Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-07-14
HOssON's OWN STORY.
His Experience Under the Fire of Great
Guns.


York, last night was marked by wild en-
thusiasm. 1t was dark when shout Was
passed along the ships that llobson was
coming. On the superstructure Chamber
ed the crew, ten deep, and on the quar-
ter deck the officers clustered around the
sea.ladder and Il hundred hands were
stretched out to grasp Hobson's. 1t was
not until he was safe once more on deck
that the crew Of the New York cheered,
and then they broke out INTO wild yell
which went up over and again until the
men were hoarse. Numbers of the crew
rushed forward on the quarter deck
and a great group of men struggled
around the tall figure of the man who had
dared SO much.
Behind Hobson came Colonel John ia
cob Aston, and the first thing Hobson
tried to do was to introduce him to the
officers, but Colonel Aston got lost in the
crowd which surged around insisting up
on shaking lIobson's hand. The trans
ports blew their wi istles.
Hobson sat once more among his mess
mates and told the story ofhis experience,
his marvellous escape and his lmprison-
ment in Moro Castle, watching the shells
explode outside his cell.
~ did not miss the entrance to the har-
bor," he said, "as Ensign Powell, in the
launch, supposed. headed east until l
got my bearings and then made for it,
straight in. Then came the firing. 1t
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 harbor 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 the
cross-fre. The Merrimac's steering gear
broke as she got to Estrella Point. Only
three of the torpedoes on her side ex-
ploded when l touched the button. A
huge submarine mine caught her full amid
ships, hurting the water high in the air
and tearing great rents in the Merrimac's
side.
"Her stern ran upon the Estrella Point.
Chiefly owing to the work done by the
mine, she began to sink slowly. AT that
time, she was across the channel, but be-
fore she settled, the tide drifted her
around. We were all aft, lying on the
deck. Shells and bullets whistled around
us. Six-inch shells from the Vizcaya
came tearing into the Merrimac, crashing
into wood and iron and passing clear
through, while the ploughing shots from
the fort broke through her decks.
"Not man must move l said, and
it was only owing to the splendid discp-
line of the men that we were not killed,
as the shells rained over Us and minutes
became hours of suspense. The mems
mouths grew parched, but we must lie
there till daylight, L told them. Now and
again one of the other Of the men lying
with his face glued to the deck and Won
dering whether the next shell would not
come our way would say, Hadn't we bet
ter drop off now, SIR but 1 said, wait
till daylight
lit would have been impossible to get
the catamaran anywhere but to the shore,
where the soldiers stood shooting, and l
hoped that by daylight we might be re-
cognized and saved.
"The grand old Merrimac Kept sinking.
wanted to Ego forward and see the
damage done there, where nearly all the
fire was directed, but one man said that if
rose it would draw all the fire on the
rest. So lay motionless. 1t was splen-
did the way these men behaved. The fire
of the soldiers, the batteries and the Viz
caya was awful. When the water came
upon the Merrimac's decks the catamaran
hoated amid the wreckage, but was still
made fast to the boom, and We. caught
hold of the edge and clung on, our heads
being above water. One man thought we
were safer right there; it was quite light,
the firing had ceased, except that directed
at the New York launch, and feard En-
sign Powell and his men had been killed.
ga Spanish launch came toward the
Merrimac. We agreed to capture her
and run. Just as. she came close, the
Spaniards saw US and half dozen ma
rines jumped up and pointed thei rifles
at our heads.
sis there any officer in that boat to re-
ceive a surrender of prisoners Of WARP"
l shouted.
An old man leaned out under the avn
ing and waved his hand. 1t was Admiral
Cervera. The marines lowered their
rifles and we were helped into the launch.
"Then we were put in cells in Moro
Castle. 1t was grand sight few days
later to see the bombardment, the shells
striking and bursting around Ell Moro.
Then we were taken into Santiago. had
the court martial room in the barracks.
My men were kept prisoners in the hospi-
tai. From my window could see the army
moving, and it was terrible to see those
poor lads moving across the open and be-
ing shot down by the Spaniards in the
rifle pits in front of me. Yesterday the
Spaniards became as polite as could be.
knew something was coming and then
was exchanged
Hobson was overjoyed at getting back.
He looked we'll, though somewhat worn.
On the whole, the Spaniards treated him
better than might have been expected.
Mr.. Ramsden, the British consul at San
tiago, was tireless in his efforts to secure