The brave fellows who were with Lieutenant Hobson were Daniel
Montague, George Charette, Osborn Diegnan, George F. Phillips, Francis
Kelly, J. C. Murphy, and Randolph Clausen.
[Illustration]
Before submitting his plans to Admiral Sampson, Lieutenant Hobson had
worked them out to the smallest detail. Shortly before starting he told
his plans to one of his companions. He said: "I am quite sure that we
can reach to within three or four hundred yards past Estrella battery
behind Morro Castle. I do not think that they can sink me before I can
get there. When I reach this, the narrowest part of the channel, I shall
swing the vessel around, stop the engines, open the sea valves, touch
off the torpedoes, and leave the vessel lying across the channel, which
is not as broad as the Merrimac is long. There are to be ten torpedoes
below the water-line placed against the bulkheads and connected with
each other by a wire under the ship. These torpedoes connect with the
bridge, and they should do their work very quickly. I shall have four of
the men on the deck with me, and in the engine-room two others. We will
all be in our underclothing, with our revolvers and ammunition, in
water-tight cases, strapped to our waists. Near the anchor forward I
shall have one of the men placed, with an axe, and around his waist a
light line which will be attached to the bridge where I stand. The
minute that I order the engines stopped I shall jerk this cord; this
will be a signal to him to cut the lashing and let go the forward
anchor.
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