Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-09
His Experiences.

x
BY the Associated Press Despatch
Boat Dauntless, via Port Antonio
j and Kingston, July 8, 2:15 a. M
The return of Assistant Naval Con-
Etructor Richmond p. Hobson,
of MarTimac fame. to his ship, the
flagship New York, last night,
1 was marked by wild enthusiasm.
1t was dark when shout wa
] passed along the ship that Hobson
was coming. On the superstruc-
ture clambored the crew, ten deep,
and on the quarter deck the officers
clustered around the sea ladder and
a hundred hands were outstretched
ITO grasp Hobson. 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 over
agin until the men were hoarse.
Numbers of the crew rushed for
ward 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 Col. John
Jacob Aston, and the first thing
Hobscn tried to do was to intro
duce him to the officers, but COL
Astor got lost in the, crowd which
surged around insisting upon shak-
ing H9bson's hand. The trans
ports blew their whistles.
iobson sat once more among his
messmatss and tod the story of
his experience, his marvellous es-
cape and his Imprisonment i'm Nor
70 Castle, watching the shells ev
piode outside his cell under a mr.
derous fire.
1 did not miss the entrance r.
Inc harhor," he said as tension
FoWell in the launch supposed
headed east until l got my bearings
= ana then made for it. straight in
Then came the firing. II wac
ana, flashing out first from one
OF the harbor and then the
from those big guns on the
be Vizcaya lying inside the
joining in.
IS from Santiago had rush
when the news of the
coming was telegraph
ers lined the fant of
~ WHOLLY across and
bther with the cross
Merrimac's steering
as she got to Estralla
three of the torpedoes
exploded when I touch
on. A huge submarine
t full amidships, hurl-
ter high in the air and
great rent in the Merri-
IN ran upon Estrada
efy owing to the work
he mine she began to
I. At that time she was
channel but before she
tide drifted her around.
II aft lying on the deck.
bullets whIstled around.
bells from the Vizcaya
Ing into the Merrimac,
Into wood and iron and
lear through, while the
shots from the fort broke
ler decks.
man must move, I
it was only owing to the
discipline CT the men that
were not killed, as the
med oyer us, and minutes
hours of suspense. The
ouths grew parchod, but
lie there till daylight, 1
b. Now and again one or
of the men lyins with his
I'D to the deck and wonder
Their the next shell would
bur way, would say:
we better drop off now,
1t l said: Wait till day
build have been impossible
the catamaran anywhere
to the shore where the
stood shooting, and ] hoped
daylight we might be rec
and saved The grand old
lac kept sinking. | wanted
forward and see the damage
here where nearlyall the fire
rected, but one man said that
O1se it would draw all the fire
5h the rest. So I lay motionless.
lit was splendid the way these men
behaved. The fire of the soldiers,
the batteries and the Vizcaya was
mful. When the water came up on
the Merrimac's decks the Cata-
maran floated amid the wreckage,
but was still made fast by the boom
and we caught hold of the edge and
chung on, our heads only being
above water.
Zone man thought we were safer
right there; it was quite light, the