The sun., 1898-11-27
URVIVE!l Gkti,ER ALABAMA

SURVIVED Gkln,ER ALABAMA
Was on he Fam on Confederate Gun.
boat at Cherbours.. 4 Life Of Mere
f,r9 Than Passing Interest is
That or This Old
!, 9>n@" sea-iOg.
Special Correspondence v TEE SUN.
! GgoRoEoys, Def, Nov. 26.-" "Sinbad
the Sailor" lives il this town though not
under that name NOR even claiming to be
that historical persDDage.
j The Snbad Of Georgetown is Russell
B., Hobbs in whom go years. spent on
eea and on shore, have hot affected his
phJsic, or inteliectusl body any more
than SO years.. my .+* m
Miraculous escapes.frpm watery graves
figure largely int Hobbs life, among
which the least 10 by no pssans, his es-
cape frou, death on. .bc4rd the. famous
Confederate crnitUr Alabama when the
latter was sent 10 the bottOni by the old
pKsassane ~ She French coast at Cher
FbOlIrg during the Civil War.
!. His life IL moro than one Ot passing in
.terpet as history records his name among
ti,e survivors 81 that famous ses+ battIe.
Travelling men and visitors who chance
% stop at tie Eagle hotel in this town
where Hobbs spendssm0st of his time,
never forget the recitaI Of Hobbs life
RussellB. Hoobet was born at Oak
Hall, Va. on February 8, 1908, making
him at this time over 90, years OF age.
When he wss two years and ten months
old his parehts msyed from his birth
county. Altar Iesid;ng as the last named
place for about bye yeafs they took up
their residencN " Csrev's Cross Roads,
When Russell VAS eight years old he
went to Ptiladelphia and was bound out
al an appreMices1 Collins L West, to
learn the trafe Ok h6lse painting. He
seemed to hsye alslthl knack for the
business and when guAs young he was
sent u New Bedford, Mars, to paint q
Methodist Church. Though but II years
of age ne waS foreman Of the job, which,
on completion, was a credit to Russell
and perfectly satisfactory to Messrs
George E. and Edward Rowland,
trustees OF the church.
From, the completion Of the church the
most stirring part VI MIR. Hobbs carer
dates Instead Vi returning to his employ
ers at Philadelphia he shipped on the
I yhaler,Ann Alexander, which was an old
f,rtyhii,er packet. The voyage lasted six
teen months and was one continuous
r,,undof thrilling adventure, and, as q
whaling voyage, was q success. They re-
turned TO tie home port with 1855 barrels
of sperm oil of a. high grade. Owing IT, his
ex,ravagance Mr.. HOODS was in debt to
tie ship SIS, and was forced to ship
again in the same line OF ships for the
purpose OF payi & his Indebtedness.
Tie name Of the ship was the Garland
and it was large bark. This voyage
ended disastrously for the bark was
wrecked { If the Cape of Good Hope and
Was y tntalloss. Out Of crew OF fOTty-two
only seven were saved. Tie seven sur
vivurs Of the Garland on reaching shore
were forced TO endure untold hard
ships aud privations. They tramped for
MANY months aud Un frequent occasions
drove vuIturvs from their carrion in order
to eat il themselves to ward off starva
ton. Falling in with tribe OF Hnten-
tots they in company with them tramped
about sixty.twO miles to SiMOrs bay.
The sailors found the Hottentots to be
friendly aud passive people.
From the last named place Mr.. Hobbs
jeurneypd to Table Bay, at which port
lie secured berth in tile English bark
Adelaide, bound to Peters Head in the
north Of Scotland at which place he ar
rived safely after long and tiresome
voyage.
from Peters Head he went to London
and shipped aboard tie bark Eliza
b,,und for Cuba loaded with coal and "n
her return trip was loaded with sugar.
A Aiter three uneventful trips in this ship
lie rover secured a berth On the bark
Minerva which was commanded by
Captain Wallace, and was larger ship
han the Eliza.
1t was While aboard of this last named
ship that our Wanderpr learned to read
and rite assisted by the captain, who
,ook kindly interest in him,
MIR. HobUs next took a trip to China
II the bark Victoria, engaged in the
'pium smuggling trade. The Victoria
vas lost ON East Half Moon Shoal on
'larch ~, 1880. In life boat many OF
he crew reached the island of Polopo-
an, where they remained several
l,ontl,s when they were laken off by the
Inelsh frigate Druid. Mr.. Hobbs re-
NAMED aNnle,nber OF the Druid's crew
or about three years. He took part in
he thee years war between England
nd China, from the time the first shot
'as fired at Hong Kong until the ces-
alion Of hostihtles lien lie was honor
bly, discharged at Bombay.
Having seen 80 much active and ex.
i,ing life lie decided to return to the
and Of his birth and live quietly on
hore. On the schooner Eliza Wolf he
rrived at Salem, Mass. spending sew
raj months visiting his friends. The i
wandering spirit again pessessel him, !
I'D shipping aboard the schooner Viii +,
ain Jackson, he sailed for Bermuda. ;;
IN the return h. settled down at his old ,
rade If painting at Boston. After about
.,,S J..H H., q