The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-29
POLITICAL.
The Hero Of Santiago.

An assistant naval constructor,
hitherto engaged in the routine duties
of echool-teaching, and dilapidated
tramp steamer lately used as coal
hulk-these are not on the face of the
case promising material for the build
ing OF a heroic saga. There is not in
them much that is reminiscent of Mel
son with the glass al his blind eve, or
Farragut dashed to the rigging. One
would instinctively look elsewhither
for stirring deeds. These are only the
fittings Of an age of comnonI lace, in
which veins are filed with water in
stead of blood, and passions are regu-
lated by measure and weight. But in
that instinct would be forever wrong.
For in an hour in Santiago bay that
man and that ship gained immortality
of fame for the sheer splendor OF de-
liberate daring such as King Olaf and
his Berserks might have loved to see.
Inside the bay was the Spanish fleet,
half dozen superb fighting ships, and
the shores were lined with batteries
and the bottom dotted with mines and
torpedoes like that which destroyed the
Maine. Outside lay the American
feet. And the problem was to block
the narrow gateway so that the Span
iards could not get out. 1t was 10 that
task that this man addressed himself,
with his seven comrades and the old
coal.hulk. There was none of the
dash and excitement of battle in the
job, no blazing and laundering of big
guns and darling of torpedoes. AT
least there was none on Hobson's side.
He and his men and their defeLceless
ship sailed slowly into the awful trap
without stroke in their own defence.
A literal hail of shot and shell swept
down upon them. The chances were
that they would be riddled, or blown to
atoms. But calmly and steadily the
ship was moved forward until the mar
rowest part of the channel was reached.
Then an anchor was cast out at the
bow. In instant peril of death they
waited patiently, as inch by inch the
tide swung the great hulk around. AT
last she lay right across the channtl,
her length reaching almost from shore
to shore. Then they dropped another
anchor at the stern, to hold her fast in
that position. Then, as Grenviile said
after his immortal fight, the word was
given, "Sink me the ship, Master
Gunnerl Sink her! Split her in twainl"
And by the hands of her own crew the
ship was sunk, effectually barring the
harbor against Cevera's exit or Ca
mara's entrance. The work was done.
Then, seeing there was no escape in
their open skiff through the storm of
shot and shell that fell about them,
Hobson and his seven men calmly rowed
straight to the nearest Spanish ship,
whose guns were belching out death
againt them, and gave themselves up
as prisoners of war.
That is the simple story, and you
will not surpass it in all the tales of
chivalIy. For that discretion which IS
the better part of valor, and that un-
flinching valor which is the highest of
all discretion, the deed commands rec
IGNITION among the most heroic deeds
of all time. No wonder the Spaniards,
brave men themselves, applauded it
and treated the prisoners as distinguish
ed guests. The human race applauds
an act that gilds mere clay with glory,
and the navies of the world dip flags in
salutation to the sunken coal-hulk. The
name of Hobson is added to the list
that already bears the names OF Dewey
and of Farragut, of Perry and Decatur.
1t was a small proceeding, compared
with their great battles. But its re-
suits are not Insignificant in themselves,
while the manner of its doing showed
its doors to be possessed of the highest
heroism known in mortal confiict-tbe
heroism that goes TO the performance
of supreme duty without a single slim
illus save the fact that it is duty, and
that in the face of all but certain death.
That in this case death did not prove a
certainty, but every one of the gallant
eight came out from the fearful ordeal
unscathed, is cause for exultation Sec
ond to none in the whole respondent
drama.-New York Tribune.