 Starring John Law and Robert Trout, presented by the DuPont Company, makers of better things for better living through chemistry. Good evening, this is Ted Pearson. Tonight, Cavalcade's play, Action at Santiago, takes us back to a decisive hour in American history, the battle of Santiago during the Spanish-American War. Now, on the DuPont Cavalcade of America, Action at Santiago, starring John Dahl as Lieutenant Richmond P. Hobson, United States Navy, and Robert Trout as narrator. It was just half a century ago in 1898 that a great fear raged up and down the Atlantic coast. We were at war with Spain, and the newspapers of New York and Boston and Philadelphia were screaming out in headlines, Spanish fleet headed this way, must our cities be bombarded and destroyed? What is our Navy doing? Well, our Navy was doing just what you'd expect. They were out looking for the Spanish Admiral Pascual Severa and his Spanish squadron. The only trouble was, they couldn't find them. They searched the Caribbean and halfway across the Atlantic, and as weeks passed with no sign of Severa, the fear became greater, the cries even louder than before. What's the matter with the Navy? Must we just sit here and wait to be bombarded? Where is Severa? Did you hear? They just found Severa in the Gulf of Mexico. He's going to bombard New Orleans. Yes, that was the all-important question of the day. Where is Severa? You read it everywhere, in the headlines, in the eyes of your own family, while mothers even frightened their children by just the mention of that terrifying name, and the children became obedient and trotted off to bed like little lambs. Yes, this was America in 1898 with just one question on its collective mind. Where is Severa and the Spanish fleet? Here it comes. Admiral Severa and the Spanish fleet arrived here in the Azores today to call up. Hey, he's in the Azores! Severa's in the Azores! Well, that last one was true anyhow. Severa did stop at the Azores to call up, and then he disappeared for a week, and just as some leading citizens of New York were raising a huge ransom fund to buy him off on condition that he spare the city, the news finally arrived. Clear, authentic corroborated. The Spanish fleet under Admiral Severa has anchored inside the harbor at Santiago Cuba. Santiago Cuba. Down there the American squadron is steaming up and down the mouth of the harbor, indicating it, waiting for the Spanish fleet to come out and fight. Our battleships and cruisers are lined up in a wide arc, broadside to the enemy. The battleships Iowa, Texas, Indiana, Massachusetts, Oregon, and the cruisers Brooklyn and New Orleans, and rear Admiral William T. Sapsons flagship, the armored cruiser New York. Over on the Cuban shore is the oldest fort in the western hemisphere, Old Moro Castle. It's grim escarpments containing hundreds of hidden gun emplacements rising sheer out of the water. The mouth of this harbor is very narrow, only about a hundred yards wide, and behind it, hidden in toward the curve of the shore, is the Spanish fleet under Admiral Severa. Aboard the New York, there's a conference going on in Admiral Sapsons' quarters. The Admiral takes a puff at his cigar and smiles at the commander of the famous flying squadron, Commodore Winfield Scott Schley. Well, it took a long time Schley, but we finally caught up with him. What's the latest word from intelligence? Admiral Armand made contact with a band of Cuban rebels up on the hills last night. They're all in there, calling up the entire Spanish squadron. Good. Did you get a look at them? Yes, positive identifications. The Cristobal Cologne, the Vizcaya, that's Severa's flagship, you know. I know. The Almorantio Kendo, the Infanta Maria Teresa, and the Pluton. Auxiliaries. The usual torpedo boats, colliers. Very good. Commodore, I just received another dispatch from the secretary of the Navy. New York and Philadelphia are raising cane. It seems they're worried up there. They're losing sleep. They want a little action from their Navy. We'll give it to them, Admiral, if the Spaniards will only come out and fight. And if they don't? Well, I guess we can stick it out as long as they can. And suppose they come out at night, if you thought about that. Some dark, moonless night. They come out under full steam, be halfway out of the harbor at Santiago before we head our boilers up. No, no, I'm afraid of that, Schley. Do you mean to go in after them? Those minefields? Is that it? No. No, I've got a better plan. Commodore, I'm going to sink a small ship, a collier, across the mouth of the harbor and bottle the Spaniards up. Then I'll know they're in there. See that young man walking along the passageway to Admiral Sapsons' quarters? His name is Hobson, Lieutenant Richmond Pearson Hobson. He's 28 years old and a graduate of the Academy at Annapolis, where he taught naval construction and engineering before the war. The Admiral says he wants to sink a ship across the narrow opening of Santiago Harbor, and he's called in young Hobson for some technical advice. Hobson reporting, sir. Oh, yes, Hobson. Come in, come in. Sit down. Thank you, sir. Hobson, I want to bottle up the Spaniards fleet in Santiago