The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1893-05-31
HOBBS AND HIS FLAG.
AN EPISODE OF WAR DAYS IN THE
HAR6oR OF HoNG-koNe.

Confidence In His Ship and Who Dared
the Alabama-Flying Two Flags In Neu-
trail waters-How the Escape Was Made.
During the greater part of the war"
Baid the retired skipper, ''there were
large number of American clippers stall
ed in Hong-Kong harbor, having orders
to remain there from their owners, who
feared the Alabama. This arrangement
did not at all please the captains and
officers, as many Of US were anxious to
go home and ship in the navy, but orders
We're orders. We could not leave the
ships, and the frequent visits of the Ala
bama herself to the harbor, forcing her.
self into our midst as the saying goes,
were very vivid reminders that neutral
watera we're pretty good sort Of an inz
vention.
Although we passed the long weeks
and months as pleasantly as we could,
with all kinds Of arrangements for kill
ing time, both on shipboard and on
shore, there was of course q continual
and concerted grcwl going up from our
little band of Yankee shippers, and old
Hobbs was the star growler of us all.
His ship was the Humming Bird, a
brand new clipper hailing from Boston.
The trip out to Hong Kong had been her
maiden one, and 1t was chatting to Hobbs
not very smooth temper to have her lie
idle SO early in her career. Having great
faith in the ships speed and in his own
seamanship, he was more than anxious
to put to sea and let Semmes catch him
If he could; but, like the rest of us, his
orders to remain were positive.
Occasionally ship would manage to
clear by sailing under some foreign flag,
but as it was complicated process in
volving fathoms Of red tape and very Of
ten fell through just when everything
seemed favorable it was not resorted to
very often. When it was tried, however,
old Hobbs would 60 on his beam ends
with wrath. He would fume and rant,
casting aspersions on the patriotism Of
the owners, the agents, the officials, and
even the Chinese crew. He was so in
tensely patriotic that to see good Yam
kee craft sail under false colors would
keep him boiling for a week.
"You can see what his feelings were
when one day he was ordered to proceed
to Sumatra under the British flag. He
fumed, ranted and swore and then
fumed, ranted and swore over again,
with few extra choice nautical anath-
emas thrown in for emphasis. This nee
essary operation over, he sent ashore to
the native sailmaker's for British flag
the smallest to be had. When 1t came
aboard-it was about 2 by feet in size
Hobbs looked at 1t askance and or
dered it to be put out Of sight until sail
ing day.
Sailing day arrived. and the British
flag was seen fluttering quietly from its
proper place on the Humming Bird It
attracted mighty little attention. how
ever, for the Alabama was entering the
harbor. She fcated slowly along and
dropped anchor exceedingly close to tho
Humming Bird. About this time the
harbor master was seen In his boat be-
ing rowed rapidly toward Hobbs ship,
and huge bundle of bunting about the
size of an old shellback's sea chest was
rapidly hauled to the maintop Of the
Humming Bird.
"Tho harbor master pulled up along
side the Humming Bird and yelled for
the captain. 1t could be seen that he
was angry about something. Hobbs
came to the rail in his plug hat and long
tailed bottle green coat, the customary
uniform of skipper in those days,
and asked the harbor master what he
could do.
"'I want you to take down that flag
instantly, sir, said the harbor master.
"'Guess not, said Hobbs.
"'It's disgrace, sir, and an insult to
hoist such flag as thatl'
"'What's the matter with the fagY
said Hobbs, surprised.
"'It's all wrong, sir; the proportions
are all wrong. The field is too long for
its width, and the rest Of it is too wide for
its length. The crosses are wrongly ar
ranged, sir, and 1t is vile caricature Of
an honored flag, sirl Remove 1t imme-
diatelyp
"Guess not, said Hobbs again. That
flag was bought In a British port and
made by British subject. He was a
Chinaman, but that is neither here nor
there. I don't care If it is the flag Of
Patagonia, so long as it was sold to me
for that of England. Good morningr
"The harbor master had nothing to say
to this and started back, but he had no
sooner done 80 than the main halliards
were pulled, the bundle at the peak
broke out, and in a second the stars and
stripes were waving before the aston
ished eyes Of the harbor master, the Yam
kee shippers and Captain Semmes of the
Alabama. Indeed, 80 large was Old
Glory in this particular case that it al
most brushed the Alabama's decks, the
vessels being sonear together. The huge
flag had been presented to the ship at
her launching and to the excited spec
tators on this occasion seemed larger
than the ship herself.
1.-THE harbor master put about, angrier
than before, and demanded explanations.
"fWhat does that flag mean, sirr said
he.
"That's my house flag said Hobbs;
the trademark Of my owners. do not
know whether that red rag up there is
humpbacked and clubfooted or not, but
you can't give me any points on the con-
struction of that article up there with
the stripes on it. I propose to fly that
flag how 1 please, when i please and
where please, whether 1t be in Hong
Kong or in h. For the second time,
good morningp and Hobbs went below.
"Semmes was so angry over the stars
and stripes Haunting in his face that he
swore to blow the Humrning Bird out OF
the water If he ever caught her outside,
no matter what flag she sailed under.
He never did 1t, however, as this voyage
hung fire as so many others did, and as
shortly after this the Alabama exchanged
with the Kearsarge certain little civili-
ties we all know about his blowing days
were over."--New York Sun.