
difference what | do. | have fair
chance OF life either way. If our dingy
gets shot 10 pieces we shall then try
TO swim for the beach right under
Morro Castle. We shall keep together
at all hazards. Then we may be able
TO make our way alongside and per-
haps get back to the ship. We shall
fight the entrances or . squad until
the last, and we shall only surrender
to overwhelming numbers.
Preliminary work of this desperate
undertaking was a strain upon
the officers and men. on Wednes-
day morning directly after Rear
Admiral SIMPSONS arrival. and as
soon as he was certain the Span
ish fleet was in the harbor the prep
arations to scuttle the Merrimac in
the channel was commenced. All day
long crews from the New York and
Brooklyn were on board the collier,
never resting in their efforts to pre-
pare her, She lay alongside the Mas
sachusetts, discharging coal when the
New York was first begun. The news
of the intended expedition travelled
quickly through the fleet. and it soon
became known that volunteers were i'm
need for desperate undertaking.
From the Iowas signal yard quickly
fluttered the announcement that she
had 40 volunteers and the other ships
were not far behind over 200 MEM
nf hn ~ 1Nn NnRly
volunteered. The Junior officers liter
ally tumbled over each other in their
eagcrness to get their names on the
volunteer list. Commander Miller who
had charge of the Merrimac pleaded
with the admiral to let him go, but
the latter thought he had better not
When it was learned that only six
men and Lieutenant Hobson were to
go there was considerable dissatsfac-
tion on all sides.
All Wednesday night the crews
worked on board the Merrmac Lieu
tenant Hobson paid a short visit to the
flagship shortly before midnight and
then returned. As he started down the
sea ladder there were many hands
stretched out to grasp his and many
quiet spoken. earnest wishes for his
success, as it was thought then Lieu
tenant HobsOn would take the Merri-
mac in early. At o'clock the admiral
and flag Lieutenant Staunton got into
the launch to make an inspection of
the Merrmac
The minutes slipped by, the crews
had not completed their work on the
MerrimaC but at last a hoatload Of
men, tired out came over to the fla gship
Last Of all, at 4.3O came the admiral
He had been delayed by a breakdown
Of the steam launch Dawn was break
ing over Santiago dc Cuba AMI near
ly everybody thought It was too late
for the attempt to be made that morn
ing Then somebody cried "She is
going in"
ORDER TO RETURN.
Surely enough, seemingly deserted
the collier was seen heading straight
FOR MORO castle. The torpedo boat Por-
ter was lying near the flagship and
at the admiral's order. Lieutenant
Staunton hailed the Porter saying:
Porter there! Tell the Merrimac to
return Immediately"
Smoke quickly poured from the Por-
ter's stacks and she moved toward
shore. by that time darkness had
fast torpedo boat tore through the
water, it seemed as if she would never
head off the Merrimac.
At last when within range of the
guns Of the SpaniardG the Porter cross
ed the Mcrrmac's bows.
Sometime after 5 O'Clock she came
tearing back and to everyones surprise
the MerrimaC kept her position.
Admiral Sampson, Captain Chadwick
and Lieutenant StauntOn could not un-
derstand until the Lieutenant from the
deck Of the torpedo boat shouted:
Lieutenant Hobsun asks permission
to continue on his course. He thinks
he can make it,"
But in stern tones the admiral sent
a message to the effect that the Mer-
rimac must return and in due course
Of time the collier slowly steamed
back, HOhsOn's figure standing out
Vividly on the bridge Of the Merrimac
All day yesterday the collier lay near
the flagship and more elaborate pre-
parations We're made During the day
Lieutenant Hobson was tireless and
confident, supervising personally every
little detail.
When finally Hobson went on board
the Merrimac last night he had been
without sleep since Wednesday morn
ing, AS he said good bye the lr-u-
tenant remarked that his only regret
was that all of the New YOrks vol
unteers could not go with him.
When the Merrimac started yester-
day on the trip from which she wac
called she had ON board of her two men
who had no right to be there. They
were assistant engineer of the Merri-
mac and Mulling of the New York
who had been working on the collier
all day. These two men refused to
leave the ship, and. as their disobe-
dence was the nature which produce d
Gushing and Farragut for the navy il
was not officially recognized
The spirit shown by men apd officers
rf the feet is really grand and beyond
being merely EXPRESSED i'm words
THE FLAG OF TRUCE.
Under these circumstances one can
imagine the immense feeling of salts.
faction experienced when il became
known that Hohson and his crew were
safe. Later in the day a boat with a
white flag put out from the harbor and
Captain Ovidio, the chief Of staff OF
Admiral Cervera, boarded the New
York and informed the admiral that
the whole party had been captured and
that only two Of tn" heroes We're in,
jured, Lieutenant HObson was not
hurt It appears that the Spanish ad.
miral was so struck with the courage
OF the Merrimac's crew that he de.
Cded 20 inform Admiral Sampson thai
they had not lost their lives. but were