The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-02
N THE AUXILIARY NAVY.
story Told by IA Gunner on Board
The yankee"
Copyright, 1898.
Continued from Last Week.)

and the many little launches darling here
and there like so many gnats on a pond,
became more apparent and it was plainly
evident to all that something of great iru-
portance had recently happened.
The scattered remarks made by Capt
Brownson on the bridge formed, when
pieced together. such wonderful bit of
news that 1 could scarcely contain my
self as I hurried aft. l wanted to stop
and fling my cap into the air 1 felt
like dancing jig and hurrahing and offer
Ing praise for the fact that 1 was an
American.
As it happened, I was not the only MEM
Der of the Yankees crew that had over
reard the ''od mans" words. The second
captain of re after port 5-inch gun, a jol-
" good fellow, known Familiarity as Hay
bv the boys, CHANGED to be under the
bridge AS 1 raced aft on the port side
he started in the same direction ON the
etarboard side of the spar deck. His legs
fairly tWinkled and he beat me TO the
gangWay by neck.
what do you think?" I heard him gasp
as l came up. Talk of your heroes!
Whoop Say, I'm glad 1 am son of that
old flag aft there. It's the greatest thing
that ever happened"
"What?" chorused dozen voices.
Last night"
Eyes"
Last night a volunteer crew"
Hurry up, win YOU
Last night, or, rather, early this morn
ing, volunteer crew, under the command
of a naval constructor named Hobson
took the collier Merrimac into the mouth
of the harbor and
THAT old tub?' interrupted a marine
who had served In the regular navy, in
credulously. why, she's nothing but
hulk She hasn't gun Or
"she didn't go in to fight" said Hay.
They were to block up the channel with
her"
ITO block up the channel?"
Yes. Cervera and his fleet are in the
harbor, you know, and the scheme was
10 keep them from coming out"
Did they succeed?" chorused the whole
group of eager listeners.
Eyes, but"
The conclusion of Hays sentence was
drowned in a wild whoop of joy, a whoop
that brought a number of other yankees"
to the spot, and also a gesture of remon-
STRANGE from the executive officer on the
bridge.
Wait boys" I said. gently; you
haven't heard ALL
There was quiet at once.
"Hobson and his brave men succeeded
In accomplishing their object, but they
have paid the penalty for it."
Not dead?' asked one In almost
whisper.
50 the captain read the signals. The
Merrimac went in about o'clock this
morning. 1t seems she reached the chan
mel all right but she was discovered and
sent to the bottom with all on board"
Hay took off his cap reverently, and the
others instantly followed his example.
Nothing more was said. The glory of the
deed was overshadowed by the supposed
fate of the gallant volunteer crew.
nj cfa Yaaa tn "a
lgnated by the flagship, and the captain
went aboard to pay his respects to Admi-
raj Sampson. Late in the afternoon
Spanish tug, flying a flag of truce, which
had emerged from the harbor at noon, left
the side of the flagship, and almost imme
diately a string of signals went up TO the
signal yard of the New York.
Then came such burst of cheers and
whistling and tossing of hats from every
ship in the feet that it seemed as If
every American officer and sailor In
SIMPSONS squadron had suddenly gone
daft. Like wildfre, the glorious new
spread
Hobson and his men were safei
The tug from the harbor had brought
an officer sent by Admiral Cervera him
self with a message stating that the brave
naval constructor and all his crew had
been captured alive and were now prls
onerS in Moro Castle.
The excitement on board the Yankee,
like that throughout the fleet, was tre-
mendous. Those in the North who had
received both the news of the feat and
the rescue at the same time, can hardly
understand the revulsion of feeling which
swept through the American ships gath
cred off Santiago. 1t was like hearing
from a dead friend
These heroes were comrades-nay, broth
ers. They wore the blue and they were
lighting for Old Glory. Their praise was
ours and their deed redounded to the eter-
nal credit and fame of the American navy.
Small wonder that we welcomed the news
OF their safety, and cheered until our
threats were husky and our eyes wet with
something more than mere exertion.
All hail to Richmond Pearson Hobson
and his men!
Heroes all!
During the afternoon of our arrival
when We finally secured time to look about
us, we were struck with the appearance
of the really formidab BILE fleet of warships
collected under Admiral Simpsons flag
FOR size of individual ships and weight
OF armor and armament there had never
been anything in the history of the United
states to equal it,
The fleet consisted of the powerful bat
lleshlps Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts and
IeXas, the two splendid armored cruisers
New York and Brooklyn, cruisers New Or
.'lS ana MafDlenead, converted yachts
Maynower, Josephine and Vixen torpedo
BOAT Porter, cable boat Adria, gunboat
Dolphin and the auxiliary cruisers 81.
Louis and Yankee.
The vessels formed a semi-circular line
completly enclosing the entrance to San
uago harbor. From where the Yanixaa
rested on the right wing, a fine view of
me coast could be obtained. Two insur-
gent camps were plainly visible. one an
the beach and another in the hills tvbicL
at that point rose to the hight Of fnl1v
4Vo feet. Moro Castle, a grim, sullen
gray embattled fort, directly overlooking
me enamel, was plainly visible, and here
anu mere could be seen little green or
sand-colored mounds marking the Site of
earthworks. ''e u
Inc stretch of blue sea, edged by the
.uihpAhg surf-beaten beach, and the up
~. ,s,is OF foiage-covered hills, all brought
picture as far removed from the usual set