Washington sentinel., 1899-09-09
The NIerrimac Scandal.

| WI AAaAANAo > VI NNA4N k@A@RA AANNA
est in the Navy Department, say
an. E." IN the VfYdict, have beer
current subjects OF National gossip
through the dog days. One is tn,
sinking of the Merrimac in the
harbor of Santiago; and the otheI
is the actual demonstration, BY
public vendue OF vessels bought
in war time, that the Ship Con
tractors Syndicate heeced the Gov.
ernment outrageously on all 2ur-
chases made pending the declara-
tion Of war and for the short lived
period OF actual hostilities.
Revival OF interest in the Merri-
mac scandal is due in part to an
impotent effort Of the sampson
Crowninshield cabal in the Navy
Department to set rolling the story
that Admiral Schley conceived the
Hobson scheme OF bottling Ger
vera in the harbor Of Santiago, to
be thence picked, like olives from
a flask, when the United States was
ready for the ceremony.
To those not cognizant oi manv
of the reasons why the Admins
tration henchmen in the Navy
should at this time, months in ad-
vance Of the convening OF Con-
gress, see a scApegoat for this in
evitable scandal, it is difficult to
fathom the object Of the move. To
others better informed, it is no
problem at all. There must come
a reckoning time for such war in
cidents as that Of the Merrimac.
1t will later be officially recognized
that, while the Hobson exploit
need not be stripped Of any OF its
finer points, showing the true hero
ism of the Constructor and his vol
unteer crew, there was back Of all
OF it a Syndicate "job," an Admin
istration steal, a White House
scandal-the story of the way the
contractors ring manipulated ma
tional matters to the detriment 81
the national purse.
A brief resume Of the Merri-
macs purchase and abrupt end in
the harbor of Santiago shows these
points: Before the White House
Syndicate dictated the terms upon
which the vessel should become
the property of the Nation, Hogan
Brothers, OF Baltimore, owned her.
She was collier. Burned to the
hull before the Hogans came upon
the scene, they paid $40, 900 Tor the
wreck, and put $500 in repairs,
new machinery, etc. That made
the coal craft cost them $4,000
outright. Through the Syndicate,
at that time directing every war
movement for vampire profit, this
collier was forced upon the Gov
ernment, the Navy Department
being compelled 20 pay the sum of
S342, 900 for it. The claim was
made that the Merrimac was
needed for the transportation of
coal to the combined blockading
fleets OF Sampson and Schley, at
that time offthe harbor Of Santiago
watching the vessels OF Admiral
Cervera's feet. She was loaded
with coal and rushed to Santiago.
Not bushel was delivered.
The Merrimac reached Santiago
the last week in May. June 3,
Hobson pushed her nose insi de the
harbor and let her sink. No harm
was done the machinery. Toe de-
sultorv fire Of the surprised Span
iards inflicted no material damage.
She had aboard at least seven hun
dred tons OF badly needed coal
worth on the spot Sro per ton.
The ink upon the Hogans' bill Of
sale was scarcely dry, and colliers,
it was claimed as Government ex-
cuse for the Merrimac purchase,
were desperately needed. Santi
ago became American property
before the boilers Of the Merri.
mac had time to rust. But no ct
fort was made to raise her. The
object OF her purchase had been
accomplished when the Syndicate
controlling the White House com
PEELED the payment OF S342 900 tor
a craft which cost it's civilian
owners with the political pull S4o,-
600 for the hull and SIS, 900 for the
machinery-a total of SIS, 900.
here was profit in this dark
deal. A fortune there was between
the Government price and the
original cost OF Sa67,ooo Who
pocketed the stealings1 Why was
the Navy Department so keen to
let the Merrimac rest in the waters
oi Santiago harbor, ignoring all
propositions of responsible wreck