Four American Naval Heroes Part 22

To do this she must travel through fourteen thousand miles of stormy sea, through the dangerous pa.s.sage around Cape Horn and then up the eastern sh.o.r.e of South America.

On the 14th of March, commanded by Captain Clark, she sailed from San Francisco, entering the straits of Magellan on the 17th of April. On the same day that Admiral Dewey reached the Philippines, the _Oregon_ arrived at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Every American was full of anxiety for the great battleship. Surely Admiral Cervera would arrive in the West Indian waters before the _Oregon_ could pa.s.s through them. But swiftly and steadily the great ship came on.

Finally, on the 24th of May, the _Oregon_ sighted the harbor lights of Key West, and soon reached a safe port. The very next day, Captain Clark reported her ready for duty. She had steamed the length of two oceans and not a valve was broken nor a repair needed.

Much praise is due to Captain Clark for bringing his vessel such a distance in desperate haste in order to help fight the nation's battles.

But we must not forget that it was the chief engineer, Robert W.

Milligen, and his seventy men, who made this possible. In spite of the terrible heat in the engine rooms, these brave fellows worked untiringly to keep the great ship moving steadily day and night around the continent.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MAP OF HARBOR OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA.]

Meanwhile, on the 11th of May, an unfortunate affair had occurred in the harbor of Cardenas, on the northern coast of Cuba. Three of the American vessels blockading this harbor had been ordered to explore the bay.

Suddenly the Spanish batteries on the sh.o.r.e opened fire. The torpedo boat _Winslow_, being nearest the sh.o.r.e, received most of the enemy's sh.e.l.ls. Although bravely returning the fire, the little boat was soon disabled. Five men were wounded, and Ensign Worth Bagley and four other men were killed. These were the first Americans to lose their lives in this war.

On the following day, the Americans heard that the Spanish fleet had arrived at Martinique, a small French Island near the coast of Venezuela. This being known, Commodore Schley sailed from Hampton Roads for the West Indies.

On the 19th of May, Admiral Cervera sailed into the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, on the southern coast of Cuba, and was there several days before the Americans found it out. Commodore Schley hastened at once to the mouth of the harbor so as to cut off all hope of escape for the Spanish admiral. Admiral Sampson soon arrived with the main squadron, and the entire fleet kept watch, frequently bombarding the forts at the harbor's mouth.

The Americans did not attempt to pa.s.s into the harbor, as the entrance was strongly protected by torpedoes; so they waited for a land force to arrive, and attack the enemy from the rear.

VII.--LIEUTENANT HOBSON AND THE MERRIMAC.

Soon after Admiral Sampson arrived off Santiago, there came to him a young lieutenant, Richmond Pearson Hobson. He had a plan which he wished to propose. He said:

"There is the collier _Merrimac_. Let a volunteer crew just large enough to navigate her be selected. Then, after stripping the old ship of everything valuable, let this crew run her, after dark, into the narrowest part of the channel leading to the harbor; and there let them sink her by exploding torpedoes under her. In this way we can block the harbor so that Admiral Cervera cannot in any way bring out his fleet."

[Ill.u.s.tration: LIEUTENANT HOBSON.]

He explained that the crew of the _Merrimac_ would jump overboard as she sank, and, if possible, be picked up by a torpedo-boat or a steam launch, which should be stationed near-by for that purpose. Lieutenant Hobson himself, bravely offered to lead this expedition.

Admiral Sampson determined to carry out this plan, and called for a single volunteer from each ship. In spite of the danger of the undertaking, almost the entire crew of each vessel, not only offered to go, but begged to be accepted. Finally, eight men were chosen, with Lieutenant Hobson as their leader. At half-past two o'clock in the morning of June 3d, the _Merrimac_ was headed straight for the channel.

Lieutenant Hobson stood on the bridge dressed in full uniform. The other men were at their posts dressed in tights, ready to swim a long distance, if necessary.

The crew of the steam launch, which was following closely behind, saw the _Merrimac_ swing across the channel and then heard the explosions.

At the same time, the air was filled with the flash and roar of the guns of the Spanish forts and ships.

In the face of all this fire, and without even a cry of distress to guide them, the crew of the launch began their search for the heroes of the _Merrimac_, never giving it up until daylight. Then, seeing nothing but the tops of the masts of the collier, they returned to the admiral's flagship.

Of what had happened to his men in the meantime, Lieutenant Hobson himself told afterward:

"When the boat began to sink, and the Spanish shot to fall about us, I told the men to lie flat on the deck. It was due to their splendid discipline, that we were not killed. The minutes seemed hours, but I said that we must lie there until daylight. Now and then one of the men would say, 'Hadn't we better drop off now, sir?' But I said, 'Wait until daylight.' I hoped that by that time we might be recognized and saved.

"The old _Merrimac_ kept sinking. It was splendid the way the men behaved. The fire from the batteries and ships was dreadful. As the water came up on the decks, we caught hold of the edges of the raft which was tied to the boom, and hung on, our heads only being above water.

"A Spanish launch then came toward the _Merrimac_. As she drew near, the men saw us, and a half-dozen marines pointed their rifles at our heads.

