The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-09
HOBSON,S
He Tells the Atlanta People Of What
Stuffthe American Navy 10 Made-ln.
cfdents Of the Wreck of the Merrfmae

ATLANTA Constitution.)
Lieutenant Hobson while in Atlanta
recently delivered a lecture. He said
in part:
"A sailor is a man of very few
words. What few words that are ever
spoken on the high seas are heard by
very few and those whom he well
knows. In fact, the seafaring pro-
fession abhors words. If you have
ever been on a man -of-war. you have
probably noticed that the numerous
evolutions are carried on by simple
signals or bugle calls. The most i'm
portant orders that direct the huge
engines, or swing the great turrets
during a fight are given without
words. If this committee that did me
the honor to ask me to speak on this
occasion had provided some entertain
ments in which a mast and rigging
figured, l would have had no hesitancy
in accepting. l could easily have
climbed Jacobs ladder on the one side
and down again on the lee side at a
2:40 gait; even if this entertainment
gave me a role in which l was forced
10 train a gun on a target capable
of responding. l thing | should have
complied nor readily.
Not only are seamen of very few
words, but they are an emphatic class,
and they always speak with the deep
est feeling. [ cannot help but think
of old Casey, a q~uartermaster in the
service for forty-tive years, and the
dean of all practice ships. He believ-
ed the new school Of fighting was
nothing to be compared to the old,
when he and Farragut went into Mo-
bile bay. One day the admiral's horse
hitched outside of his headquarters
ran away. Without knowing it, the
admiral ordered Casey to fetch his
horse. Rather than disObey orders,
Casey harnessed an old dray horse
standing close by and hitched it to the
admiral's rig. l am as much at sea
here tonight as Casey was when order
ed to get the horse.
SPEAKS OF THE NAVY.
Il have the good fortune of having
J0oN - NAC AoAACJ 'ANAS NNC
American troops have been both on
a n on sea. Some stirring
scenes have been enacted there, and
let me assure you the men are taking
in their welfare. Those experiences
are the only elimination Of our first
acquaintance with Jackey, or the sail
ors. [ remember at Annapolis we had
an old practice ship out three-Quarters
of a mile from shore. One day two
men by the names of Fitzgerald and
Franklin tried to swim from shore to
the ship. 1t was nearly dark, and as
the men approached the ship we
heard a faint cry for help. Realizing
that something was wrong, we low
cred the dingy, but could not reach
them. In an instant dozens of cadets
began jumping overheard to the as
sistance of the men, until an officer
of the deck gave positive orders pro-
hibiting any seamen from jump
ing overheard.
Again l remember an incident of
a naval cadet, the nephew of COmmo-
dOre Schley. We were accustomed to
climb over the masts for exercise.
One day Schley, just in front Of me-,
lost his footing at the top, struck a
topsail yard, rebounded, and fell over
board. His body soon appeared on
the water, but there was apparently
no life in it. With the storm that was
raging, it was impossible to get the
ship around with the wind. One of
the boats was instantly lowered, but
the men were quickly overturned, and
were struggling in the water for their
lives. Another lifebOat with a full
crew was then launched, and every
man, by daring work, including young
Schley, was brought to the deck in
safety. Those men did not know dan
ger, and they were only average sail
Ors. But hat is the sort Of stuff the
American navy is made of today.
loud cheers.)
HOW MERRIMAC WAS SUNK.
ct was this sort of metal that was
exhibited by the men who sank the
Merrimac. So eager were the men to
make that expedition, hat only a
short while after the call for vOlun-
teers had been made a prohibitive or
der was issued that NJ more men
would be wanted. One hundred brave
sailors had volunteered on the New
York alone; and the Iowa signaled
across the water that $50 men had
volunteered there.
Just before the vessel started into
the mouth of the harbOr a cOnversa-
Jtion was overheard among W of
the men which betrayed the belief on
their part that the vessel was to be
run three miles up the harbor. When
the men took their stations on the
Merrimac, for their final start, every
man lay fiat on his face or the deck
with a special torpedo to manage. Di-