Harbor. Cork them up good and tight so they won't be able to get out. Yes, sir. To do that, I'm prepared to scuttle the collier, the Merrimack, across the channel. You think it can be done? Yes, sir. How? Well, get the Merrimack out where you wanted, sir, and blow her up with torpedoes. You could also open the plates and let the sea in. Yes, that's about the way I figured it. All right, thank you, Hobson. And now, if you'll excuse me, Admiral. Yes, Hobson. Have you decided on the man to run her in? No, I haven't. I'd like to volunteer, sir. You would, eh? Hm. Hobson volunteering for this mission is almost like signing your own death warrant. I intend to emphasize this fact to all hands. It'll mean going right in under the guns of the Spaniards fleet and their shore batteries. Yes, sir. I'd estimate the chances of survival at about one in ten. Yes, sir. Of course, we'll have a steam cutter follow you, I mean the Merrimack, about halfway into the harbor to pick up survivors. If there are any. It being a night operation, though, the chances of rescue are not very good. Yes, sir. Still want to try it, Hobson? I do, sir. All right. How many men will you need? About six or seven, I'd say, sir. That would be enough. Very good. I'll have my flag lieutenant wig-wag the fleet for volunteers. Good day, Mr. Hobson. Yes, what is it? Flag lieutenant reporting, Admiral. What is it? All vessels have reported concerning the matter of volunteers for the Merrimack. Well, we have over 2,000 volunteers, Admiral, for the seven men required. 2,000, eh? Yes, sir. We're over 150 from the Iowa alone. Thank you. You'll go below and inform Lieutenant Hobson. Tell him he has till six o'clock tonight to pick his men. It's later that night in the quarters of Lieutenant Hobson aboard the armored cruiser New York in Santiago Bay. All during this day, cutters and steam launches have woven in and out alongside the New York, bringing volunteers for Hobson's mission. After interviewing more than a hundred of the 2,000, Hobson has picked his men, and they're now gathered in the cramped quarters of his cabin. Attention, men. Report. Saganon. Quartermaster. Charette gunners made. Clawson. Coxson. Montague chief master at arms. Phillips. Chief machinist, mate. Murphy. Coxson. All present and accounted for, Mr. Hobson. You wish to address them? Yes, I do. Men, Lieutenant Hobson has something to say to you. Men, I'm not going to make a speech. You all know your orders and realize that your chance of coming out of this alive is about one in ten. If you want a withdrawal, speak up now. It'll be no dishonor. The matter will never be mentioned to a living soul, and a replacement can easily be arranged. Well, does anyone wish to withdraw? Good. Now for your instructions. The Merrimack will be fitted with a lifeboat and a catamaran. After pulling the plates and firing the torpedoes, you will all swim to... Yes, Keller, you have a question? Yes, sir. What's a catamaran? A catamaran is a raft. Now then, you will all swim to the raft and hang on. Our next move will be determined by what happens next. Your uniforms will consist of a suit of warm woolen underwear and two pairs of socks. Each man will wear a light preserver and carry a revolver and a box of waterproof cartridges. Now the thing to remember is this. Under any and all circumstances, this group will endeavor to keep together and act as a unit. That is all. One moment, Lieutenant. I'd like to say a few words if I may, to a man and yourself. All right. All right, men. The flag, Lieutenant, wants to say something to you. Lieutenant Hobson and you, men of the Merrimack. As representative of your shipmates in the squadron, I'd like to wish you all good luck and success to your mission. As you well know, there are a few luxuries obtainable at sea. We've dug deep into our lockers, however, and we wish to present you with these small gifts as a token of our affection and admiration. In this bag of six peaches and two pairs, all that there are in this whole fleet, they were contributed by Commodore Schleyer, the Brooklyn and the Chinese mess boy in the Oregon who refuses to tell where he got them. I don't know anything about it. Here's a Marinus compass, the best that money can buy offered by a junior officer of the Iowa. And here is a final gift. There's a bottle of vintage sherry presented to you by Admiral Sampson himself. It's his hope that you'll drink one final toast tomorrow night before you make the run-in. Lieutenant Hobson, the officers and the men of the fleet salute you and wish you Godspeed. It's just past midnight, June 3rd on board the Merrimack, a doomed ship, doomed by her own men. There's a full moon but hardly a ripple on the water. That song you can hear is being sung by men stretched out in the darkness of the folkself, men who really mean what they're singing since their chance of ever returning home is, as Admiral Sampson put it, one out of ten. As you look into the faces of these men, Charette, Kelly, Clausen, Montague and the others, you can't help thinking that this tiny speck out here in the middle of a great sea is truly America. Think of the names of these men and the clue that gives to