The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-06

! personal bravery more than docs Lioutcu-
| ant ilohson.
! IN to the time the Associated prCss dis
patch boat left the fleet today the admiral
had not given any orders to lombard san
tiago do Cubu's forts hut the spirit of
revenge seemed to hang over the ilctt and
by this time Moro Castle and the Spanish
batteries may be IN ruins. The American
sailors would think 1t retrihution or JUS
ticc IL part OF tue score against spain was
wiped out at Santiago de Cuba, where
twenty-seven years ago the thirty nine
Americans Of the Vlrginius were shot
copyrighted 1898, by Associated Press
On Board Associated Press Boat Dnun,-
via Port Antonio jamaica June A. tDe-
laycd in transmission Knowing Hobson q
desperate plan. the dispatch boat took Mn a
position at sunset opposite the narrow har-
Dor entrance and just outside The line OF
the blockadlng warships.
The swift tropical twilight blotted out
the Cuban shore like a dissolvlng view IN
n theatcr
Tho last sign OF the doomed MerrImac
seen flom the dispatch boat was her black
shadow close In shore seven miles east OF
MORO castle. and she was probably hidden
/ from It's ookouts by the high land close Ia
the coast
All night long glasses had been trained
on tho streak Of gloom which was all the,
marked the shore lire. Heavy clouds blot
ted out the full moon except ~ pref In
i,rvais when It's light broaslH out tho
shndowy hulks OF the battieships. which
were az quickly swallowed ZIP again.
Now and then signal light OF the fleet
wLnkce and was answered by another up or
down the coast. Then more darkness, 81
lenoe and waiting. The center OF interest.
the moon remained black.
Knowing that one tentative plan was for
the fleet 10 chase the Merrimac In the h1r-
Dor using blank cartridges on her ana
search lights TO point on TO Hobsun tho
h0rbor entrance, every one waited for this
pyrotechnical display. but II did not come
lIobton had apparently chosen the lcss
spectacular but equally desperate plan OF
quietly stalking the forts alone and in the
darkness.
Black cloGdbnnks to the westward had
hidden the moon for two hours before its
setting. dcpriving fobson of his own wish
for jIst n bit OF light TO guide him In un-
der the spanish guns.
Fate could scarcely have been harder.
Al 3 o'clock the moon showed for u few
| minutes. blood red and then 1t was cx-
tingushcd
Too late" said every one, che will
never have time 10 run in by that"
Almost at the same moment dawn broke
In the east as quickly az night had fallen
the previous evening. TO the eastward.
| Just where the Merrimac lay last night.
| doomed up the black shadow OF a vessel:
lie has missed his chance was tho
| remark.
| There the collier lay. spread in the
southern brilliancy. Morro's deep red
walls showed against the blue hills and
| open clouds Suddenly dazzling flash.
| like a heliograph ray, leaped from q bat
| tleship, followed by slow spreading cloud
! OF white smoke. There was no report but
| far up the coast white jot of spray ledped
from the sea.
The battleships were waking up.
Glasses were trained where tho Merri-
mac had been. She was gone. The Vixen
has been mistaken for the Merrimoc,
CLASSES swept the horizon. searching for
| the Merrimac She was nowhere visible.
Bright flashes and blllowng smoke rose
| from point 10 point where the batteries
| were located.
Thc sDaniards were awake sure enough
/, and busy.
.'Hobson has run In on them and fooled
| us ALL was said, "but," 1t was added
what are the idiots shooting att" The
| shrleking shells rose everywhere beyond
the Brooklyn and inside the Texas. but
| the fire was seemingly aimed westward
close to the shore. A tiny thread OF smoke
disclosed their target. the New Yorks
launch, which Ensign Powell had CALAMITY
held close uuder M6rro's walls until after
| Daylight. when. driven out by the fire OF
the big guns he had run far up the shore
under the partial bluffs and had turned
eventually and boarded the Texas. Then
he passed 10 the New York. The brave fell
low was broken hearted at not finding
Hobson and his men.
Lying closer In than the warships, Pow
ell had seen the firing before daylight
when the Merrlmac and her dare devil
crew. then well inside MORO castle. were
probably FIRST discovered by the Spaniards
He heard an explosion which may havs
been caused by Hobson's torpedoes. The
ensign was not sure, 30 he waited. vainly
hoping 10 rescue the heroes Of the Merrl-
mac. until he was shclled out by the forti-
ficatlors. The fleet. seeing the launch re-
turn, crowded close inshore to learn tht
news and learaing II went In closer still
hoping TO draw the Spanish fire bur I'M
forts remained silent In tho bills o. I'M
harbor could be seen dense column o.
moving smoke as at least one Spanish yes
eel moved down the tortuous channel Z
the barbor south. She did not show BE-
You'd Cayo Smith, whine the Dsuntlese -
|, NAMED In night Her way Wos bIockc0 u