The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-06-07

New York, June IA Mole st. Mich
olas special to the New York Journal
says:
Thursday night Sampson decided to
send the Merrimac in and sink her in
the channel at the narrowest part. He
called for volunteers, explaining that
it was a desperate mission, and that
death was almost sure to all who ven
tured in. Then the navy showed the
stuff it is made of.
Sampson asked for only eight men to
man the Merrimac, but he could have
had every officer an dsailor on the
fleet Out of the horde of volunteers
he chose Lieut.. Richmond p. Hobson
of Alabama and seven others, who took
the big collier Merrimac right into the
channel of Santiago, where, in the
face of the fire from the Spanish ships
and batteries, the Merrimac was de-
liberately scuttled and sunk. Just be-
fore o'clock Friday morning the col
lier, deeply laden with ballast material
and coal, was headed straight for the
entrance of the harbOr without a light
showing anywhere. She dashed well
within the line of forts before she was
discovered, our ships laundering at the
enemy'S batteries to attract their at
tentiOn from the Merrimac, which
could not be seen, but the sound OF the
Spaniards firing toward her showed
that she had been detected and that
every possible gun was being brought
to bear on her The SpaniardS may
also have tried to destroy her by the
harbor mines, but if the attempt was
made it did not succeed, for the Mer-
rimac went straight to the point indi-
Gated by Admiral Sampson, where she
was anchored and colly swung across
the channel. Then Hobson
blew a Hole in Her Bottom,
and with his men, only two of whom
have been hurt, took to the boat. They
made an effort to row out OF the
harbor and regain the American fleet
but HObson saw that he had gone too
far I'D the channel, and the effort to
row out would mean certain death to
til his crew from all the around batter
les, as it was then daylight, so he
turned and rowed straight for the
Spanish Squadron. The Spaniards
continued firing at him until they saw
it was his evident purpose to surrender
and then they ceased firing. Hobson
and his crew rowed straight for the
Almirante Oquendo and surrendered to
CerVera in person, who received the
prisoners courteously, and treated
them with the respect due gallant men
who were prisoners of war. The Span
iSh commander sent word to Admiral
Sampson, under a flag of truce, and
calamity praised this herOism and Of
fered to arrange for an exchange for
Spanish prisoners now in United
States hands. From the boat bearing
the flag of truce it was learned that
the SpaniardS cheered the American
heroes as they were taken aboard the
Ouuendo. More than a hundred pro-
jectiles struck near the Merrimac and
over a dozen shots went home. But
| two Americans were wounded, and
those from splinters. The explosive
used was a dynamite bomb operated
by electricity. The Spanish boats that
approached the wreck afterward with
| the evident intention of blowing it up,
| were driven back by our fire. Capt.
Ovido, of the truce boat, took back
money and clothes to the American
| prisoners.
Washington, June THE navy de-
partment has received the following
from Admiral Sampson, via Mole
Haiti:
succeeded in sinking Merrimac in
| the channel of Santiago at a. NJ,
| June g. This was carried out most
| calamity under the command of Ma
val Constructor HobSon and seven
men. By a flag Of truce from the
| Spanish admiral Cervera, sent in
recognition of their bravery, 1 am in.
| formed all are prisoners of war, two
of them slightly wounded. Request
authorities to approve exchange if pos
| sible between these and the prisoners
at Atlanta. Six of the Spanish squad
ron in the harbor of Santiago unable
| to avoid being captured or destroyed"
What BritOns Think of 1t.
London, June 6. - The Daily Tele-
graph says: The sinking of the Merri-
mac was a feat of undeniable merit,
| intelligently planned and valiently ex-
ecuted The Standard says: The vol
unteers who undertook this dangerous
work did a plucky thing and may be
congratulated on having escaped with
their lives.
Accident on the San Francisco.