Identifier: americaswarforhu00newy (find matches)
Title: America's war for humanity related in story and picture, embracing a complete history of Cuba's struggle for liberty, and the glorious heroism of America's soldiers and sailors
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors:
Subjects: Spanish-American War, 1898
Publisher: New York, St. Louis, N.D. Thompson Publishing Company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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at the time of retirement. The names of the eight heroes who performed this deed of extraordinarydaring are: Lieutenant Richmond Pearson Hobson, assistant naval constructor;Asborn Diegnan, coxswain; George F. Phillips, machinist, and John Kelley,water tender, all of the Merrimac; George Charette, gunners mate, of theNew York; Daniel Montague, seaman, of the Brooklyn; J. C. Murphy, cox-swain, of the Iowa; and Randolph Clausen, coxswain, of the New York.The latter went against orders, so anxious was he to take part in the hazard-ous enterprise. When it became known to the fleet that Admiral Sampson had deter-mined to block the harbor effectually by sending in and sinking a ship, two-thirds of the officers and men were ambitious to join the party. There wasno need to call for volunteers, and the Merrimacs officers and men assertedtheir right to go. Commander Miller was in command of the Merrimac, and it was with thegreatest reluctance that he consented to yield his right. To appease him
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390 AMERICAS WAR FOR HUMANITY. and the men, three of the Merrimacs crew were selected, the other four nec-essary to complete the required force being chosen from the other ships ofthe fleet, as noted. f Before starting, the life raft of the Merrimac had been prepared, andtorpedoes were ready along the deck. The vessel had seven transverse bulk-heads. Torpedoes were arranged so that they could be quickly anchoredover the side of the vessel ten feet below the water line, and in such a posi-tion that when they exploded they would tear out every bulkhead. This wasto make it absolutely impossible ever to raise her again. Commander Miller begged earnestly that he might at least remain onhis ship till the moment came to sink her, but in the dead of night AdmiralSampson was rowed from his flagship to the collier, and when he returnedCommander Miller was with him. Hobson was the man whose brain con-ceived the plan of placing a ship three hundred and thirty-eight feet long,broadside, across the

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