The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-06
He FACED DEATH
UNDAUNTED BY STORM
OF SHOT AND SHELL
No Name Can Be Written Higher in Wars Temple
of Fame Than That of Lieutenant Richmond
P. Hobson, the Hero of San
tiago Harbor.

bank In the west. 1t was that calm hour
before dawn when life Is at its lowest
ebb and the tide runs out. carrying NOR
tails with IL. Slowly the seconds OF fate
ticked on and for an hour 1900 strained
eyes strove TO pierce the deep veil OF
night.
Suddenly several blood-red tongues Of
flame shot down from the rocky emf
nence on which MORO Is situated. They
were followed by Jets and streams OF
fire from the batteries opposite The
Merrimac had reached the entrance of
the harbor. She must have passed so
close that a stone loosened from the
frowning parapet of the castle would
have fallen on her deck.
Into the murderous hail showered
down on her the Merrimac passed and
! moved on a full quarter OF a mile, en-
| filaded from sides, rear and front with
! a plunging fire from the batteries that
surrounded her. II seems a miracle
that her apparently riddled hull could
have reached the goal
After five minutes the fire ceased and
all became dark again. Then among
the watchers of the fleet arose the
question as to whether those five min
utes OF murder had left grief-stricken
mothers. widows or orphans. Mother.
wife. sister or sweetheart may have
been dreaming of her loved one all
ject of her dream was earning fame.
perhaps with his life.
During the next half hour. while the
| fleet silently waited in suspense for the
coming Of the day. many fingers itched
at the lanyards OF the guns and many
gunners mate sought permission to
| fire.
| Spaninrds' wild Fire.
But nothing could be done. An i'll
| directed shot might kill our men. possi-
| bly, struggling in the water toward the
open sea. When the curtain OF the
| night was at last lifted the light dis
closed a tiny steam launch riding the
waves at the very entrance of the har-
Dor. In an instant the guns Of the
shore batteries were turned upon her.
and with a last lingering vain look for
the crew of the Merrimac. Ensign
Powell headed his launch close along
shore TO the westward. In this lay
| salvation. The guns of the batteries
! to the westward could not be depressed
| enough to hit the little launch and the
guns on MORO Castle could not bear
| upon her.
But the Spaniards. nevertheless. fired
wildly. overshooting the launch until
the latter was fully two miles up the
coast Then some of the shells began
| to drop fairly close. and one Of them
threw n cloud OF spray on board the
| small craft. In the meantime the ships
| OF the fleet had drawn in. until the
| New York. Massachusetts,. Texas and
| Marblehead were nearly three miles OF
| Morro castle. The fire of the great guns
continued. hut the gunnery seemed to
grow worse. until the Spaniards be-
came tired.
Up to the time the associated press
boat left the fleet this morning the ad-
mirai had not given any orders for the
| bombardment of Santiago de Cuba's
forts. but the spirit of revenge seemed
| to hang over the fleet. and by this time
| Morro castle and the Spanish batteries
| may be in ruins.
The American sailors would think II
retribution or justice IL part Of the
score owed by Spain was wiped out at
| Santiago de Cuba. where. % years ago.
the 40 Americans of the virginius were
| shot TO death.