Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-06-10

er INTO the water. This last step insure,
'he sinking of the Merrimac whether the
torpedoe, work or not,
Then Touch the button.
bv this time calculate the six men
VIII be III the dingy, and the Merrimae
VIII have swung athwart the channel +,
The fuli length of her 300 yards of cable
which will be paid out before the anchor.
are cut loose. Then it is my time to
touch the button. | shall stand on the
>lrboard side of the bridge. The ex-
pioslon Will throw the Merrmae on her
>tarboard side. Nothing on this side OF
New York city will be able to raise her
after that"
And You expect to come out of this
awe! asked companion of the lieu
tenant.
Never Thought of the Risk.
An. 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 possible death.
IN reply to frequent questions, Hobson
said:
Il suppose the Estrella battery will
fre down on us a bit, but the ships will
throw their searchlights in the gunners'
faces and they won't see much Of us.
Then, if we are torpedoed, we should even
then be able to make the desired position
III the channel. 1t won't be easy to hit
us, and think the men should be able
to swim to the dingy. l may jump before
l am blown up. But l don't see that it
makes much difference what do. l have
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 together
at all hazards. Then we may be able
to get back to the ship We shall fight
the sentries or squad until the fast,
and we shall only surrender to over
whelming numbers, and our surrender
will only take place as last and as a
most uncontemplated emergency"
Lieutenant Hobson might have been
lecturing to class of cadets on the the
I DRY of how to build ships so deliberate
was his manner. He was lately at Annap-
oils, in charge OF the post graduate course
in naval construction, and is accounted
one of the most able naval constructors in
the service, being entirely wrapped up in
his profession.
The preliminary work of this desperate
undertaking was "a strain upon the Of
ficers and men. On Wednesday morning
directly after Rear Admiral Sampson ar
rival and as soon as he was certain the
Spanish fleet was in the harbor, the prep
arations to scuttle the Merrimac in the
channel were commenced. 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 dischargine
coal when the work was first begun. The
news of the intended expedition Travelled
quickly through the fleet, and it soor
became known that volunteers were
needed for a desperate undertaking.
Volunteers by Hundreds.
From the Iowa's signal yard quickly
tluttered the announcement that she hat
l4O volunteers, and the other ships wer'
enthusiasm was intense. Over 200 mem
beers of the crew volunteered to 60 int
that narrow harbor and face death. Tit
Junior officers literally jumped over eaci
other in their eagerness to get thel
names on the volunteer list.
Commander Miller, who had charge o
the Merrimac, pleaded with the admira
to let him 90, but the latter thought n
had better not. When it was Learned
that only six men and Lieutenant Hobsoi
wer to 90 there was considerable dlsap
monument on all sides and when the New
Works contingent went over the side lat
err on Wednesday night some OF thos
who were left We're almost ready, brav
and strong as they were, to sit down ant
cry.
All Wednesday night the crews worke'
aboard the Merrimac which then lay clos
to the New York, and the other ships a
they passed the collier before sundoWl
cheered her with the same spirit tina
the British man of warsman cheered tn
American sailors heroism at Samoa
Lieutenant Hobson paid a short visit t
the flagship shortly before midnight an
then returned to the Merrmac on boar
of which craft he had been all day.
. he started down the sea ladder there wer
MANY hands stretched out to grasp hi
and many quiet spoken earnest wishes 10
his success 1t was thought then Hot
son would take the Merrmac in early /
, the morning.
At 3 o'clock the admiral and Flag Lheu
tenant Staunton got into the launch t
make an inspection of the Merrimac. Th
working gangs were still on board OF ne
and on board the New York the officer
, of the flagship stood on the quarter decl
their glasses focused on the big blac
8 hull that was to form an impossible oil
struction for Spain's best ships.
The minutes slipped by. the crews ha
o not completed their work on the Merr
, mac. but at last, boatload of men, blac
and tired out. came over to the flagship
> Last of all at 4:3O o'clock came the az
miral. He had been delayed by breal
down of the steam launch.
G,,..t Attemnt-Culled Back.