The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-21
Triumphal Entry Into
II American Lines.
A SILENT TRIBUTE PAID.
Officers and Men Gazsd In Admira-
tiou on the Lieutenant.
THEN THREE MIGHTY CHEERS.

With the rifle pits behind him filled
with thousands Of the enemy, with the
rife pits before him filled with thou.
sands Of his friends, Assistant Naval
Constructor Hobson left Santiago on
Thursday, July 2, with his seven COM
rades and was delivered into Che well
coming arms Of the American army at
Siboney, Cuba. The trail up which they
came was Q broad ono between the high
banks, with the great trees above meet
ihg in an arch overhead. For hours be-
fore they came officers and men who
were not on duty in the rife pits had
been waiting on these banks. sprawling
in tho sun and crowded together as
closely as men on the bleaching boards
Of baseball Geld Hobson's coming
was one dramatic picture of the war;
The sun was setting behind the trail,
and as he came up over the crest he was
outlined against 1t. Under triumphal
arch Of palms the soldiers saw young
inan In the uniform OF the nasy, his
face white with the prison pallor as
his white duck and strangely in con-
trast with the fierce tan of their own,
and with serious eyes, who looked down
at them steadily. For a moment he
seemed to sit hotionless and then the
waiting band struck up The Star Span
gled Banner" A strange thing it was
that no one cheered or shouted or gave
an order, but every one rose to his feet
slowly, took OF his hat slowly. and
stood SO, looking up at him in absolute
silence. 1t was one of the most i'm
pressive things lever saw. No noise nor
blare nor shouted acclaim could have
touched tho meaning or the depths of
feeling there was in that silence.
Then redhesded, red faced trooper
lcaped down into the road and shouted,
Three cheers for Hobsonp' The men
foared and cheefed. The rough riders
gave cowboy yell, and officers with
sons Of their own in West Point leaped
up and down, and a foreign attache
threw mp his helraet into the air. Hob
son rode down between the lines, rails
ing his cap and smiling doubtfully.
Probably no ono ever received reward
so swiftly or from such worthy hands
as those of the men who first taught |
him what he was to his countrymen.
They were no seekers after celebrities
That will come later. They were men
instead, who knew brave man, be-
cause they were brave. They had won
the very ground he was on from the |
enemy. 1t had cost them the loss Of |
], 800 comrades. They came running
from the trenches With rifles. from the |
lake where they had been washing
clothes. They charged up the hills Of |
San Juan q second time and surrounded
;hem in o shouting, happy mob Be-
hind him rode two Spanish officers who
lad been taken beyond the lines only to
ind no one to exchange for them. They
lat on their horses, blindfolded with
first aid to the wounded" bandages,
md listened to the tribute the Ameri-
ANS paid their young coYptryman.
There 10 always something humor-
'us about the jackies, and after the
erious, earnest face Of Hobson it was
omio relief to see six obstinate mules
ragging an ambulance loaded with
even clean, smart bluejackets, grin
ing, shouting, rolling over each other
n glec. Every ono who had started to
un after Hobson stopped, to cheer them,
ut thcy were turned aside from cheers
y the enlisted men shouting, "Say, but
on sea fellers did not do o thing to
hem the other night
"Say, we heard you; see?" yelled the
ackies. "Your shells fell right into our
ospital yard" Say. but we wished
70 was with you; see?" ''They come
4 dead in carts" !" "You could not see
ae street for them"
It was no time for choosing SMILES.
len were standing on the rising banks
nd the hills. waving hats and shout
,g Officers were shouting Hobson's
anne. Photographers were lcaping
bout, porpetuating q moment. 1t was
10 same story all the way TO Siboney.
very little group of soldiers they camo
,ross stood at attention at tho unusual
ght Of navy uniform. When they
'cognized the men, they waved their
ats aud oheered.
Hobson was the first officer I have
en saluted In six days. They have
ZEN too busy TO salute. Before he came
'e Scventy-flrst New York was mend.
q road, but the men gave a yell
hen they saw him and rushed waist
gh through the river and stopped the ,
'valcade while they mobbed him. shook
,th his hands at once and gave him
rec cheers AS he rode along they told
m some things that had happened
hile he had been in Jail and how in a :
y ho had become national hero.
IL was tho most wonderful ride q
'ung man Of % has over undertaken ;
ride through the enomy's country
Iar1ed by your own countrymen; ON ,
cry sido to hear cheers and approval;
every step to know your work was
ne, aud we'll done; 10 know the weary
ys In Jail were over; to feel the situ- !
ion and see the great mountain peaks {
d royal palms bending bcnediction Z
der a soft blue sky.
Best of eli, when Inc rode through tho Z
Iilight end reached the coast and saw r