The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-02
The Hero of the Merrimac Receives a
Hearty and Enthusiastic Reception
mt the Georgia Resort.
TELLS HIS STORY OVER AGAIN
AND OUTLINES HIS PLANS FOR RAIs-
ING THE COLON.
Escape of Himself and Companions
from the Sinking Collier and Res
cue by Admiral Cervera.

| ATLANTA, Ga, Aug. Lieut.. Richmond
Pearson Hobson, who has been expected in
Georgia ever since his arrival in the United
States from Santiago. is with his mother at
Lithia Springs to-day. The lieutenant
reached Atlanta at $40 o'clock this morn
ing and for several moments the naval hero
| was a busy man. He was kept shaking
hands until each individual had been sa-
| luted. Lieutenant Hobson received the at
tention shown him with the GOODNESS which
| marked his deed of daring On the Merrimac
| Ills manner was cordial yet not forward
| his bearing modest, yet easy At Austell
there was a call for the distinguished trav-
| eler to come to the platform. to which he
/! responded.
| When the train pulled up to the station
| at Lithia Springs, where the mother waited,
| crowd of guests from the Sweetwater
| Park Hotel had gathered to join in the well
come. The meeting between mother and
! son was pathetic one. The son kissed his
mother. who threw her arms around his
| neck and for several moments rested her
head on his shoulder, shedding tears of joy.
| The crowd stood aside in reverence to such
| affection To say that Mrs. Hobson was
| overjoyed to see her son would express it
| too mildly. AS she walked up the lane from
| the depot to the hotel leaning on the arm of
| her boy her face was aglow with happiness.
| She was. too. justly proud of her son, of
! whom so much is being made These two led
| the way from the railroad station and the
| hotel guests followed, two by two. The hotel
parlors were decorated with the most beau
| tiful flowers, flags were draped over the
porteres and the word Welcome" made
of green leaves, was spread over the door.
A string band furnished music. The lieuten-
ant will return to Washington tomorrow
| Mr.. Hobson granted an interview to a re-
! porter to-day and in order to talk without
| interruption he went to his room. The lieu
tenant was very free in speaking of the
raising of the Colon and the Maria Teresa,
but was quite reticent in speaking of his
| part i'll the sinking of the Merrimac. lie
| said he anticipated no very great trouble i'll
! raising the CrlStobal Coon, yet admitted
that IL would be a great engineering feat, II
accomplished and that tour weeks was as
| short time as he could hope to accomplish
the WORK in after it was once started. lie
said: We shall first place great chains
| around the vessel and attach them to our
| pontoons, which will sink to level with the
water. BY pumping the water thereafter
from the pontoons the ship Will be raised
| TO aid in this and to keep the sunken YES
sci from turning bottom side up during the
| process of raising it is intended TO fasten air
| bags on the SIDE we wish to come up first.
THIS will give buoyancy and materially aiG
| in the raising, and after we have the ship
| under control so 1t cannot turn over, we Will
pump out certain apartments in 1T, which
| will further tighten the burden To accom-
plish this work it will take a number of
men who will go from New York for the
| purpose The divers have already gone
ahead. They can begin their work without
| my presence The air bags and pcntoons
have not yet been shipped, but will be very
soon and l must reach the vessel by the
When asked ii it was true that Cervera
was the one who pulled him out of the
water. after the sinking Of the Merrimac,
he said: Yes, 1t is true. The admiral is a
fine man. and shall certainly visit him be-
fore going back to Santiago When the
Suspended from the boat was light cata-
maran and when the Merrimac went down
part of it fioated, although it was hardly
wrecked by the explosion. 1t was the big
gest piece of debris in sight and we all
swan for it. We all reached it and got a
in the water with our heads ducked under
the catamaran to keep from being shot. AT
the conclusion Of this time l noticed little
launch coming toward us. Seeing an officer
on board and feeling that he would prevent
violence being done us, hailed the launch
me a lift and helped me into the boat, for
it was his launch | had hailed The other tle1r
taken to MORO Castle
Were you made comfortable while in the
hands of the Spaniards?' he was asked.
Il have not made my official report he
replied. land cannot therefore go into de-
tails, but L can tell you something in
general way. We were first locked in cell
in MORO Castle, where we stayed for four
days. We were, of course, uncomfortable
there, there was no provisions for COM
fort. was isolated from my men all dur
ing our confinement, but suppose they
Jared the same as L. During stay in
the castle it was bOmbarded but it was at
no time a principal target This was for
tunate for us. the place is medieval and
would not stand much. At the end of the
fourth day we were transferred to the San
tiago prison. Here we were much more COM
Portable, having beds, but were still under
lock and key. And l will say for Cervera
that he protested against our being taken
to the castle at all. He could not help it,
| however.
mand. Lieutenant General Lnares was in
command and matters had to be adjusted
as he said. During our stay in prison sew
erai Things were sent us and we We're not
entirely overlooked. We had occasion TO he
grateful to Fred w. Ramsey, the British
consul, who showed us many courtesies
which lightened our confinement. We were
| all very restless and chatting to get away
and naturally. so. We were given no in
| formation and knew nothing of what was
going on. 1t was not until we were ex-
changed that we learned that our exchange
had been refused when first asked
In speaking of his exchange he said: 81
can now see that the Spaniards were act
| ing prudently III not allowing our exchange
| before the destruction of Cerveras fleet
| We, of course, had information regarding
| the city and its defenses which might have
been Of value against them if we had been
liberated before the fleet was made aWav
with
The lieutenant speaks some Spanish. and
| it proved very valuable to him during his
incarceration. Lieutenant Hobson has NOT
| definitely arranged all his plans and does
| not know just how he will occupy his time
prior to leaving for Santiago or just how
soon he will return. He thinks now that
he will go back via Key West. He saws
| he will be spared visit TO the young ladv
| in the West whom it was reported he is
| TO marry, as the report is untrue. The re-
port that he is to preside in New York
next Thursday night at g meeting of the
| Soldiers and Sailors Relief Association is
| correct. He is to do this at the earnest
| solicitation of the Navy Department Sec
| rotary Long insists that while it is out of
| the usual run, the lieutenant would lose an
| opportunity of being a help to his fellow
] seamen if he refused
| The lieutenant speaks very modestIy of
| the attentions shown him since he reached
| mere lie appreciates it all, but his manner
| shows that he rather dislikes notoriety and
would prefer to enjoy quiet and less popu-
! larity. Mrs. Governor Atkinson one of the
| most active workers in the Army and NAVY
| League. teephoned Lieutenant Hobson TO-
| day that the members of the league were
| anxious to give reception tomorrow afr
ernoen The lieutenant responded, saying he
| would be most happy to accept If circum
| stances permit The reception, which will
| be public one, will be held at the Gov
ernors mansion at $50 o clock tomorrow
night
| Failure of Shoe Dealers.
| BOSTON, Aug. Homer Coddine. q,
Co., or this city, who are among the largest