Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-06-11
HOW HOBSON PREPARED
FOR PERILOUS TRIP
Arrangements Had Been Made to
Start for the Channel on
Thursday Morning.
SAMPSON CALLED HIM BACK
He Protests in Strong Terms to the
Admiral Against Prolonging
the Strain.
OUTLINES PLANS TO COMRADES
Did Not Contemplate Surrender TO
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in
the Vessel To iIc EXPLODE
CT by Himself.

Dlh wv tohlttttitNtc ouEEfiitI w
the Observation-Disclosures in
the Vessel to BE EXPLODE
CT by Himself.
Off Santiago de Cuba. June ar "A.
m.-Nia Port Antonio, Jamaica, June
4, per the Associated Press dispatch
boat Dauntlcss.-(Delayed in trans
mission.-(Copyright, 1898, by the AS
ISOLATED Pness.)-While the men who
performed the act Of lleroism, under
the command of Lieutenant Hobson, in
sinking t~h.,colIier hcrrimac across the
channel leading into the harbor of SAN
tiago de Cuba remain prisoners of wa
in the Spanish prison, nothing definite
will probably be known as TO what ac-
tually occurred after the Mcrrimac
passed into the channel. One can
Judge, hOwcycr.what did happen from
what Lieutenant. IIobson said just be-
fore leaving the flagship. Sitting in
his cabin, his face Drowned by the sun
and his eyes flashing with excitement,
he remarked:
Ilobson Talks Of Ills Plans.
81 shall go right into the harbor un-
til about 100 yards past the Estella bat
terry, which is behind MORO castle.
do not think they can sink me before
! reach somewhere near that point.
The Mcrrimac has 1000 tons buoyancy,
and | shall keep her full speed ahead.
She "a make about ten knots. When
the narrowest part Of the channel is
reached ! shall put her helm hard
nport, stop the engines, drop the an
chors, open the sea connections, touch
OFF the torpedocS and leave the Merri-
mac Il wreck lying athwart the chan
mel, which is not MS broad as the Mcr-
rimac is long. There are ten ~torpcdocs
below the water line on the Merrimac's
port side. They are placed on her side
against the bulkheads and ~yitals, con
ncctcd with each other with Il wire UNI
der the ships keel. Each torpedo con
tains cighty-two pounds Of gunpow-
der. Each torpedo is also connected
with the bridge and they should do
their work in a minute, and il Will be
quick work even If done in Il minute
and Il quarter. On deck there will he
four men and myself. In the engine
room there will he two other men.
This is the total crew and all of MS will
be In our undertaking, with revol-
lGEs and ammunition in watcrtight
PACKAGE strapped around our waists.
Forward there will he Il man on deck
and around his waist will be a line, the
other end made fast TO the bridge, ON
which | will stand. by that mans side
will be an axe.
"When | stop the engine ] shall jerk
this cord and he will thus get the sig
nal to cut The lashing which will be
holding the forward anchor. He will
then jump overheard and swim 10 the
four cared dingy which W. shall tow
astcrn. The dingy is full of life buoys
and is unsuitable. In il are rifles. 1t
is TO be held by two ropes, II made
fast at her bow and at her stern.
The first man to reach her will haul in
the tow line and pull the dingy out to
Starboard. The next to leave the ship
are the rest of the crew. The quarter
master at the wheel will not leave un-
I'll after having put it bard aport and
dashed il SO, lie will then jump over
board.
down below the man at the rcvers-
ing gear will stop the engines, scram-
bic up on deck and get over the side as
quickly as possible. The men in the
engine room will break open the sea
connections with n slcdgc hammer and
will follow his leader into the water.
This last step insures the sinking Of
the Merrimac whether the torpedocs
work or not.
"By this time I calculate the six
men will be in the dingy and the Mcr-
rimac will have swung athwart the
channel to The full length Of her 300
yards of cable. which will have been
paid out before the anchors were cut
loose. Thou all that is left for me is
to touch the button. | shall stand on
the starboard side of The bridge. The
explosion win throw the Mcrrimac on
side of New York city will be able to
raise her after that"
Chances Of Escape.
And you expect to ONE out Of this
alive?" asked a companion of the lieu.
tenant.
"Ah, that is another thing" said the
lieutenant. He was So interested In
the mechanical details Of the scheme
that he scarcely stopped TO talk of life
and death. But in reply to frequent
questions, Ilobson said:
Il suppose the Estclla battery will
fire down en- us a bit, but the ships
will throw their searchlights in the
gunncrs' faces and they won't see
much of us. Then, if we are torpedoed,
we should even then be able u make
the desired position in the channel.
1t won't be SO easy to hit us, and
think the men should be able to swim
to the dingy. | may jump before |
am blown up. But | don't see that it
makes much difference what | do.
have a fair chance Of life either way.
If our dingy gets shot to pieces we
shall then try to swim for the beach
right under Moro castle. We shall
keep the ground at all hazards. Then,
we may be able to make our way
alongside and perhaps get back to the
ship. We shall fight the sentries or Il
squad until the last, and we shall only
surrender to overwhelming numbers
and our surrender will only take place
as II last and n most uncontemplated
emergency"
\corIy Drowned by Fish.