The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-07-14
HOBsON'S STORY.
Do Not Consider the Sinking of the Mef-
rimac Very Great Feat-kindly
Treated by the spaniards.

says:
Your correspondent saw Mr.. Hobson
after he had made his report to Adm.
Sampson. and he consented to give the
Herald fuller interview about his
He spoke in glowing terms of the
courage and bravery of his crew.
I'VE have been 33 days in a Spanish
said Mr.. Hobson," and the
more think about it the more mar.
velous it seems that we are alive.
1T was about o'clock in the morn.
ing when the Merrimac entered the
narrow channel and steamed in under
the guns of Moro castle. The still
ness of death prevailed. 1t was SO
dark that we could scarcely see the
headland. We had planned to drop
our starboard anchor at a certain
point to the right of the channel, re-
verse our engines and then swing the
Merrimac around, sinking her directly
across the channel
This plan was adhered to, but cir.
possible When the Merrimac poked
her nose into the channel our troubles
commenced. The deadly silence was
br ken by the wash of small boat
approaching us from the shore.
made her out the picket boat.
She ran close up under the stern OF
the Merrimac and fred several shots
from which seemel to be three
rounder guns. The Merrimac's rud-
der was carried away by this fire.
across the channel.
I'VE did not discover the loss of the
rudder until Murphy east anchor. We
then found that the Merr.mac would
not answer 10 the helm. ana were COM
PEELED to make the best of the situa-
ton.
The run up the channel was very
exciting. The picket boat hnd given
| the alarm ana IN moment the guns
OF he Vizcaya, the Almirant1 Oquendo
and of the shore batteries were turned
| upon us.
submarine mines and torpc,i oes
| also were exploded all about ~. add
| ing to the excitement The IL nts lid
| no damage, although we could hear
rumbling and could feel the ship ". n
ble.
I'VE were running without Ii hts
| and only the darkness saved u from ut
ter destruction. When the ship was
in the desired position and we fould
that the rudder was gone, called the
men on deck. While they were launch.
ing the Catamaran, touched off The
explosives.
AT the same moment two torpedocs,
fred by the Reina Mercedes, struck the
Merrimac amidships. | can not say
Spanish torpedoes did the work. but
the Merrimac was lifted out of the wa.
ter anu almost rent asunder
LAS she settled down we scrambled
overheard and cut away the catama
ran. a great cheer vent up from the
forts and war ships as the hull OF the
collier foundered, the Spaniards think
ing the Merrimac was an American
war ship.
I'VE attempted to get out of the
harbor on the Catamaran. but stronc
tide was running al. daylight for1
us still struggling in the water 1h"r
: for the rst time the Span.art.s :. - n
and a at fl lom the RuIIa N,n.c.de
picked t,,u-. It tACn wa> Il -
after ) uL4ock in the inornipg and ~
lad Dlen in the water moro than Al
) hour. We were taken aboard tn
Reina Mercedes, and later were n
to Moro Castle.
In Moro we We're confined in cell
5 in the inner side of the fortress. AM
were there the first day the feet bon
barded Morro / could only hear L.
+ whistling of the shells and the nois
? they made when they struck, but
t judged from the conversation OF tn
guards that the shells did consideraOl
damage"