The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-06

i sion.
The preliminary work Of this desper-
ate undertaking was a strainnupon the
officers and men. On Wednesday
morning, directly after Rear Admiral
/ SIMPSONS arrival and as soon as he
i was certain the Spanish fleet was IN
! the harbor, the preparations TIC scuttle
the Merrimac in the channel were com
menced. All day long crews from the
New York and Brooklyn were on board
the collier, never resting in their efforts
| to prepare her. She lay alongside the
! Massachusetts discharging coal when
| the work was first begun.
HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS.
The news of the intended expedition
Travelled quickly through the fleet, and
! it soon became known that volunteers
were needed for desperate undertake
(; ing. From the Iowa's signal yard
/ quickly fiuttered the announcement
that she had 40 volunteers and the
other ships were not far behind. On
! the New York the enthusiasm was in
tense. Over 200 members of the crew
volunteered to go into that narrow har-
bor and face death. The junior OIL
GERS literally jumped over each other
in their eagerness to get their names
on the volunteer list.
Commander Miller, who had charge
of the Merrimac, pleaded with the al
miral to let him go, but the latter
thought he had better not.
When it was learned that only SIX
men and Lieutenant Hobson We're to
go there was considerable disappoint-
ment on all sides, and when the New
Yorks contingent went over the side
late on Wednesday night, some OF those
VINO were left were almost ready, brave
and strong as they were, to sit down
and cry.
All Wednesday night the crews work
ed aboard the Merrimac, which then
lay close to the New York, and the
other ships as they passed the collier
before sundawn, cheered her with the
same spirit that the British men-of-
wars men cheered the American sail
or's heroism at Samoa.
Lieutenant Hobson paid a short visit
to the flagship shortly before midnight
and then returned to the Merrimac, on
board of which craft he had been all day.
AS he started down the sea ladder there
were many hands stretched out to grasp
wishes for his success 1t was thought
then Hobson would take the Merrimac
in early in the morning. AT o CLOCK the
admiral and Flag Lieutenant stanton got
into the launch TO make an inspection OF
the Merrimac. The working gangs were
still on board of her. and on board the
stood on the quarter deck, their glasses
focused on the big black hull that was TO
form an impossible obstacle for SPANS
best ships.
The minutes slipped by. the crews had
not completed their work on the Merri-
mac, but at last boat load of men, black
and tired out, came over to the hagshlp
Last of all, at 4:30 o'clock, came the ad-
miral He had been delayed by break
down of the steam launch.
HoBsoN CALLED BACK.
Dawn was breaking over Santiago de
Cuba and nearly everybody thought 1t
was too late for the attempt to be made
that morning.
Surely enough the seemingly deserted
collier was seen heading straight for
Moro Castle. The torpedo boat Porter
was lying in near the flagship and Ad-
miraI SIMPSONS orderly, Lieutenant
Staunton, snatched up the mesaphone and
hailed the Porter, saying: Porter, therei
Tell the Merrimac 10 return immediate
Smoke quickly poured from the Porters
smokestacks and the dark little craft
darted toward the shore.
BY that time darkness had quite disap-
peared and quickly as the fast torpedo
boat tore through the water it seemed
as if she would never head off the Mer-
rimac.
AT last. when under the range of the
guns of the Spaniards, the Porter crossed
the Merrimac's bows and sigh of relief
went up from the eager Watchers; Tor
they thought that it was sure death for
Hobson to venture in a that hour.
Some time after o'clock the Porter
came tearing back and the Merrimac, to
everyone's surprise, kept her position.
Admiral Sampson. Captain Chadwick
and Lieutenant Stanton could not under
stand until Lieutenant Fremont from the
deck of the torpedo boat shouted: Lieu
tenant HobSon asks permission to con-
tinue on his course. He thinks he can
make it"
But in stern tones, the admiral sent
Hobson a message to the effect that the
Merrimac must return at once, and in due
course of time the doomed collier slowly
steamed back her commander evidently
disappointed with the order received from
the admiral through the commander of
the Porter, Hobson's figure standing out
wildly on the lonely bridge Of the Mer-
rimaS.
All day yesterday the collier lay near
the flagship and more elaborate prepara-
tons were made to carry out the mission
these preparations Hobson was tireless,
cool and confident, supervising PERSONAL
ly every little detail.
HoBsON's LONG VIGIL.
When Hobson finally went on board the
Merrimac last night he had been without
sleep since Wednesday morning. His uni
form was begrimed his hands were black
and he looked like man who had been
hard at work in an engine room for a
long time.
AS he said good bye the lieutenant re-
marked that his only regret was that all
of the New York's volunteers could not
go with him.
Rear Admiral Sampson, speaking of the
Il think he will have a fair chance to
get out. Yes, it is plucky, very plucky."
When the Merrimac started yesterday
morning on the trip for which she was
recalled. she had or board of her two
men who had no right to be there. They
We're Assistant Engineer Crank of the
Merrimac and Boatswain Mulin of the
New York, who had been working on the
collier all day. These two men refused
to leave the ship, and as their disobedi-
enee was of the nature which produced
Cushings and Farraguts of the American
navy, it was not officially recognized.
The spirit shown by the men and Off
GERS of the fleet in connection with the
Merrimac expedition is really grand and
MESSAGE FROM CERVERA.
Under these circumstances, one can i'm
agine the immense feeling of satisfaction
experienced when il became known that |
HobSon and the crew of the Merrimac |
were safe Later in the day boat with |
a white flag put out from the harhor. and |
Captain OViedo, the chief of Stan~Of Adj |
miral Cervera, boarded the New York |
and informed the admiral that the whole |
of the party had been captured and that |
only two of them had been injured. Lieu /
tenant Hobson had not been injured. !
1t appears that the Spanish admiral was |
so struck with the courage of the Merri- |
macs crew that he decided to inform Adj
Iilrdl sampson lhdl they nad not loSt !
their lives. but were prisoners of war |
and could be exchanged. The dingy por-
ton of the programme does not appear |
to have been carried out, which leads to |
smashed bv a shot. for Hobson's men |
drifted ashore on an old catamaran |
which had been slung over the Merrimac's |
side at the last moment as an extra pre- |
caution. They were captured and sent to
MORO Castle. where they are now under
stood to be confined.
Money and provisions were sent to the
prisoners through Captain Oviedo and it
is believed Admiral Sampson is taking
the steps necessary to bring about their
exchange.