their ancestry, Irish, English, German and French, but they're Americans all. Men who love their country enough to die for it, asking no reward, praying only for the success of an enterprise that will probably result in their death. Why aren't you asleep? Your orders were to... Are you pleased Lieutenant Hobson? Yes, Dignan. We can't sleep, sir. None of us. What you'd call attention, sir. We're all tightened up. Of course, if you'd like us to lie down and make out like you were asleep. No, no, that won't help. I tried that. I've been thinking, sir, it might help a bit if we were to know what time we're going in, sir. We go in when the moon is high. Aye, sir, that'll give us plenty of light to steer by. We'll be able to sink her just where we want her then. All right. It'll also give the enemy plenty of light to see us. We'll be bombarded by the big guns on Maro, plus everything their fleet can throw at us. Yes, Kelly. I was thinking, sir, it'd be nice if we carried just one gun anyhow to answer them back with, just for the sport nature of the event. Yes, it would, Kelly. But it was deemed advisable to remove all armament. Of course, if you'd like to answer a 12-inch howitzer with your revolver, if you think that would do any good. Aye, sir. Thank you, sir. I'll try to make it do. Now, if there are any questions, man, this is your last chance you'll have Phillips. Sir, I've been wondering, what happens if one of them shells they bombard us with, shoots our rudder off? If we can't steer, how will we sink where we want to? I've already asked for a couple of warheads to explode in an emergency. The admiral said no. Any more questions? I guess not, sir. Good. Now we'll go over the scuttling procedure for the last time. Sharet. On command, I'll let go the anchor, sir, and fire torpedo number one without further orders. Phillips. I then fire number two, sir, then number three. Degnan. Put the hem hard to put, sir, and lay down to fire number four as soon as three goes off. Kelly, I stuffed the engines, then the machinist made an eye open the place to flutter. Then I come up on deck to fire number six. Right. I'm going below now, as you were, men. You are listening to Action at Santiago, starring John Dahl as Lieutenant Richmond Pearson Hobson, United States Navy, and presenting Robert Trout as narrator on the Cavalcade of America, sponsored by the DuPont Company, makers of better things for better living through chemistry. In our cavalcade tonight, Lieutenant Hobson and seven men of the Atlantic fleet off Santiago in the Spanish-American War have completed their preparations for the sinking of the Merrimack in Santiago Harbor. To bottle up the Spanish fleet. It's four o'clock in the morning now, and the moon is high. Old Morro Castle looms grim and foreboding on the starboard hand. De Fort is a Spanish ticket boat in the towering hills above of the enemy sea batteries. That tiny speck out there in the middle of the bay is the Merrimack. Its crew huddled on the after deck, drinking black scalding coffee out of a tin bucket as they await the word to go. Here he comes. Hobson. Come on, get the deck. All finished with the coffee closing. Aye, sir. Heave the bucket over the side. It'll be a hazard here on deck later. Aye, sir. Now then, men, off with your uniforms and shoes. Aye, aye, aye. I never thought when I signed up with the Navy I'd be exposing myself to the world in my long underwear. Hey, that wind is mean. It'll be meaner than this when we hit the water. Aye, sir. Rather than that, think about it just now, sir. All right, now, get on your life preservers and rub all their belts. Say, Lieutenant, are these cartridges really waterproof? Yes, we've seen to that. All ready, men? Aye, sir. Man, your stations. We're going in. Aye, aye, sir. Well, quartermaster, how do you feel? Wonderful, sir, now that the waitin' is over. It's the waitin' that tells on a man and changes the color of his hair if he has any left. How do you want it, sir? Tell him a starboard. Starboard it is, sir. Set your course west. Southwest. West. Southwest, aye, sir. Slow speed ahead. Slow speed ahead. Slow speed ahead. Starboard. Steady as starboard. Hey, these waver of whoppers, Lieutenant. Holder, steady, I said. Steady it is, sir. Here comes another one. He's wingin' the port. Meter, man, meter. Meter, sir. Wainstine down, Lieutenant. That's what I've been waiting for. All right. Hold your course and full speed ahead. Slow speed ahead. How far do you make it to the mouth of the harbor? You mean right in there where we want a sinker, Lieutenant? Yes. About a thousand yards, sir. I don't understand it. With this moonlight, they must see us by now. Why haven't they fired? Watch the helm. Watch the helm, sir. What the devil are they waiting for? That's it, sir. They know we're here, all right. Thank goodness. I was beginning to worry. All right. Keep your glass on those torpedo boats in shore. Aye, aye, sir. That's your port helm, quartermaster. That's your port helm, sir. They haven't hit us yet. Quartermaster, how far do you make it? About a hundred yards to where we want a sinker, sir. We can only hold out till then. Keep her going, quartermaster. On the course, man. On the course. Aye, sir. Just another 50 yards. Oh, please. Please, just another 40 now, sir. 35. 