Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-20
THE MERR|MAC'S FATE
Most of Her Still Lies in San
tiago Harbor.
PART OF HER BLOWN UP
Spanish War Exploit of Lieut..
Hobson.
SUNK TO BOTTLE UP CERvERA
Eleventh Anniversary Of Incident
on June 3--Probably Never
Will Be Removed.
SUNK TO BOTTLE UP CERvERA


vived by anniversary services commemo-
| rative of her sinking another notable
incident on the naval side Of the war
with Spain seems almost forgotten.
| 1t is doubtful II any one in the United
States outside the few directly connected
with the administration of affairs in
Santiago know what ever became of the
Merrimac Indeed. many people will have
to think q second time to recollect
whether the Merrimac referred to was
! the first of the ironclads or the collier
sunk at Santiago.
so far off. either. for 1t comes June
I3. This at the time was one OF the
| most exciting incidents of the war. The
| country rang for days with the exploit
of Lieut. Hobson and his hardy crew
Of six men. who ran the collier under
the guns Of the Santiago batteries and
sunk her with intent to block the channel
and prevent the escape Of the Spanish
| fleet.
| That the purpose was not quite ef-
fected was due to the fact that the rud-
der Of the collier was shot away just
| before Hobson exploded the torpedoes
| that were to sink her. She went down.
partially blocking the channel. but did
not obstruct it enough to prevent Cervera's
| fleet from coming out to destruction on
| the memorable July 3.
Still Lies in Harbor.
| But since that time the Merrmac has
been almost forgotten. Even at the Navy
Department there Ia no record of what
became of her. AS matter of fact the
most Of her is still at the bottom OF Santi-
ago entrance though the American au-
thorities. when Santiago was in their
hands, dynamited that part of her that
oyerhung the channel and was a menace
to navigation.
The Merrimac was a commercial vessel,
bought as collier at the outbreak OF the
war 1t was said that a good round
price was paid for her. If she had been
the finest sort Of private yacht and
had been the only thing available she
probably would have been sunk there
| just the same.
AS it was, the old collier had never been
any good She had been a lame duck
ever since she had been In the service.
When it came to blocking up Santiago
she could be more cheerfully spared than
| anything else.
She had been practically emptied Of
| coal though 1t was said that at the
| time she had 600 tons aboard her She
was stripped Of everything movable on
her. Torpedoes were strung around the
outside; ten eight-inch torpedoes were
placed against her bulkheads. calculated
| TO omen her I'D rapidly and effectively
| when fired.
Attempt to Bottle Up Cervera.
] 1t was thought that If the Spanish fleet
could We bottled up in the harbor it would
not only prevent its coming out and
! fighting or running. but would save 1t
intact when the American forces captured
the city.
There has been some dispute whether
the idea was SIMPSONS or Hobson's. The
| fact that he was chosen to command the
| forlorn hope makes 1t seem probable the
idea was his. He needed few men to
help handle her. the FEWER the oetter
| from his point of view.
1t was known in the blockading fleet
that the collier was to be sunk. But
volunteers for the service were called
for only aboard the New York. There
were six men wanted and the whole crew
volunteered There were 39i men froth-
ing mad because they were not chosen.
The attempt was to have been made
the night of June 2. Conditions were
not favorable. The trial was put of
till the next night.
The Merrimac went into the harbor.
followed at a distance by steam launch
from the New York. commanded by En-
sign Powell The mission of the launch
was, If possible, to pick up the survivors
of the Merrimac's crew after the collier
had been sunk.
Powell ran close under the shore bat
| teries and waited around till daylight,
crew. He then came back to the New
York.
Anxious Night on Fleet.
| On the blockading fleet 1t was an anx-
ious night also. The Merrimac did not
run in till about o'clock. and then. ex-
cept for a fickering fire from the bat
teries on shore. there was nothing to
tell what the outcome of the exploit
had been.
It was found later that the collier had
| gotten well into the channel when her
steering gear was shot away by the
| shore batteries. Though the torpedoes
| were fired and the sea valves opened.
she drifted out of the channel before she
| could be sunk.
Hobson and his whole crew were picked
| up unframed by the Spaniards He was
| confined in Santiago for some weeks, en-
joying the spectacle Of the several bonn
| bardments without suffering any harm.
1t may be remarked incidentally that
nobody else suffered much harm.
That was the end OF the Merrimac.
She was blown up sufficiently to clear
h4 ind ~ :,