Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-03-09
FATE OF MERR|MAC
LEFT IN UNCERTAINTY
Boat Still Lies in the Harbor at
Santiago Where She Was
Sunk by Hobson.
HULK MAY NEVER BE REMOVED
Notable Naval Incident of the War
with Spain Which Now Seems
Almost Forgotten.

III is doubtful III anyone IN the IIiicl
States outside of the few directly con-
nected with the administration of af-
fairs in Santiago know what ever be-
came of the Merrimac. Indeed. many
people will have TO thisk a second time
to reco'lect whether the Merrimac re
ferred 10 was the first of the ironclads
or tbs collier sunk at Santiago, This
at tie time was one of the most excit-
ing incidents of the war. The country
rang for days with the exploit of Lieu
tenant Hobson and his hardy crew of
six men. who ran the collier under the
guns of the Santiago batteries and sank
her with intent to block the channel
and prevent the escape of the Spanish
fleet.
That the purpose was not quite eff
fected was due to the fact that the
rudder of the collier was shot away
just before Hobson exploded the tor
pedoes that were to sink her. She went
down. partly blocking the channel, but
did not DISTRICT ii enough to prevent
Cervera's fleet from coming out To de
struction on the memorable July 5. But
since that time the Merrlmac has been
almost forgotten. AS matter of fact,
the most of her is still at the bottom
of Santiago entrance, though the Amer
lean authorities, when Santiago was in
their hands, dynamited that part of her
that overhung the channel and was a
menace to navigation.
The Merrimac was a commercial YES
sci, 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 boon in the service. When it
came to blocking up Santiago she could
be more cheerfully spared than any
thing else. She was stripped of every
thing movable ON her Torpedoes were
strung around the outside; ten eight
inch torpedoes were placed against her
bulkheads, calculated to open her up
rapidly and effectively when fired.
Attempt 10 Bottle Up Cervera.
1t was thought that ir the Spanish
feet could be bottled up in the harbor
it would not only prevent it's coming
out and fighting or running. but would
save it intact when the American
forces captured the city. The fact that
Hobson was chosen to command the
forlorn hope makes 1t seem probable
the idea was his.
The Merrimac went sa1to the harbor,
followed at a distance by a steam
launch from the New York, commanded
by Ensign Powell. The mission of the
launch was, If possible, to pick up the
survivors of the Merrimacs crew after
the collier had been sunk. Powell ran
close under the shore batteries and
waited around till daylight, but could
find none of the venturesome crew.
On the blockading feet 1t was an
anxious night also. The Merrimac did
not run IL till about o'clock, and
then. except for a pickering fire from
the batteries on shore, there was moth
ing to tell what the outcome of the ex-
plot had been.
1t .es 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 IS
whole crew were picked up unharn,sd
by the Spaniards.
That was the end of the Merrimac.
She was blown up sufficiently to clear
the channel, and the remainder of her
is still there at the bottom of the har-
Dor entrance. There has been no at
tempt to raise her.