The herald., 1898-06-05

could have kept him from that trip into
the jaws of death. 1t is probable that the
Spaniards will try to blow up the Merrimac,
but 1t Is improbable that they will succeed.
Speculation Is rife as to the exact details
of how Lieutenant Hobson managed to blow
up his ship and live to tell the etale. His
heroism has cleared up the situation we'll.
The Spaniards are now doubly hemmed In.
Cadet Powell, who was the last man to
steamed in slowly and lost sight of the
who had charge of the launch during It's
perilous trip, told the story of his expert
once. He said:
II shook hands with Hobson the last of
all. He said: Powell, watch the boats
crew when we pull out Of the harbor. We
will be cracks, rowing thirty strokes to
the minute
after leaving the Texas saw the Mer-
rimac steaming slowly in. 1t was only
fairly dark then and the shore was quite
visible. We followed about three-quarters
see Lieut.. Hobson before his start and
about mile to the westward of the harbor
and seemed bit mixed, turning complete
ly around, finally heading east, then ran
down and turned in. We were then chas-
ing, because thought Hobson had lost his
bearings. when I1OUSOH WAS dUOuI luV
yards from the harbor the first gun was
fired from the eastern bluff. We were then
half a mile off shore, close under the bat
teries. The firing increased rapidly. We
of mile astern. The Merrimac stood
Merrimac in the smoke which the wind
carried off shore. 1t hung heavily. Before
Hobson could have blown UP the Merrimac
the western battery picked up and COM
menced firing. They shot wild and we only
heard the shots. We ran in still closer to
shore and the gunners lost sight of us.
Then we heard the explosion of the tor
pedoes on the Merrimac
"Until daylight we waited just outside
the breakers, half mile to the westward
Of Moro. keeping bright lookout for the
boat or for swimmers, but saw nothing.
"Hobson had arranged to meet us at that
point in front of Moro and the mouth of
the harbor to the eastward. About
o'clock we crossed the harbor again within
a quarter of a mile and stood to the west
ward. In passing we saw one spar Of The
Merrimac sticking out of the water. We
hugged the shore just outside of the break
ers for a mile and then turned toward the
Texas, when the batteries saw us and
opened fire. 1t was then broad daylight.
The first shot fired dropped eighty yards
astern, but the other shots went wild.
IT drove the launch for all she was
worth. finally making the New York. The
men behaved splend!dly."
The news of Lieut.. Hobson's safety lift
ed great load from Powell's mind. Prob
ably no other details of this marvellous
trip will be known until Lieut.. Hobson
gets back.
Some heavy firing was done shortly be-
fore midnight by the New York and New
Orleans, aimed at what was thought to be
small gunboat, which disappeared.
Whether she was sunk or not is not known.
The firing took place to the eastward of
Moro.
Hobson's Record
WASHINGTON, June 4.-Naval Con-
structor Hobson, whose name is on every
lip in Washington tonight, Is well known
at the navy department, as he served in
the bureau of construction for several
years. His associates regarded him as
combining great ability as a student with
the eccentricity often accompanying ge-
MUS. 1t was remarked by an official of
the department that Hobson was a man
who held naval regulations concerning
matters of form in contempt, and was OBJ
livious to official rules. These daredevil
characteristics, were offset, however, by
his recognized ability In all branches of