The Forrest City times., 1898-06-10

the harb bor entrance.
 The flagship was too far away to hear the reports, and when the firino , ceased 1t was judged that Hobson had blown up the Merrimac. For an hour the anxious watchers waited for day. | nght. Rear-Admiral Sampson and capt. Chadwick were on the bridge of the New York throughout.
 | At o'clock thin streams of smoke were seen against the western shore. quite close to the Spanish batteries. and strong glasses made out the launch oi the New York returning to the flag ship. Scarcely had the small craft been sighted before puff of smoke is- sueo from battery on the western arm of the harbor, and a shot plunged Tar over the launch Then for fifteen minutes the big guns ashore kept up an irregular fire on the little launch. AS the shells fell without hitting the object they were intended for, the men on the New York ieered at the marlxs. manshlp and cheered their ship mates.
 | At CHS a. m. the launch came along. siue the flagship, but she did not have on board any of the crew of the Merri. mac Cadet Powell reported that he hao oeen unable to see any signs of the Merrimac's crew. It deyeloped that with great bravery the cadet had gone right under the batteries. and only returned when all hope of taking on board the crew of the Merrimac had to be abandoned.
 cadet Powell also reported that he had clearly seen the Merrimac's masts sticking up just where Hobson hoped to sink her, north of Estrella battery, and well past the guns of Morro cas- tle But of the heroes who had penned , the Srraniards in there was not sound or sign.
 Rear-Admirai Sampson said:
 II am pretty sure the attempt was quite successful. hope all those brave fellows were not captured, Cadet Powell believes the torpedoes previously fixed about the Merrimac were exploded as planned, as Lieut.. Hobson was we'll up the harbor before the Spaniards opened fire on the Merri- mac.
 What actually happened on board the Merrimac can best be judged from what Lieut.. Hobson said just before leaving the flagship. Sitting in his cabin, his face Drowned by the sun and his eyes flashing with excitement, he remarked:
 Il shall go right into the harbor un- til about 400 yards past the Estrella | battery, which is behind Morro castle. do not think they can sink me before l reach somewhere near that point The Merrimac has 1000 tons buoyancy, and l shall keep her full speed ahead. She can make about ten knots. When the narrowest part of the channel is reached l shall put her helm hard aport, stop the engines, drop the anchors, open the sea connec- tions, touch off the torpedoes and leave the Merrimac wreck, lying athwart the channel, which is not as broad as the Merrimac is long. There are ten s-inch improvised torpedoes below the water line, on the Merrimac's 8 port side. They are placed on her side l connected with each other by wire under the ships keel. Each torpedo contains S2 pounds of gunpowder. | Each torpedo is also connected with the bridge. and they should do their work in a minute, and it will be quick work even if done in minute and a quarter.
 l '0n deck there will be four men and I myself In the engine room there will be two other men. This is the total crew and all of us will be in our un- derclothing with revolvers and ammu- milton in water-tight packing strapped around our waists. Forward there will be a man on deck, and around his waist will be line, the other end of the line being made fast to the bridge on which will stand. By that mans side will be an axe. When I stop the engine l shall jerk this cord and he will thus get the signal to cut the flashing which will be hold ing the forward anchor. He will then | jump overhoar and swim to the four cared dingy which we shall tow astern. The dingy is full of life buoy s and is unsuitable, held by two ropes, one made fast at her bow and one 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 quartermaster at the wheel will not leave until after having put it hard aport and lashed 1t so; he will then l jump overheard.
 blown bel ow, the man at the re- versing gear will stop the engines, scramble up on deck and get over the side as quickly as possible.
 "The man in the engine room will break open the sea connections with a sledge hammer, and will follow his 1 leader into the water. This last step insures the sinking of the Merrimac, whether the torpedoes work or not.
 By this time, calculate, the six men will be in the dingy and the Mer- 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 l ont loose. Then all that is left for me