The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-05

|
Sailors Had Planned to Esca,a
| was Shot to Pieces, and They
Reached the Hostile sbn,
| "maran - Were Taken First
to Santiago City and From Tbera
to MORO Castle, Where The w.
| Are-Expert Opinion of the In
| paralIeIed Act.
Copyrighted. 1893, by the Associated preus
! OFF SANTIAGO DE CITRA ryia
Mole st. Nicholas, HaytD June Am
the members of the Merrtmac exnedi-
tlon are safe. Only two of them wara
| shghtly injured and their names are NOT
| known. Lieut.. Hobson was not burt
All or the Merrimac's men are held as
prisoners OF war. The news of their
"ohuerrul escape was sent to Rear Ad.
i.'1ral sampson by Admiral Cervera. tho
spanish admiral being so struck with
the courage of the Merrimac's crew
| unat ne sent Admiral Sampson word
| SO ne should know they had not lost
the1r lives. member of Admiral Ger
Vera's staff came out under a. flag of
| truce bearing news of the safety Of the
Merr1mac's men and returned with a
| supply or money and provisions for the
prisoners.
ROWBOAT SHOT TO PIECES
KINGSTON, Jamaica, June 4.-Lieut.
Hobson appears to have carried out his
plan to the smallest detail, except as
regards the method Of escape. The
roWboat in which the crew were To at
tempt to escape was either blown I'D
or shot to pieces, for Lieut.. Hobson
and his men drifted ashore on an old
catamaron, which was slung over the
ships side at the last moment as an
| extra pTecaution. On reaching shore
the men were taken prisoners and sent
to Santiago City under guard. Later
they were taken to Moro Castle. where
| they now are.
Capt. Ovieoo, Admiral Cervera's chief
OF staff, who boarded the New York un-
| Ger flag of truce, did not give further
details of the capture. The bravery of
| the Americans evidently excited as
rauch admiration among the Spaniards
as 1t did among the men of the Arneri-
can fleet. The prisoners will be perfect
ly safe and will probably be well treat
ed while they remain in Morro Castle,
WILD WITH DELIGHT.
The fleet is wild with delight tonight
over the termination Of the most daring
expedition since the destruction of the
Confederate ironclad Albermarle by
Lieut.. Gushing, in 1864. The admiral is
just as glad as the youngest Jackie.
capt. Chadwick, Of the flagship New
York, who is unusally most conserva-
| in, 1t, o IL
| Splendid, splendid. Too much can.
not be said about It,"
The general opinion is that no man
| deserves recognition for personal brav-
cry more than does Lieut.. Hobson. His
work Is well done sid his men are safe.
When he started on his expedition few
believed he could accomplish it.
| Officers Of the feet when questioned
as to whether Capt. Oviedo could have
had any ulterior design when he visited
the fleet under a flag of truce, secuted
the idea, saying the movement was
prompted by the highest chivalry.
1t Is said the men went on the Mer-
rimac against orders, as the trip was
into the jaws Of death. 1t is likely the
Spaniards will attempt TO blow up the
Merrimac, but it Is unlikely that they
will succeed.
Speculation is rife as to how Lieut..
Hobson managed to blow up the shin
and live himself. His heroism is gen.
orally commented upon. The Spaniards
are amazed.
The crew of the New York last night
bareheaded, drank in honor of Lieut..
Hobson and the men under him. Few
then believed 1t possible that their
prayers could be granted.
HOBSON WAS COOL.
Cadet Powell, who was the last man
| to see Lieut.. Hobson before his start
and who had charge of the launch dur
ing Its perilious trip, after much needed
sleep told the story of his experience.
| He said:
Lieut.. Hobson took short sleep for
a few hours, which was often interrupt
| ed. AT AS he came on deck and made
final inspection, giving his last in
structons. Then we had little lunch
ecn. Hobson was as cool as a cucum-
Der. AT 2:20 o'clock took the men who
| were not going on the trip. into the
launch and started for the Texas. the
nearest ship, but had to go back for one
OF the assistant engineers, who finally
was compelled to leave. 1 shook hands
| with Hobson the last of all. He said:
Powell, watch the boats crew when
| we pull out of the harbor. We have
| cracks rowing thirty eight strokes to
the minute After leaving the Texas I
saw the Merrimac steaming slowly in.
1t was only fairly dark then and the
shore was quite visible. We followed
about three quarters of a mile astern
The Merrimac stood about mile west
| ward of the harbor and seemed a Bit
| mixed, turning completely round finally
heading to the east she ran straight and
then turned in. We We're then chasing
him because 1 thought Hobson had
| lost his bearing. When Hobson was
about 200 yards from the harbor the
! first gun was fired from the eastern
bluff. We were then half a mile from
| shore, close under the batteries. The
! firing increased rapidly. We steamed
in slowly and lost sight of the Merri-
| mac in the smoke which the wind car
! ried off shore. It hung heavily Before
| Hobson could have blown up the Mer-
i rimac the western battery picked us
up and commenced firing. They shot
wild and we only heard the shots. We
ran in still closer to the shore and the
| gunners lost sight of us. Then we
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