The St. Johns herald., 1898-07-16
TOLD BY ROBSON.
Thrilling Experience of Himself and Men on the MerrimaC.
 and in Prison.
! Associated Press. 1

Press dispatch boat Dauntless, via
 Kingston, Jamaica. July g, 9:15 a. m.-
 The return of Assistant Naval Con-
 structor Hobson to his ship. the flag
 ship New York, last night, was marked
 by wild enthusiasm. Behind Hobson
 came Colonel John Jacob Astor and the
 first thing Hobson tried to do was to introduce him to officers, but Colonel Astor got lost in the crowd which surged
 around insisting upon shaking Rob-
 son s hand. Transports blew their
 whistles. When Hobson sat once more
 among his mess mates he told the
 story of his experience his marvellous
 escape and his imprisonment in Morro
 castle.
 1T did not miss the entrance to the
 harbor," he said, "as Ensign Powell in
 the launch supposed. 1 headed east
 until got my bearings and then made
 for it, straight in. Then came the fir
 ing. It was grand. flashing out first
 from one side of the harbor and then
 the other. from those big guns on the
 hills, the Vizcaya. lying inside the har-
 Dor, joining in.
 Troops from Santiago had rushed down when the news of the Merrimac's coming was telegraphed, and soldiers lined the foot of the cliffs, firing wildly across and killing each other with their cross fire. The Merrimac's steering gear broke as she got to Estrella Point. Only three of the torpedoes on her side exploded when 1 touched the button. Huge submarine mine caught her full l amidships, hurling water high in the air and tearing a great rent in the Mer rimac's side. Her stern ran up on Estrella Point. Chiefly owing to the | work done by the mine she began sink ing slowly. At that time she was across the channel. but before she set tied the tide drIfted her around. We were all aft, lying on deck. Shells and bullets whistIed around us. Six inch shells from the Vizcaya came tearing into the Merrimac, crashing into wood | and iron, and passing clear through, while plungIng shots from the forts broke through her decks.
 Not man must move, 1 said and
 it was only owing to splendid discipline 1f the men thatallof us were not killed. ls shells sailed over IFS and minutes u-- came hours Of suspense. The men s i ....----.- f...--.,. -.-..l. mad s,r-. ...l ..-.- lie there till daylight, I told them. Now and again one or another of the men lying with his face glued 10 the keck, and wondering whether the next shell would not come our way would say,
 Hadn't we better drop off now, sir?' but said: Wait till daylight
 Ut would have been impossible to get the catSmaren anywhere but 10 shore where soldiers stood shooting, und l hoped by daylight We might be secog- nized<and saved. The grand old Merri- mac kept sinking. I wanted to go forward and, see what damage was done there, where nearly all the fire was but one man said if rose it would draw all the fire on the rest, so I lay motionless. It was splendid, the way those men behaved. The fire of the soldiers from the batteries snd Viz. caya was awful. When the water came up on the Merrimac's decks the cat maran floated amid wreckage, but was still made fast to the bottom, and We caught hold of the edge and clung on. our heads being above water. One man thought we were sater right there. It was quite light, firing had ceased, ex- ,ept that on the New York launch, and [ feared Ensign Powell and his men had been killed. A Spanish launch came toward the Merrimac. We agreed to capture her and run. Just as she came dose the Spaniards saw us and half a lozen marines jumped up and pointed their rifles at our heads, Is there any officer in that boat to receive a surren- Ter of prisoners of warp I shouted. An id man leaned over under the awning md waved his hand. It was Admiral { Jeryera. Tue marines lowered their flies and we were helped into the aunch.
 Then we were put in cells in Morro astle. Afterwards we were taken into santiago. had the court martial room n the barracks. My men were kept prisoners in the hospital. From my window l could see the army moving, md it was terrible to see the poor lads moving across the open and being shot town by Spaniards in rifle pits in front )f me. The Spaniards became as polite IS could be. 1 knew something was coming, and then 1 was exchanged"
 Mr Ramsden, British consul at San. iago, was tireless in his efforts to secure comfort for Hobson and his nen. Lieutenant Hobson could not his promised exceptional but was oveljpye'i to learn hat his bravery had been recognized )y the people. He is the same simple, enthusiastic H0hsnn, more anxious to talA about the effect of ex- ,loding shells aid army moves than Lbout his own brave deed. The men yho came with him are receiving a ingIrg reception. All are doing well,
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