The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-05-14

CAPT. RICHMOND
unteers from the junior officers Of the
New York. The junior officers mess
responded en- masse. Powell. one OF
my pupils at the Naval Academy, was
on deck when I came on board and
begged me to tax him. It was as
though a great favor had been ask ed
and every means must be taken to
have it granted" Captain Miller, in
command of the Merrinac. insisted
upon his right TO &c in with his yes
sell His services were declined for
the reason that he was a middle aged
man united for the enterprise. Which
needed both youth and physical en-
durance. Hobson does not seem to
have been able to tell the caDtain that
he could not go. 1'he news that he
could not be PERMITTED the opportunity
to throw away his life was c0nmuni-
Gated to him finally by Admiral Samp-
son just as the Merrimac was ready
to start for the harbor entrance. The
ceived by him with an exclamation of
the greatest disappointment.
The crew that was finally selected,
consisted of seven men from the
fleet. an additional mar being necessi-
tated by the fact that the pfan Of
firing the torpedocs haa to be chang
ed so as to have them fred by the
members tho c~ew in groups. AS an
ally chosen the crew consisted .
Deignan, .Charette. Kelly. Morta-
que, Phillips, Murphy and Cla-1sen.
tile latter taking the place Of Muller,
who was worn out by exertions IN
preparation and was refused permits
sion to accompany the vessel over
his protest, and after he had once
started with the Merrimac or lhe
trip beginning on the morning of June
End, when she was recalled at the
last moment on account Of the admit
raj thinking there was too much light
to afford any of the crew an cppor-
ity Of escaping with their lives. a
long day of waiting succeeded, during
which all h crew suffered with the
reaction following upon the strain OF
work Inc excitement. but in the early
morning of June the third the collier
forth for the Gna effort
Slipping Into The IEarbor.
AS the ship approached the hap
Dor, it was with q bright moon Shin
ing. when we arrived within two
ther question Of surprise" Full speed
ahead was ordered. The solitary yes
sci plunged straight towards the en-
rance OF the hostile harbor. the blac:t
mass of MORO Castle. Still no SOUND
came from the shore. The crew couIa
distinguish the 'bald spots mark
ing the loca Or of the harbor ba--
teries. The officer and men. dressed
only in shirts, trousers and re
volver belts, lay prone at their posts,
The life boat which it had at frsr
been planned to tow, hung on davis
ready for launching. In addition Their,
was on deck a catameran or raft as
an auxiliary means of preservation i
escape could not be effected. The
Merrimac, at full speed, reached within
hundred yards of the en-
trance without opposition. The pre-
liminary venture had been successful.
Her speed alone would carry her IN.
Lieutenant Hobson's Century narrative
says at this point:
The Discovery.
Another ships length and a flash
darted out from the waters edge AT
the left side of the entrance. The cx-
rected crash through the ships side
pass over. It must have passed astern.
Strange to miss at such short range.
Another fash-another miss. This
time the projectile plainly passed
astern. Night glasses on the spot
revealed a dark object-a picket-boae
with rapid-fre guns lying in the shat
ow. AS sure as fate he is firing at
our rudder and we shall be obliged
to pass him broadside within a ship.s
If we only had a rapid fire
we could dispose of the miserable
object within ten seconds; yet there
he lay unmolested. firing point blank
at our exposed rudder, so vital 10
complete success. A fash OF rage and
evaporation passed over me. The
admiration due this gallant little
picket-boat did not come till after
ward
What time elapsed after the discov-
cry of the Merrimac by the picket
boat until the collier was finally
is one of the things which are
swallowed in the mystery OF action.
ship was now just at the
point where the wall of Moro
castle drops into the water. marking
the channel. Another moment and
Nerrimac had made the turn and
was headed straight in. suddenly
there came from the port a crash and
a sheet of flame. Charette. on the
bridge With Hobs0n as a precaution
against the signal lines being shotI
away, noticed this development by the
coo observation:
The western battery has opened
on us. sir
Very we'll" replied Hobson without
turning. pay no attention TO it."
RunIne Gauntlet of Fire.
A projectile Whir~ed across the
and struck. The whole harbor
roared with the c~annonade. The Ner-
rimac was within three ships lengths
of Moro Point. Another ships length
went at full speed and then the
was given to stop the engines.
in preparation to s~lackening the speed !