The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-06


ing to draw the Spanish fire. bur the
forts were silent
/ Inss5e tAa nils fncscslng the harhor
could De seea dense eosurna OF moving
smoke as at least ere Spanish vessel
moved down the ter,ao9s channel 10 the
I harhor south She did not show beyond
I Cape srnita, waIse the Dannsiess remain
/ ed IN sight Beyond that her way was
/ blocked by the Merrin1acss hulk. sunk
where HeEssozl promised. crosswlse O. the
narrow channel.
Words Cannot paint the cool. rnatter-of-
fact heroisEn OF these enlisted men. SO
calmly confident u success IN their auda-
| eiotss undertaking. SD implicitly trustful
In their young lieutenant who was TO
lead them. so obvious Of everything hsts
that they were going in. They did not
speak OF coming out, with the exception
os Desgnan. wno said: ''Oh. guess we
stand a fair show OF getting out; bat
/ they can't stop Us from going in. This
last in a mast uatter-ef-fact style. as
though going IN was the .lly point worth
considering So il was 10 them. This
was everyday hercisrn. heroisu in over
ais ard oil and coal dust from ankle 10
eyebrow.
Anther Version of the Affair
Copyrighted. 1895. by the Associated Press.
on BOARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DISPATCH BOAT DAUNTLESs. OFF
SANTIAGO DE CUBA. June 3.-7 a NJ
Via Port Antonio. Jamaica. In
transmission.l-By one OF the most bril-
liant exploits in naval annals. the cork
has been driven into the bottle at Santi-
ago de CUBA, and the Spanish fleet could
not be more secure were the entrance 10
the harbor. doorea. barred and double
locked and the key dropped into the bot
toraiess depths OF the sea.
Lieut. Richmond P. Hobson, of the flag
ship New York. with a volunteer crew Of
seven men, under cover of darkness. after
the moon haes set shorty after O'clock
this morning. ran the big collier Merrimac
into the throat of the harbor swung her
broadside TO across the channel and then
exploded and sank her. Ensign Powell.
also of the New York, with steam
launch crept close under the guns OF
Moro castle 20 take off the heroes Of the
Merr:mac. and remained there pluokily
until daylight discovered his position with
out seeing a trace OF the Merrimac's dar-
ing crew.
Cushings memorable feat In blowing
up the Confederate ram Albemarle Is over
matched by Hobsons act, for Cushings
10
night and fell upon an unsuspecting foe.
Hobson took his ship. over 500 feet long.
into the very faces of the batteries, with
the enemy at the guns. and blew It up.
Discovery at the end of his journey was
inevitable and death was almost certain.
| No name therefore can he written higher
on wars temple OF fame than his
When Rear Admiral sampson Joined
Commodore Sch,ey on "Wednesday. the lat
ter had already ascertaIned that ii would
be impossible for the fleet TO crawl into
the rat hole in which the Spanish fleet
/ had taken refuge. 1t was then that Hob
son conceived the scheme OF sinking the
big collier across the harbor entrance, and
asked to be allowed to execute 1t himself
! Hobson was so enthusiastic that hts con-
hdence was infectious. and the admiral
finaiiy reluctantly gave his consent;
When the admlrars consent was OBJ
tanned. Hobson became impatient of all
de,ay. and that very night. Wednesday,
after the moon went down. he set the time
for the event.
Volunteers were called on all the ships
OF the fleet and 10 the credit of the
American navy he it said few flnched.
Whole cheering crews stepped forward at
the Summons for the hazardous duty.
About so men on board the New York.
| 10 on board the Iowa and like proportion
/ from the OTTER ships volunteered. but
Lieut.. Hobson decided to risk as few lives
| as possible He picked three men from
/ the New York and three from the Merri-
| mac. The latter were green in the serv-
| ice but they knew the ship and bad plead
| 81 hard to SO. and one man slowed away
! on board the collier.
Six other men selected from various
| ships. with Ensign Powell in command.
| manned The launch. which was 10 lie at
| the havb0r mouth and take of those who
escaped. The Merrfmac was made ready
+ Six torpedoes were strung along her port
/ side, with wire connections 10 the bridge
/ Her anchors were lashed at the bow and
! stern. Her cargo OF coal was shifted.
/ and her cargo ports were opened SO tina.
! she would more readily fill when the time
I came 20 cut her anchor lashings. open the
/ sea cocks and torpedo her buIkheads.
/ The work was not completed until after
o'clock Thursday morning. but, with the
SKY pallng IN Ire east. Lieut. Hobsoa
beaded in on his dangerous mission
On hoard the ships Of the feet, plckcted
abou; the entrance. every officer and man.
with many warm aeart-beats for ;heir
brave comrades, awaited the issue with
eyes anxlous,y fixed on tho fut,lng bead
+ lands TIA, marked he entrance Of the
I h3rho- Bat as tire Merrlnac steamed
. forward ahead. Admiral Sampson, pacing
4--t~