Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1898-07-13
HoBsoN,s STORY.
Does Not Consider the Sinking OF the Mer-
rimac n Very Great FeAt--Kindly
Treated by the spAnisrd<-


NEW YORK. July "a dispatch to
the Herald from off Santiago de Cuba
says:
Your correspondent saw Mr.. Hobson
after he had made his report TO Adm
Sampson and he consented to give the
Herald fuller interview about his
experiences.
He spoke in glowing terms of the
courage and bravery of his crew.
1--WE have been SO days in Spanish
prison." said Mr.. Hobson." and the
more 1 think about it the more mar.
velous it seems that we are alive.
1T was about 3 o'clock in the morn
ing when the Merrimac entered the
narrow channel and steamed in under
the guns of Moro castle. The still
ness of death prevailed. 1t was sc
dark that we could scarcely see the
headland. We had planned to drop
our starboard anchor at a certain
point to the right of the channel. re-
verse our engines and then swing the
Merrimac around, sinking her directly
across the channel
This plan was adhered to. but cir.
cumstances rendered its execution i'm.
possible. When the Merrimac poked
her nose into the channel our troubles
commenced. The deadly silence was
broken by the wash of small boat
approaching US from the shore l
made her out the picket boat.
she ran close up under the stern of
the Merrimac and fired several shots
from which seemed to be three
FOUNDER guns. The Merrimac-s rud-
der was carried away by this fire.
That is why the collier was not sunk
across the channel
1--WE 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 COM
PEELED TO make the best of the situa-
ton.
The run up the channel was very
exciting. The picket boat had given
the alarm and in moment the guns
of the Vizcaya, the Almirante Oquendo
and of the shore batteries were turned
upon us.
Submarine mines and torpedoes
also were exploded all about us. add.
ing to the excitement The mines did
no damage, although we could hear
rumbling and could feel the ship trem.
BILE.
I'VE were running without lights
and only the darkness saved us from ut.
ter destruction. When the ship was
in the desired position and we found
that the rudder was gone, l called the
men on deck. While they were launch.
ing the Catamaran, touched off the
explosives
AT the same moment two torpedoes,
fred by the Reina Mercedes, struck the
Merrimac amidships. l can not say
whether our own explosives or the
Spanish torpedoes did the work, but
the Merrimac was lifted out of the wa
ter and almost rent asunder.
''As she settled down we scram bled
overheard and cut away the catama.
ran. A great cheer went up from the
forts and war ships as the hull of the
collier foundered, the Spaniards think
ing the Merrimac was an American
war ship.
I'VE attempted to get out of the
harbor on the Catamaran, but strong
tide was running and daylight found
us still struggling in the water. Then
for the first time the Spaniards saw us
and boat from the Reina Mercedes
picked us up. 1t then was shortly
alters o'clock in the morning and We
had been in the water more than an
hour We were taken aboard the
Reina Mercedes, and later were sent
to MORO Castle.
In Moro we were confined in cells
in the inner side of the fortress. and
were there the first day the fleet bonn.
barded MORO. could only hear the
whistling of the shells and the noise
they made when they struck, but
judged from tho conversation of the
guards that the shells did considerable
damage"