The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-24
NEW STORY OF HOBS0NS FEAT
DEED ONE OF THE MOST DARING
IN NAVAL ANNALS.

Ship TO Remain in Just the Posi-
ton That Was Counted on.
New York, June pa dispatch to the
| Tribune from Washington says:
The following description of the heroic
feat of Lieut.. Hobson in sinking the Mer-
rlmac at Santiago has been received at
| the navy department from Assistant En-
gineer r. X. Crank. former shipmate
and personal friend of the gallant prisoner,
whose exchange has been refused by the
Spaniards.
1T is valuable as being the account of
an eyewitness, as well as of an officer
of distinguished technical ability. who
barely missed sharing Hobson's fame, as
he started into the harbor with the YES
sci when the first attempt was made, but
was not allowed to accompany her on
the second trip, in spite of his earnest
protest against being detached after he
had volunteered and had been accepted.
1t conclusively shows the Merrimacs mis-
sion was unsuccessful.
1T had been decided to try to blockade
the entrance of the harbor in order 70
bottle up the Spanish ships inside. On
| Wednesday, June l. while the officers of
the Merrimac were sitting at luncheon
Assistant Naval Constructor r. p Hob
son came aboard from the flagship with
the startling announcement that the adj
miral had decided to run the Merrimao
into the entrance of the channel leading
to the harbor Of Santiago and sink her
there.
Mr.. Hobson roughly outlined his plans,
! and preparations were Immediately begun
for putting them into execution. The four
transverse bulkheads of the ships were To-
Gated approximately and their position
marked on the port side of the ship at
the rail. The length OF the Merrimac is
about S44 feet, and her breadth of beam
about A feet, as nearly as can be remem-
bered.
"a line was run along the port side OF
the ship, parallel to the water line. This
line was supported by 'hogging lines that
were run over the rail outside. Along this
line were TO be suspended ah S-inch cop
per cases ten charges of ordinary brown
prismatic powder, each charge weighing
about eighty pounds; over this an ordin-
airy igniting charge of brown powder was
| placed and the whole was covered up
with pitch for protection from the water,
with a primer and wire for exploding the
| charges.
THE ship at this time contained about
1900 tons of coal. AS far as possible, all
stores were removed.
About dark the powder charges were
| brought on board and lowered into position
over the port side. The wire for eXplod-
ing the charges was run and connected and
the dry battery was made ready. The
first plan contemplated the simultaneous
explosion of all ten charges. 1t was found
the battery on hand was not sufficient to
explode with certainty only six of these
charges, so only six were connected.
| Meanwhile one of the ships anchors had
| been taken aft to the starboard quarter
and dashed over the rail ready for drop
ping as soon as the lashes We're cut. The
| chain of this anchor had been left aft, 45
! fathoms led along the deck clear for run
ming and the chain stopped at the upper
hold bits.
Below in the engine room the nuts
| holding the bonnets of the main injection
valve and the sea suction valve of the big
fire pump were slackened off ready for in
slant removal and wooden props were
| wedged in on top of the bonnets, so that
| after the nuts had been taken off one blow
with a sledge would knock out the prop
and allow the bonnet to fly off, admitting
| the sea.
Arrangements were also made for cut
ting two smaller pipes leading from the
sea to the pumps and donkey boiler. All
| Watertight doors were taken off from the
athwartship bulkheads to give the water
free access to all parts of the ship.
IAN these preparations were made with
the greatest haste, as it was desired to
send the ship in before daybreak on the
morning of the I'd.
| zone of the ships lifeboats was to be
towed from line amidships on the star
board side. All cans containing stores
were knocked open.
THE officers and crew, with the excep-
ton of Capt. Miller, Assistant Engineer
Crank Machinlst John Phillips, Ordinary
| Seaman Deigman and Acting Water Car
rier Kelly were sent to the flagship New
| York
"NIr. Hobson was, of course, TO remain
aboard to take the ship I'm. AT the same
| time Boatswain Muller came aboard in the
! afternoon from the New York, to form a
part of the crew. The preparations were
| not completed until nearly daylight.
"Finally all the preparations were COM
pleted. The ship had been headed in only
a very few minutes when she was directed
to return by the flagship. This recall was
| a great disappointment to Mr.. Hobson,
who wished to go In and have the thing
over, despite the daylight.
This was al daybreak on June 2. Word
was sent to us in the engine room that the
fires might be banked, and that the en-
] gines would not be needed further. 1t had
been decided to postpone that attempt I'M
I'll the night.
"Of course the nervous strain had been
very great on the men and had acted as a
stimulus to keep them up The men left
their stations and the ship steamed out
further from shore. She was separated
| from all the feet, and in her abandoned
Quilted condition. certainly seemed like the
! doomed vessel she was.
1.-THE Marblehead came near the shin
about 8 o'clock to get the personal effects
of the officers which had, however. been
! sent aboard the Massachusetts the after
noon before. 1t was requested that some
food be sent aboard, as there had been
none 'eft on board and no means of pre-
pairing any Some coffee and hard tack
were seIt aboard from the Marblehead
| This was all that the men had until late
| In the afternoon, except those who went
on board the flagship about o'clock to
rest and get something to cat.
| "Boatswain Muller went aboard the
flagship. and did not return for the second
| and final attempt.
Seaman Murphy Of the Iowa came
| aboard to take his place.
Te.~a