Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-06


range. Then he passed to the New sc
The brave fellow ~
WAS BROKEN HEART
at not finding Hobson and hi
Lying closer in that the wan %, Pow
ell had seen the firing before daylight,
when the Merrimac and her daredevil
crew then well inside Moro Castle, were
probably first discovered by the Span
iards.
He also heard an explosion which may
have been caused by Hobson's torpedoes
The ensign was not sure. He waited,
vainly hoping to rescue the heroes of the
Merrimac, until he was shelled out by the
forts.
The fleet. seeing the launch return,
crowded close in shore TO learn the news,
and. learning it, went in closer still, hop
ing to draw the Spanish fire, but the forts
| remained silent
Inside the hills enclosing the harbor
could be seen dense column of moving
smoke, as at least one Spanish vessel
moved down the torturous channel to the
| harbor mouth. She did not show beyond
| Cayo Smith while the Dauntess remain
| ed in sight.
Beyond that, her way was blocked by
| the Merrimacs hulk, sunk just where
| Hobson promised, cross-wise of the ner-
! row channel
Yesterday afternoon while the Merrmac
| lay stripped to the buff for her
LAST DESPERATE RUN,
| she was inspected by the Associated
| Press correspondent With matches off,
gaping cargo ports swung bank and ev-
erything valuable removed, save her en-
| gines and $3.50 tons of coal. that scarcely
| seemed to count in her cavernous hold,
| she was not inviting spectacle.
! The seven men who were to risk their
! lives in her, We're as cheerful as school
| boys on a frolic, despite twenty-four
hours sleeplessness and hard work. Cox
vain Deignan, with professional pride, ex
| planned the several stations of the for
lorn hope crew. ]. E. Murphy was to
| loose the forward anchor and Daniel
| Montague the after one. and they were
| then to jump overheard and swim to the
| life boat which was towing astern. Phil
| lips. Kelly and Crank were to stop the
| engines and knock away the Kingston
| valves TO food the hold, and Lieut.. Hob
| son and Charette We're to fire the torpe-
| does from the bridge
| Words connot paint the cool, matter-of-
| fact heroism of these enlisted men, so
| calmly confident of the success of their
| audacous undertaking, so implicitly
| trustful in their young lieutenant who
| was to lead them so oblivious of every
! thing except that they were going in.
| They did not speak of coming out, with
| the exception of Diegnan, who said nom
| chaantly, 20, l guess we stand a fair
| show of getting out: but they can't stop
| us going in this last in most matter
| of-fact style as though going in was the
| ONLY POINT WORTH CONSIDERING.
! So it was to them. This was everyday
| heroism, heroism in overalls, black with
| oil and coal dust from ankle to eyebrow.
Lieut. Hobson, despite his uniform, was
| almost as dirty and dishevelled as the
men. with fortyeight hours growth of
| beard, eyes sunken for lack of food and
1 sleep and hands as black as a coal-heav-
| erS', but the hands were cool and firm in
their grasp, as though he were going on
| parade, and nothing could dull the fire
| of those sunien hazel eyes.
| Reserved but courteous even to gentle
ness he spoke briefly of his plans He
| spoke his men had spoken-of going in,
nothing of coming back except this, just
| at parting:
| Now, pardon me, but in case you gen.
/
please don't say anything individually
! about its members until you know"
| He accented the last word, and the in
| ference was plain-until you
KNOW WE ARE DEAD,
would have filled out the sentence.
| While the Associated Press correspond
| ent was on the bridge of the Merrimac, a
| young officer from the Marblehead came
aboard on business AS he left he said:
Shall we send you fellows over some
| breakfast? We would be delighted and
| can do it just as well as not"
Never mind about the breakfast, old
| man." responded Lieut. Hobson, but if
! you send some coffee. we would be
| very glad. You see we are swept pretty
| clean here and none of us have had a
| drop of coffee since day before yester-
! day."
| 1t was a trivial incident, but coming
| from man doomed to almost certain
| death, 1t seemed to add the last touch of
| the pathetic to situation heartbreaking
| enough in itself.