Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1898 — SUNK IN THE CHANNEL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SUNK IN THE CHANNEL

AMERICAN HULK BLOCKS .SANTIAGO HARBOR. Admiral Hampson Deports Having Purposely • Hent Collier Merrimac Into the Mine?! Channel—Bottle Now More Securely Corked, Deed of Daring. ' By one of the most brilliant exploits in naval annals the cork has been driven into the bottle of Santiago de Cuba and the Spanish fleet could not be more secure cere the entrance to that harbor barred <nd double locked and the key dropped into the bottomless depths of the sea. Lieut. Richmond P. Hobson of the flagship New York, with a volunteer crew of seven men, under cover of the dark-

ness, ran the big collier Merrimac into the throat of the harbor, swung her broadside across the channel and then exploded and sunk her. He succeeded in this desperate enterprise under the fires of the batteries and forts which guard the entrance without support from the fleet. Ensign Powell, also of the New York, with a steam launch, crept close under the guns of Morro Cnstle to take off the heroes of the Merrimac, and remained there pluckily until daylight discovered

his position, without seeing a trace'of the Merrimac's daring crew. Lieut. Hobson and his men, in attempting to escape, were made prisoners by the Spaniards, as a flag of truce announced, but will be exchanged in due course of time. Their mission was successful. Ensign Powell distinctly saw the spars of the wrecked ship in the middle of the channel. Lieut. Hobson planted her at the very point he bad selected. Cushing’s memorable feat in blowing up the Confederate ram Albemarle is overmatched by Hobson’s act, for Cushing's men crept up at midnight and fell upon an unsuspecting foe. Hobson took his ship, over 300 feet long, into the'very focus of the battery—with the enemy at the guns—and blew her up. Discovery at the end of his journey was inevitable and death was almost certain. No name, therefore, can be written higher on war's temple of fame tihan his. Like Cushing's deed, Hobson’s desperate undertaking was conceived by him who executed it. Wheti Rear Admiral Sampson joined Commodore Schley the latter had already ascertained that it would be impossible for the fleet to crawl into the rathole in which the Spanish fleet had taken refuge. The mines across the entrance and the batteries which commanded it made the mere contemplation of it an act of folly. Commodore Schley was inclined to think the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius might be able to countermine, but the ships would have to go in single file, and if one were sunk in the channel the progress of the others would be blocked. It was then that Lieut. Hobson conceived the scheme,of sinking a big collier across the bnrbor entrance, and asked to be allowed to execute it himself. It seemed certain death and almost certaiij failure, as the odds were overwhelmingly against reaching the entrance before discovery; but Hobson was so enthusiastic that his confidence was infectious, and the admiral finally reluctantly gave his consent. Admiral Sampson has made official report of the daring deed and says that six of the Spanish squadron are in the harbor of Santiago unable to avoid being captured or destroyed. LAST CABLE SEVERED. Spanish Force* in Cuban Waters Are Completely Isolated. Telephaphic communication between Captain General Bianco and the authorities at Madrid has been entirely cut off by the severing of the last cables, thus entirely isolating the Spanish forces in Cuba from Spain. Inasmuch as the cutting of cables is a war measure, it is not expected that any complications will arise as a result of the work. The fact that lines must be cut within the three-mile- limit was borne in mind by the commanders of the expedition.

BANK IS IN DANQER. Spain’s Financial Troubles Fa» ♦ Becoming Alarming. It would cause no surprise to hear at any moment that the Bank of Spain had suspended specie payments. A press dispatch to London from Madrid says that Spain is fast drifting to a forced paper currency. The run upon tihe Bank of Spain has assumed such proportions that people form in long lines hours before the offices open in Madrid and at the provincial branches. The bank gives smallnotes in exchange for 1,000 ar 500 peseta notes, only exchanging for silver pesetas or dollars the 25, 50 or 100 peseta notes. The Government has vainly tried to stop the run by prohibiting the exporting of silver and promising to coin millions of pesetas daily, which it cannot do Until it increases the machinery of the mint. Every retail store, market and tobacco stall rejects the notes, and the money changers charge 5 per cent discount. The Bank of Spain has $30,000,000 in silver to meet the $200,000,000 in notes in circulation. The financial outlook of Spain is dark. The Government has intrusted tlie Bank of Spain with the negotiations for a loan of 1,000,000,000 pesetas at 4 per cent, which sum is to be raised as and when required. The bank will endeavor to raise the loan at home and abroad. The statement from Madrid in what seemed to be almost semi-official form of the acuteness of the financial stringency there and the plain intimation that the Bank of Spain, and consequently Spain, were nearing the end of their financial resources, was regarded at the State Department in Washington as of more real significance' than many of the stories of battles on land and sea that have been coining over the cables for the past few weeks. The effect of this notice may be to hasten the ojierations against Porto Rico, lest the prize slip from our grasp through a sudden and unexpected termination of the war. RECRUITING GOES ON RAPIDLY. New Orders Issued Regarding Filling Up of Regiments. The recruiting of volunteers under the proclamation of the President calling for 125,000 men is making good progress, and the enlistment of soldiers under the 75,000 call is to go forward as rapidly as possible. The War Department issued an order Saturday excepting several States from the requirement to furnish quotas of

troops to make up the 75,000 authorized by the subsequent call of the President. These States are Delaware, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Indian and the District of Columbia. They are excepted for the reason that they exceeded the number required under the call for 125,000 men. The administration has decided that the order for the organization of additional companies, to raise the present regiments to the war strength authorized by the Hull reorganization law, shall not apply to cavalry organizations. ALGER ASKS FOR $53,879,358. To Pay and Equip Volunteers Under Preaident’s Second Call. The Secretary of War has sent to Congress a request for appropriations amounting to $53,879,358. These appropriations will be used for the equipment and maintenance until Jan. 1, 1899, of the 75,000 volunteers recently called for by the President. The several items are given ns-follows: Pay of volunteers ~ 514,099,881 Subsistence of the army- 5,147,477 Regular supplies of the quartermaster’s department 2,500,000 Horses for cavalry and artillery. 1,000,000 Barracks and quarters 1.500,000 Army transportation 14,000,000 Clothing for the army 13,000,000

Contingencies of the army 50,000 Equipment of enginer troops 25,000 Signal service of the army 37 000 Civilian assistants to engineer officers ..,.... 20,000 Says Gomez Will Aid fpain. Captain General Blanco notifies Madrid from Havana that, in consequence of quarrels between the insurgent leaders, Garcia and Gomes, the belief is growing that Gomez will lead his forces against the Americans. »

RICHARD P. HOBSON.

THE COLLIER MERRIMAC.

THE BANK OF SPAIN.