Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-07-15
RMONT PHOENIX, BRATTLEBORO, FRIDAY, JULY Is, 1898
HobsOn's Story
or the sinking OF the MeTimac, Told
by Him on the New York Aner His
Exchange.

or the Sinking OF the MerTimac, Told
by Him on the New York Aner His
Exchange.
An Associated Press despatch of the Sth
inst, sent from a despatch boat off Santi-
ago, says:
The return Of Assistant Naval Construc-
tor Richmond =. Hobson, of Merrimac
fame, to his ship, the flagship New York,
last night was marked by wild enthusiasm.
Numbers of the crew rushed forward on
the quarter deck and great group of men
struggled around the tall figure of the man
who dared so much. Hobson sat once
more among his messmates and told the
story of his experiences, his marvellous es-
cape and his Imprisonment in MORO Cas-
tie, Santiago, watching the shells explode
outside his cell.
81 did not miss the entrance to the har-
Dor" he said, "as Ensign Powell in the
! launch supposed. | headed east until |
! got my bearings and then made for it
strvIght in. Then came the firing. 1t was
| grand flashing out first from one side of
| the harbor and then from the other from
those big guns on the hills, the Vzcaya,
lying inside the harbor, joining in.
Troops from Santiago had rushed down
when the news of the Merrimac's coming
was telegraphed and soldiers lined the foot
of the cliffs, firing wildly across and kill
| ing each other with the cross fire, The
Merrmac's steering gear broke as she got
to Estrella Point. Only three of the tor
pedoes on her side exploded when touch.
ed the button. A submarine mine caught
her full amidships, hurting the water high
in the air and tearing great rent in the
Merrimac's side.
"Uer stern ran upon Estrella Point.
Chiefly owing to the work done by the
mine she began to sink slowly. At that
| time she was across the channel, but be-
I fore she settled the tide drifted her around.
We were all aft lying on the deck. Shells
and bullets whistled around. Six-inch
shells from the Vizcaya came tearing into
the Merrimac, crashing into wood and iron
and passing clear through, while the plung-
ing shots from the fort broke through her
decks.
"'NOt man must move | said.
at was only owing TO the splendid dis
cipline of the men that we all were not
killed as the shells rained over US and min
utes became hours Of suspense. The mems
mouths became psrched, but we must lie
there till daylight, | told them. Now and
again one or the other of the men lying
with his face glued TO the deck and Won
dering whether the next shell would come
our way would say: Hadn't we better
drop off now, sir But | said, wait till
daylight.
1T was splendid the way these men be
hayed. The fire of the soldiers. batteries
and the Niz'aya was awful. When the
water came up on the Merrimac's deck the
catamarau ilOated amid the wreckage, but
she was still made fast TO the bOoms and
We caught hold OF the edges and chung on,
our heads only being above water. II was
quite light, the firing had ceased except
That on the New York launch, and
feared Ensign Powell and his men had
been killed.
"A Spanish launch came toward the
Merrimac. We agreed to capture her and
run. just as She came close the Span
iards saw Ms, and half a dozen marines
jumped up and pointed their rifles at our
heads, sticking ont of the water. Is there
any officer in that boat to receive a sur
render Of prisoners Of wal? | shouted.
An I'D man leaned out under the awning
and waved his hand. l, was Admiral Ger
vera The marines lowered their rifles
and We were helped into the launch.
Then We were put in cells in MORO
Castle. 1t was a grand sight a few days
later to see the bombardment, the shells
striking and bursting around FL Moro.
Then We were taken into Santiago. had
the court martial room in the barracks.
My men were kept prisoners in the hospi-
tai. From my window | could see our
! army moving and it was terrible to see
I those poor lads moving across the open
and being shot down by the Spaniards in
the rifle pits in front of me. Yesterday
the Spaniards became as polite as could be
knew something was coming and then
was exchanged
One of the Spanish guards told Clausen,
one of Hobson's men, that the Spanish
gunners had killed II and wounded 81 OF
their own men in firing on the Merrlmac.