The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-06
HEROES OF MERRIMAC

HEROES OF MERRIMAC
MEN WHO FACED DEATH FOR
THEIR COUNTRY's CAUSE
They Closed the Channel Leading
From Santiago Bay and Thereby
Robbed the Flower of the Span
ish Fleet of All It's Terrors-Ad-
the Fleet in Enthusing.
Copyright by the Associated Press.
! OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, June 4
(via Port Antonio. Jamaica, June 81
The Spanish fleet is now helpless, be-
ing held captive in Santiago de Cuba
The narrow channel leading into the
harbor was completely blockaded when
the United States collier Merrimac was
sunk across it's entrance. 1t Is now i'm
possible for the Spaniards to get out,
and it is equally impossible for any
vessel to get into the harbor. There
fore, the Spanish first-class armored
! cruisers Maria Teresa, Cristobal Colon,
Vizcaya and Admirante Oquendo,
with the two torpedo boat destroyers
-F'uror and Pluton, are no longer of any
use to Spain. The result was accom-
piished through the heroism of Lieut..
| Richmond P. Hobson, assistant naval
constructor, and Daniel Montague.
George Charette, j. C. Murphy, Oscar
Deignan, John P. Phillips, John Kelly
and H. Clausen. The latter, cox
swain of the New York, took part in
the expedition against orders. They
were all captured by the Spanish, but
the Spanish admiral, in recognition Of
their bravery, sent word to the Amer
lean admiral. under a flag of truce,
that he was willing to exchange the
prisoners, and assuring the American
commander that they would be treated
with the greatest kindness. Money and
provisions have been sent to them, and
the necessary steps are being taken to
bring about their exchange.
WHO THE MEN ARE.
Montague is chief master-at- t-arms Of
! the. New York. He has served four
years in the navy, is twenty-nine years
OF age, and his home is in Brooklyn
! George Charette is a g-unner's mate
of the first class on board the New
York. He has served fourteen years
In the navy, is thirty-one years of age
and resides at Lowell, Mass.
]. C., Murphy is a coxswain of the
Iowa. 80 .%i1
Oscar Deignan is coxswain Of the
Merrimac, and is about twenty-four
years old.
John P. Phillips is a machinist of the
first class, belonging to the Merrimac.
He is thirty-siX years of age, and his
home is in Boston.
John Kelly is a water tender, about
thirty-f1ye years of age. His home is
near Glasgow, Scotland.
H. Clausen, who slipped on board the
Merrimac without permission in order
to take part in the expedition, is cox
swain of the New York.
Lieut.. Richmond Pearson Hobson, as
s.stant naval constructor, was born at
Creenboro, Ala, on Aug. II, 1870,
and appointed, after a competitive ex-
animation, to the naval academy in
May, 1885, He was the youngest men,
Der of his class, but graduated at the
head of his eighteen companions. He
has studied engineering. under the au-
spices Of the United States government,
in France, and was made assistant
naval constructor in 1891. He is the
author of semi-polftical work en-
titled 1.-THE Situation and Outlook in
Europe" ard was assigned to the flag
ship New York when Rear Admiral
Sampson sailed for the West Indies.
Lieut. Hobson is nephew of John M.
Morehead, Of North Carolina, and is
a grandson of Chief Justice Pearson,
of that state. He is unmarried and his
| father Judge James M. HobSon, lives
at Greensboro, Ala.
The three men from the Merrimacs
crew were all green hands, and ship
ped recently for the war.
| The Merrimac had on board 900 tons
| of coal when she was scuttled across
| the channel.
SAILORS. ENTHUSE.
The spirit shown by the men and
officers of the fleet in connection with
| the Merrimac expedition is really
grand. and beyond being merely ex-
pressed in words.
| Under these circumstances one can
imagine the immense feeling of satis-
! faction experienced when 1T became
known that Hobson and the crew Of the
Merrimac were safe. Later in the day,
a boat with a white flag put out from
the harbor, and Capt. Oviedo, the chief
of staff of Admiral Cervera, boarded
| the New York, and informed the ad-
miral that the whole of the party had
been captured, and that only two of
them had been injured. Hobson had
not been hurt. Tt appears that the
! Spanish admiral was so struck with the
courage of the Merrimac's crew that
| he decided to inform Admiral Sampson
that they had not lost their lives, but
were prisoners of war, and-eeuld be
exchanged.
The dingy portion Of the programme
does not appear to have been carried
out, which leads to the belief that she
may have been smashed by a shot, for
| 1t seems Hobson and his men drifted
ashore on an old catamarau, which had
| been slung over the Merrimacs side at
the last moment as an extra precau-
ton. They were captured and sent to
| Santiago under guard, previous to be-
ing transferred to Moro castle, where
they are now understood to be con-
| fined.
Money and provisions were sent to
the prisoners through Capt. Oviedo,
and it is believed Rear Admiral Samp-
son Is taking the steps necessary to
bring about their exchange.
| The fleet is in a state of delighted
enthusiasm and the admiral is just as
happy as the youngest sailor. The gen.
| eral opinion Is that no man ever de-
served recognition for personal bravery
| more than does Lieut.. Hobson.
| PERSIAN CABINET RESIGNS.