Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-06-08
WAS A DARING DEED.
BLOCKING OF SANTIAGO HARBoR WITH THE
MERRIMAC.

II
| full feet OF Admiral Cervera.
Just before dawn to-day seven gal
| liant seameu took he c.Ilier Merrlmac
under the blazing u FRO battery ana
anchored and sunk her beneath q
spiteful fire of the musketry and heavy
cannonading from the shore, and the
wrecked h u of the sunken vessel ef-
fectual'y closed the entrance to the
harbor within which the Spanish squad
ron is HOP elessly and helplessly locked
This splendid stroke, which leaves
the government at Washington free to
act without further fear of the Span
iards' fleet, was planned by Lieut.
Richmond P. Hobson, who commanded
the expedition. He is naval construc'
tor, attached to the Annapolis, AM his
home is in Brooklyn. With him went
Daniel Montague, George Chairette
j. E. Murphy, Oscar Deignan, John T
| Phillips, and John Kelly, all non-com'
missioned offices or enlisted men.
A steam launch from the flagship
New York, commanded by Captain j
". Powell, followed the Merrimac tt
the mouth OF the harbor, despite thu
| fire from the forts, cruised in the vi
cinity for an hour and a half after thu
collier was sunk, but no sign OF Int
brave Americans was seen, and Cade
Powell was finally compelled to re]olr
the flagship.
IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE FLEET INSIDE.
The plan to block the entrance tc
Santiago has been under consideration
| for several days, as Rear Admiral
Sampson had decided that it was I'M
| possible to take his fleet inside. Lieut.
Hobson had expected to do the wori
Wednesday night, but owing to the
delay in preparing the ship it was de.
ferred. The daring officer attempted
to run it after daylight on Thursday
and was only stopped under protest
after stern orders to return from the
Admiral.
All day yesterday the preparations
proceeded and by nightfall the craft was
| in readiness. A row o1torpedoes bad
been arranged outside the hull, so thai
Lieut.. Hobson could explode them
from the bridge of the vessel and thus
insure her rapid sinking. At nightfal
the various ships OF tie fleet passed
the doomed Merrmac, cheering hei
Justify.
MERRIMAo STEAMED FOR HARBOR.
Soon after 3 O'Clock the black hull Of
the Merrimac began to drift slowly to-
ward the land, and in a half hour was
lost to sight. 1t was Lieut. Hobson's
PLAN to steam past Moro, swing cross
wise the channel, drop h'sanchors, open
the valves, explode the torpedoes on
the port side, leap overheard, preced'
ed by his crew, and make tEeir escape
in little life-boat, which was towed
astern, if possible; and if not, to at
tempt to swim ashore. All the men
were heavily armed, ready TO make a
fierce resistance to capture.
Scarcely had the ship disappeared
when flash from Morros guns pro-
elaine d that she had been discovered.
Immediately the other batteries around
the harbor opened fire, but the ship
went steadily on; for this morning the
top OF the masts can be seen in the
water beyond Moro and near the
Estrella battery. A heavy cannon and
musketry fire continued for about a
half hour, and guns were fired at in
intervals until long after daylight.
None of the American ships dared to
fire Tor fear OF striking the Mer,imac's
crew.
As daylight came on the steam
launch could be seen cruising close to
the harbor entrance, Until $50 the
search was continued, and then, under
a shower Of Spanish shells, which flew
wide of their mark, Cadet Powell
steamed away, and half hour later
boarded the New York. and reported
to Admiral Sampson that he believed
the entire crew of The Merrimac had
been lost
HoBsoN's WORK WE'LL posE,
Not one of them did he catch sight Of.
The Merrimac, he said, lay well across
the channel, her mast showing that
Lieut.. Hobson had done his work well,
sinking the ship almost in the exact
spot decided upon. The channel is not
as wide as the Merrimacs length, and
it is impossible for the Spaniards to