The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-07-15
IHl|'0BsON' PER|ENC.
Hero Of tho Merrimao Tells of
I. His Prison Life.
WAS ELL TREATED,
Cervera Didn't Even Open His Letters
Got Better Food than
Spanish Officers.

Cervera Didn't Even Open His Letters
Got Better Food than
| Spanish OfIicers.
New York, July S.-A dispatch to the
Herald from Santiago de Cuba. saws:
our correspondent saw Mr.. Hobson
I after ne had made his report to Admiral
i sampson and he consented to give the
Herald fuller interview about his ex-
! periences. He spoke in glowing terms of
the courage and bravery Of his crew.
f. We have been thirty three days in q
Spanish prison, said Mr.. Hobson, .and
the more ! think about it, the more mar
! velous it seems that.we are alive. . -"
| 1t was about 3 o'clock in the morn
! ing Ynen the Merrimac entered the mar
row channel and steamed in under the
guns OF Moro castle. The stiffness of
death prevailed. 1t was SO dark that we
could scarcely see the headland. We had
| planned to drop our starboard anchor at
| certain point to the right of the chan
nel, reverse our engines and then swing
| the Merrimac around, sinking her direct
| ~ across the channel. -. -
| This plan was adhered to, but cir.
cumstances rendered its execution inn
possible: When the Merrimac poked her
/
| menced. The deadly silence was broken
by the wash of small boat approaching
| us from the shore. made her out to be
a picket boat. s% = - =. ' =
/ Rudder was Carried Awa:.
+ -, She ran close up under the stern of
| the Merrimac and fired several shots from
what seemed to be 3-pounder guns. The
Merrimac's rudder was carried away by
/ this fire. That is why the collier was not
| sunk across the channel. - .79.~' - -
I'VE did not discover the loss of the
| rudder until Murphy cast anchor. We
then found that the Merrimac would not
| answer to the helm and were cOmDelled to
make the best of the situation. :.
| -" The run up the channel was very ex-
citing. The picket boat had given the
alarm and in q moment the guns of the
| the shore batteries were turned upon us.
Submarne mines and torpedoes also
were exploded all about us, adding to the
excitement. The mines did no damage, al
though we could hear the rumbling and
could feel the ship tremble.
We were running without lights and
only the darkness saved us from utter de-
struction: When the ship was in the de-
T sired position and we found that the rud-
der was gone, I called the men on deck.
While they were launching the catamaran
touched off the explosives.
AT the same moment two torpedoes
fired by the Reina Mercedes, struck the
er our own explosives or the Spanish tor
pedoes did the work, but the Merrimac
was lifted out Of the water and almost
rent asunder.
AS she settled down we scrambled
overheard and cut away the catamaran
+ A great cheer went up from the fortifica-
tons and warships as the hull of the
%hr
the Merrimac was an American warship.
I've attempted to get out Of the har-
Dor on the catamaran, but a strong tidi,
was running and daylight found us still
struggling in the water. Then, for the
first time, the Spaniards saw us and a
boat from the Reina Mercedes picked us
up 1t then was shortly after 5 o'clock
water more than an hour. We were
taken aboard the Reina Mercedes and
later were sent to Moro castle.
British Consul Protests,
In MORO we were confined in cells
in the inner side of the fortress and were
there the first day the fleet bombarded
MORO. l could only hear the whistling
of shells and the noise they made when
they struck, but l judged from the con-
did considerable damage. After this
bombardment Mr.. Ramsden, the British
consul, protested, and we were removed
to- the hospital. There / was separated
from. the other men in our crew and
could see them only by special permits
sion: Montague and Kelley fell ill f.
Wet Ks ago, suffering from malaria, ;..
l was permitted to visit them twice
Mr.. Ramsden was very kind to us,
and demanded that Montague and Kelly
be removed to better quarters in the
hospital. This was done.
AS for myself, there is little to say.
The, Spanish were not disposed to do
much for the comfort of any of the pris-
oners at first, but, after our army had
taken some of their men as prisoners,
their treatment was better. Food is
scarce in the city and I was told that
we Jared better than the Spanish Of
( Cervera's Kindness to Hobson.
Washington, D. c., July S-Of the
Spanish prisoners now held, Admiral Ger
vera vera n is the chief St perSonage in rank not
Of the Topete family, which proudly
claims to be of the royal blood Of the
Bourbons, even though this honor would
seem question: BILE in America. There is
much kindliness felt toward Admiral Ger
vera by naval officers and people here who
knew the fallen admiral when he was a
lieutenant-commander and naval attache
to the Spanish legation a quarter of
century ago.
Then he behaved very kindly indeed to
young Hobson, sending his fleet captain
to tell the American admiral that the
daring young; fellow was safe. and he,
well treated: Since then Admiral Ger
vera has been the young prisoners
staunch friend The navy department
caused $500 in gold, pay due Hobson, to
be sent him through Admiral Cervera,
and to this Judge Hobson, the young con-
structor's father, added $500, making
Then the letters from his home folks
were handed him, unopened, and his
| own, and he wrote a good many, were
sent by flag to the nearest commander
OF an American man-of-war, all that was
asked of Hobson being that he should not
! discuss naval or military questions, nor
tell anything that related to the condi-
ton at Santiago that would be detri-
| mental to Spain. HEY -.
miral Cervera,'' wrote Hobson to his
mother. He had the right to read them,
81 Put. NJ. did not. He bowed, and sealed
some wax with which sealed them, and
stamped the wax with my ring =
| Hobson wrote that when he got out he
meant to present Cervera with either q
sword or fine chronometer balance
watch asa slight appreciation of his kind
| ness,to a, young officer who had no sort
| of claim upon the Spanish admiral to
whom he surrendered. ~ T. III
These are some of the things that make
! the treatment Of the Spanish admiral a
| matter of national interest. It is believed
at the French embassy, which has charge
OF Spain,s interests. here, that it is posi-
BILE Cervera will not wish to be exchanged
at this moment. Things in Spain ore in
a perilous condition now, and the mon
archical party would not hesitate to try
Ceryera, as they are about to try Monto-
| 10, the admiral of the Philippines, on the
| charge of high treason. To be tried on
such acharge now, with Spain mad with
disappointment and fury at being made
| the butt Of all Europe on account of her
boasts Of how she would destroy the
American pigs" and her statements that
| the American navy had ttno officers, no
discipline no nothing" all these things
would be reyenged upon Ceryera by the
| government If he were to go home im-
] mediately.
The navy and state department both
have had a hint from very high quarters
L., knA Cnn >:,.1,A