The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-07-15
HOBSON REClTES HIS TALE.
Hero of the Merrimac Describes Their
Terrible Experience.

Terrible Experience.
NEW YORK, July GA dispatch t
the New York Herald from off SAINT
ago says: Your correspondent saw MI
Hobson after he had made his repor
to Admiral Sampson. He spoke i
glowing terms of the courage an
bravery of his crew.
st was about o'clock in the morn
ing when the Merrimac entered tn
narrow channel and steamed in unde
the guns of Moro castle. The still
ness of death prevailed. 1t was s.
dark that we could scarcely see tn
headland. We had planned to drol
our starboard anchor at a certain poin
to the right of the channel, revers
our engines and then swing the Mer
rimac around, sinking her Direct.
across the channel.
"This plan was adhered to, but cir
cumstances rendered it's execution i'm
possible When the Merrimac pokeC
her nose into the channel our troubles
commenced. The deadly silence was
broken by the wash of small boat APP
preaching us from the shore. l made
her out to be picket boat.
"She ran close up under the stern OF
the Merrimac and fired several shots
from what seemed to be 3-pound guns.
The Merrimac's rudder was carried
away by this fire. That is why the
collier was not sunk across the chan
mel.
'We did not discover the loss of the
rudder until Murphy cast anchor. We
then found that the Merrimac would
not answer to the helm and were COM
PEELED to make the best of the situa-
ton.
''The run up the channel was very
exciting. The picket boat had given
the alarm and in a moment the guns
of the Vizcaya, the Almirante Oquen-
do and the shore batteries were turned
upon us.
Submarine mines and torpedoes
were also exploded all about us, adding
to the excitement. The mines did no
damage, although we could hear rum
blings and could feel the ship tremble.
ave were running without lights
and only the darkness saved us from
utter destruction, When the ship was
in the desired position, and we found
that the rudder was gone, l called the
men on deck. While they were launch
ing the catamaran touched off the
explosives.
cat the same moment two torpedoes,
fired by the Reina Mercedes, struck
the Merrimac amidships. | cannot
say whether our own explosives or the
Spanish torpedoes did the work, but
the Merrimac was lifted out of the
wather and almost rent asunder.
Gas she settled down we scrambled
overheard and cut away the catamaran.
A great cheer went up from the forts
and war ships as the hull of the col
lier foundered, the Spaniards thinking
the Merrimac was ar American war
ship.
"We attempted to get out of the
harbor on the catamaran, but a strong
tide was running, and daylight found
us still struggling in the water. Then,
for the first time the Spaniards saw
us, and a boat from the Reina Mer-
cedes picked us up.
SIT was then shortly after o'clock
in the morning and we had been in the
water more than an hour. We were
taken aboard the Reina Mercedes and
later were sent to MORO castle.
Four days afterward they were
transferred to the Reina Mercedes hos
pital, on the outskirts of Santiago,
where they were kept until exchanged.
Of Admiral Cervcra Hobson speaks in
the very highest.
Hobson was overjoyed at getting
back. He looked well, though some
what worn. On the whole, the Span
iards treated him better than might be
expected Mr. Ramsden. the British
consul at Santiago, was tireless in his
efforts to secure comfort for Hobson
and his men. The young hero knew
nothing of the destruction of Cervera's
feet until he reached the army lines