30. Engine stop, sir. Keep her going. We're not there yet. Full speed ahead. Full speed ahead. We're moving against her. What do you suppose that last one hit us? I don't know and I don't care as long as we're... Here we are. We're there. Stop the engine. Stop the engines. Stop the engines. Open the plates. Open the plates. Now if we can swing her around. Harder port, quartermaster. Harder port, sir. Quartermaster, did you hear me? I heard you, sir. I got a harder port last, but she don't respond. I can only mean that... I know what it means. Her tiller ropes. The steering gear is gone. That last... What are we doing now, sir? Sink her right here before she drifts. Fire torpedo number one. Fire torpedo number one. There she goes, sir. Fire number two. Fire number two. Phillips, fire number two. Fire number three. They won't go off, sir. I fired her. They won't go off, sir. I fired them, but they won't go off. Fire all torpedoes. Fire all torpedoes. That's number five, sir. That's number six. She's drifting, sir. She's drifting away. Oh, why don't she go down? Because three torpedoes aren't enough to do the job. That's why. How long before the water coming up through the plate takes her down, sir? At least 10 minutes. And with the rudder gone, we can't hold her here. She doesn't drift. If only she doesn't drift. Well, the Merrimack didn't sink for a good half hour. And in that half hour, she drifted. The tide carried her past the mouth of the channel where Hobson wanted to sink her, past the guns of the Fort and into the broad harbor itself. And there, only partly blocking the way out, the Merrimack went down. At daybreak next morning, eight men in long woolen underwear could be seen clinging to a raft right under the guns of the Spanish fleet. They were so close, they could hear the sailors singing as they swabbed the decks. Pretty soon a launch appeared, flying the Spanish colors. Hobson and his men, all sound, but rather damp and chilly, were hoisted aboard. And they were then taken as prisoners of war to Old Moro Castle on the island of Cuba. A little later that day, Lieutenant Hobson had a visitor, a distinguished visitor. No less the personage, the mad old sea dog whose very name had been used to strike terror into the hearts of naughty children back there in New York. The commander of the Spanish fleet, Admiral Pascual Severa himself. Lieutenant Hobson, permit me, senor, to shake your hand. Admiral Severa, this is a great honor. You are a surprise, Lieutenant. You did not expect me. Well, no, sir, I didn't. After all, an admiral visiting an enemy prisoner, it never even occurred to me, sir. I could not stay away. I wish to make the compliments to you in person for a very brave and courageous work. Very brave. Thank you, sir. I have given orders that you and your men shall have only the best treatment. In all the way, could I express my admiration? Well, it's very good of you, sir. Your country can be proud of you, senor, for this wonderful skill with which you maneuvered this small vessel under the guns of the Spanish fleet. Lieutenant Hobson, I salute a country whose sons have this magnificent courage. The world will not forget that. Mr. Gaines, senor, I salute you. That's the heroic story of Hobson and the Merrimack. He didn't quite block the channel, but he did make those Spaniards kind of jumpy. They figured they'd better come out and fight before another American vessel was sent in to complete the job and seal them in for good. You know what happened then. They came out. Yes, the Spanish fleet came out of Santiago at last, all guns roaring. And in a few hours, Admiral Sampson was able to send a famous message to the Secretary of the Navy. The fleet under my command offers the nation as a 4th of July present, the whole of the Spanish fleet sunk or beached off Santiago. Action at Santiago and eight men. Clawson, Hobson, Haasburn W. Degnan, quartermaster, George Charette, gunners mate, Neil Mondagu, chief master at arms, George Phillips, chief machinist's mate, Francis Kelly, water tender, J.E. Murphy, coxson, Richmond P. Hobson, naval constructor. Eight men who love their country enough to be willing to die for it, asking no reward, praying only for the success of an enterprise they expected to result in their own deaths. Gentlemen, we salute you. Next week, the DuPont Cavalcade of America will come to you from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Our play, Home to the Hermitage, is the story of Andrew Jackson and the great love he bore his frontier wife, Rachel. Our stars will be Faye Bainter and Walter Pigeon. Tonight's DuPont Cavalcade action at Santiago was an original radio play by Arthur Errant and was directed by Jack Zoller. Music was composed by Arden Cornwell and conducted by Donald Bryan. John Dahl can currently be seen in Rope, a transatlantic fixture. This is Ted Pearson inviting you to listen next week to Home to the Hermitage starring Walter Pigeon and Faye Bainter. Cavalcade of America is brought to you each week by the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.