Arizona republican., 1898-08-13
ROBSON TELLS HIS STORY.
rferrimac's Hero Cheered at New
 Works Great War Nseefing.


 At the Metropolitan opera house in New York a few nights ago, at meet ing iii ald Of the New York Soldiers and Sailors Families Protective asso- citation, Lieutenant Hobson told his story It was interesting as you may see by reading it:
 ..The deck has been turned over to me- Mr. Hobson began in clear, full 1oice that could be heard in the top most gallery without the slightest eff fort to fix the attention, but 1 cannot say that I feel that this platform re- sembles in any way the deck Of war ship. The sailor abhors words. II you have followed his routine from the time he is turned out in the morning to taps at night, you will find that he has small opportunities to make use of words and phrases. The pipe of the whistle and the blast of the bugle are the oratory that sway him. Even at the task of manipulating the great en- zines or firing the 13-inch gun in ac- tion, he will have simple, easily under stood signals to direct and encourage him.
 @sN hen the deck is turned over to me and I am called upon to use words in abundance, I am, indeed, upon an un- known and perilous sea. But l must confess that knew that I should have to embark upon that sea when 1 con- sented to appear here tonight. But sailors have gone into unknown seas before when adequate causes have call ed them there."
 Here the lieutenant had to pause while his audience rose and cheered, apparently to his surprise, and cer- tainly to his embarrassment. eff ever any cause called me it is the cause of the soldiers and sailors, the army and navy of the United States, and the cause of all who are dear to them. A mans knowledge is limited by his ex- perience, and in talking to you about sailors I can do little more than tell you what my experience with them has been. [Cheers.]
 My first experience was when a ma val cadet swan too far out from the Constellation. Ct was when I was on our practice cruise.) This cadet, being seized with cramps, threw up his arms and called for help; so word was pass ed to send a boat to him. Then sail or, a blueiacket, a Jacky, as the pop ular word for them goes. made clean dive over the side and started to swim toward the cadet Then another went over the bow, and another and an other, until there seemed to be con- tinuous stream of sailors dropping off from the booms. The officer Of the deck gave stern order, and it was passed up by the boatswain, that no more sailors should go overheard.
 i've seen the same thing, when an- other naval cadet. Q classmate of mine, had fallen overheard. The boat was manned and dropped without waiting to turn the ship for 8 lee. Before it had gene any distance at all from the ship the boat was tipped over and the men spilled out There was no long CT one, but seven men struggling in 8 sea that was running high and ugly. There was 10 order to call second boats crew because the boat was ready and manned without an order, and it was filled with the same kind Of sea- men that are on every ship of our navy.
 "Tbts was my introduction, to .!ackev the sailor, and recently. my friends, I have had occasion to see Jacky where his endurance, his bray cry, and his loyalty were sorely tried. (Cheers.) I feel that certain features of the recent incident in which Jack played his part, and played it well, should be referred to in public man ner. I feel it is my duty to refer to 1t here. It is known to everybody that when the call was made for volunteers to go fin the Merrimac, men fell over one another in their haste to be ac- cepted. On the New York alone 140 men volunteered before the order could be passed that no more volun- teers were needed. When a few out of this number had ben assigned to sta tions on the Merrimac, all, in obedi- ence to orders, lay flat on their faces. Two were stationed near the anchor gear, others by the torpedoes arranged along the side, two in the engine room It was agreed by each one that he should not even look over his shoul- der, no matter what happened to the ship, to any of his companions or to himself. If wounded he should place himself in a sitting or kneeling pos ture or whatever posture was neces- sary, so that when the time for his duty came he could do it to the best advantage. And so they lay, each man at his post and under what difficult ties you may understand when I tell you that, out of the seven torpedoes placed along the side, five had been shot away by the enemy's fire before the order was given for the Merrimac's s crew to gather at the rendezvous on the quarter deck. Projectiles were coming more as continuous stream than as separate shots. But, through the whole storm, Jacky lay there ready to do his duty as he had been instruct ed to do it. There was not only the p1unging fire from the forts on both sides, but a terrific horizontal fire from the feet in the harbor, and it seemed as if the next projectile would wipe all the sailors out of life at once. If ever feeling of each man for himself, a feeling of get away from this get out of this any way, any how was to be justified it was justified then. Not a man so much as turned his head"