'Is there any officer in that boat to receive a surrender of prisoners of war?' I shouted. An old man leaned out of the launch and waved his hand. It was Admiral Cervera. The marines lowered their rifles and we were helped into the launch."

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE MORRO CASTLE, COMMANDING THE ENTRANCE OF THE HARBOR OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA.]

A few hours later, a boat bearing a flag of truce came out to the American fleet. It was from Admiral Cervera, and brought the message that Lieutenant Hobson and his men were held as prisoners, and that they were well, only two of them being slightly wounded.

Much honor is due to Lieutenant Hobson for this brave deed. But we must not forget that the lives of the crew were saved through the kindness and n.o.bility of Admiral Cervera. Not every commander would so honor his brave prisoners, and his action has been much appreciated in America.

The sinking of the _Merrimac_ did not obstruct the channel completely.

The steering gear was broken by some of the Spanish shot, and Lieutenant Hobson was not able to place the vessel exactly where he had intended.

However, it would be a dangerous undertaking for the Spanish admiral to pa.s.s out of the harbor at night.

Admiral Sampson sent word to the War Department, that, if an army were sent to a.s.sist him on land, they could take the city of Santiago, together with the fleet of Admiral Cervera in the harbor. Accordingly General Shafter, with a large army, landed near Santiago and began to drive the Spaniards back into the city.

Desperate battles were fought at Siboney, El Caney, and San Juan, but the Americans steadily drove the enemy inside the fortifications of Santiago. During these attacks, the fleets helped the army by throwing sh.e.l.ls into the city.

VIII.--THE DESTRUCTION OF CERVERA'S FLEET.

On Sunday morning, July 3d, the American ships were lying quietly outside the harbor of Santiago. They were stretched in a line from Commodore Schley's flagship, the _Brooklyn_, seven miles eastward, where Admiral Sampson had gone with his flagship _New York_, in order to confer with General Shafter.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ADMIRAL CERVERA.]

From the forts on the sh.o.r.e, the great ships looked like mere specks upon the horizon; and it was hard to realize that they were grim sentinels watching every movement of the Spaniards.

The "bright work" had all been cleaned and the men were at Sunday services, when suddenly a thin film of smoke was observed to rise behind the hills. The scene on the battleships was changed at once into one of greatest activity.

"The enemy is coming out!" was signaled in red, white, and blue from vessel to vessel, and on each deck rang out the command, "All hands clear ship for action!"

There was no confusion or noise, and every man was at his post. Powder magazines were opened, and shot and sh.e.l.l were being hoisted to the decks. The engineers stood waiting for the first command with every rod and wheel of the great machinery ready to move.

Meanwhile the film of smoke had become a thick cloud, and the Americans knew that soon the Spanish vessels would appear. Suddenly the flagship of the Spanish admiral was seen speeding out of the narrow channel. She pa.s.sed the wreck of the _Merrimac_, and with the spray dashing high over her bows, started westward along the coast.

Close behind her came another vessel, and then another, until the six Spanish ships were all rushing wildly for the open sea. At full speed, the _Brooklyn_, _Texas_, _Iowa_, and _Oregon_ bore down upon the Spanish ships. The _Oregon_ gained headway so rapidly that she pa.s.sed the _Texas_ and the _Iowa_, and came in behind the _Brooklyn_.

Away to the right between the battleships and the sh.o.r.e, sped the little yacht _Gloucester_. Her captain, Lieutenant Richard Wainwright, had been an officer on the _Maine_ when that vessel was blown up in Havana harbor, and so was, perhaps, most anxious of all for a chance at the Spanish.

He sent the _Gloucester_ straight towards the Spanish torpedo boats, _Pluton_ and _Furor_. He did not seem to mind the fact that his little yacht was no match for them, and that his decks were covered with Spanish sh.e.l.l. Although aided to some extent by the large vessels, the destruction of the two torpedo boats was due to Lieutenant Wainwright.

He never paused in his deadly fire until both of them had surrendered.

It was not long, however, until the Spanish shots began to fall about the other American ships, throwing up great columns of water.

The _Brooklyn_ was the first to reach the Spanish ships and open fire.

The _Oregon_ hastened to a.s.sist Commodore Schley. When the Americans saw that not only the _Oregon_, but the _Texas_ and _Iowa_ were gaining on the Spanish, they were wild with excitement. The stokers in the engine rooms poured in the coal, and the steam rose higher and higher.

At half-past ten the battle was at its height. Great clouds of smoke settled over the water, and the roar of the guns echoed back from the Santiago hills. Now and then anxious inquiry pa.s.sed from one American crew to another; but the answer, "All right!" always came back through the din of battle.

One by one the Spanish guns became silent, and by eleven o'clock all save one of the enemy's ships had been driven ash.o.r.e, and destroyed. The _Cristobal Colon_ made a desperate dash for freedom, and was not overtaken until she had gone fifty miles west of Santiago. Then she surrendered, having been forced ash.o.r.e.

After the battle was over the Americans bravely went to the rescue of the Spanish sailors. They climbed the ladders and went into the burning ships, where magazines were likely to explode at any moment. They lifted the wounded men from the hot decks and took them out of the stifling smoke to their own vessels. Their boats picked up the Spaniards who were struggling in the water or trying to climb up on the sh.o.r.e.