The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-05
HOBSON TELLS HIS STORY.
CHEERS FOR THE MERRIMACs HERO
AT THE GREAT WAR MEETING.

- AAAAAS
AT m GREAT WAR MEETING.
The Audience Cheered Cervora NJ Enthu.
Siastically ne the American Heroes-MO-
Adoo Says "whcre the Flag Has Gone,
Please God It Shall stny"-woodEord
Says spRin's Flag Must Como Down
h Meeting vociferously Approves.
There was such a display OF patriotic feeling
ut the metropolitan Opera House last night a.
this city has not seen for years and yearh
Nominally. It was a meeting In aid OF the NeH
York Soldiers and Sailors Families Prote6f
tive Association. Actually. II was q continuouA
outburst OF the strongest, wnrmest kind n
national feeling, mud Of generous tribute e
the mon who have shown their g~allantry n
this war, whether they were for us or against
us. With the same uproar with which the BID
crowd greeted Lieut.. Hobson when he opened
the meeting and greeted the names OF McKin-
ley and Dewey, IL greeted the name OF Cervera.
the Spanish Admiral. This spectacle OF q great
audience Of enthusiastic Americans rising to
their feet. waving their handkerchief. and
shouting three big American cheers at the
mere mention OF tho name OF the man who
made the strongest fight that has been made
on the sea against the United States during
this war was equally significant and remarkk-
bic. The meeting was significant In another
way. The speakers could not avoid now and
then reference to the problems which are
before the country's statesmen with regard
to the policy Of territorial expansion. Al every
reference to the raising OF the American nag IN
new and strange lands and every expressed
hope that this war should spread American
civilization into places where IL had not been
before. the crowd roared its approval again and
again. It greeted references to any other
policy with cold silence and sometimes with
Kisses.
The big opera house, with the exception Of
the middle Of the two tiers OF boxes, was
crowded full. People stood in the rear OF the
seats on the main floor and in the R~alleries, and
the stage was crowded with as many people as
1t could hold. although II was az hot q night az
ever tested the enthusiasm OF Il New York au-
dience. The Seventy-irst Regiment Band. un-
der the stage. and the Bank Clerks Glee Club Of
100 voices. above II. played and sang for the first
half hour. while people craned their necks try.
ing to find Capt. Jack Philip OF the Texas, who
was supposed to be in one OF the boxes, but
who didn't dare come. although his record Is
not that Of q man afraid OF ordinary ordeals.
Outside the opera house was o great crowd Of
people who apparently could not afford to pay
for the hiRh-priced seats that were left, but
were anxious to add their cheers to the gen.
eral recognition OF Lieut.. Hobson. At about
half past 9 o'clock he drove up to the front OF
the opera house in an open carriage with the
Hon. William McAdoo. eX-Assistant Secretary
of the Navy. aud Major John Byrne, President
Of the association for whose benefit the meet.
ing was held.
The crowd pressed up to the carriage and
formed an open lane at the front door. through
which Mr.. Hobson and the others walked amid
tumult Of cheers and hat waving. When Mr..
Hobson stepped out in the wings on the left
| Aide nj the hf0 gfa On tho hofan rnaa xrith m tra-
mendous shout, There had been o lot OF men
outside selling small American flags at 10 cents
each. Those iiuttered every where overt the heads
Of the cheering people. Mr.. Hobson stopped
short, but only for a second. During that sec
ond 1t was evident that he would have liked to
run, but he didn't. He went on and took his
seat. while the cheering. shouting and waving
Of flags continued for more than q full minute
and q half. After THE Star-SpanGled Ban
ner" had been sung. which seemed to relieve
the feelings OF the crowd n good eal-for every
body Joined in-Major Byrne came forward. He
told what the meeting was for. how bank clerks,
grocery clerks. truck drivers. day laborers,
were working Side by side In the Southern
camps and on ~pestilent Cuban battlelelds,
while their families were left here to get
along as best they may. This meeting was
called so that there might be as little
difference as possible in the feelings with
"AAfN AASa NAAiAA oNAN NAt~A boOASO
Already. he said. there were 1874 families IN
want. families OF soldiers who had reached Q
pass where they needed assistance II they were
not to starve to death. He did not believe 1t
before the meeting. but now that he had seen
the meeting he knew that New York would
never permit the family Of an absent soldier or
sailor to be In want OF the common comforts Of
life.
When in talking about places where our SAIL
ora uvara MaipH nyrna hannanad 10 unantIO0
the name of Dewey. the crowd rose TO its feet
and hurrahed. and somebody In the gallery
called for three cheers. and they rang out. and
then Major Byrne said that he was glad that
Capt. Philip had promised TO be present.
He was obliged to stop while the people
shouted their three cheers for Capt
Philip. and for the Texas also. When he
turned around and called Mr.. Hobson forward.
the cheering that greeted the last skipper OF the
Merrimac was even louder than all the pre-
vious cheers. and II was prolonged much moro.
Somebody instiGated the band to believe IL
could help things along. and folks could sec
musicians working over their Instruments. but
never u sound was heard from them. 80 great
was the sound Of human voices. Finally II wac
observed that Mr.. Hobson's lips were MOVING
and the noise quieted down.
Won't you - he was heard to say
and then another wave Of cheering cut him OF
Won't you now" he repeated. and then he
lifted his voice TO the big. full pitch that would
seem to have answered for all naval purposee
conceivable without a megaphone. and fairly
shouted;
Wont you now give us Yankee Doodle 20
The bhnd led OF and the crowd sang. and Mr..
Hobson. with something very like a grin. pulled
himself together and made up his mind what
he was going to say next. Major Byrne, In in.
PRODUCING him. had apparently said. though
few. il any. had heard 1t, that no would turn
over the deck " TO Mr.. Hobson.
The deck has been turned over 10 me-" Mr.
Hobson began In a clear. full voice TINT could
be heard In the topmost cutlery without the
slightest effort to fix the attention, but / cans
not say that l feel that this platform resembles
In any way the deck OF q warship. Thc sailor
abhors words. II you have followed his routine
from the time he Ia turned out In the morning
70 tnns at night. You will find that he has