The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-06-06


change the Men For Spanish Prisoners
Now Held by Our Government-One OF
the Men Who Faced the Deadly Peril
Disobeyed Orders in Order to Take Part
in the Perilous Expedition.
Port Antonio, Jamaica, June 6.-By
one of the most brilliant exploits in
naval annals the cork has been driven
into the bottle at Santiago de Cuba,
and the Spanish fleet could not be more
secure were the entrance to that harbor
doored, barred and double locked and
the key dropped into the bottomlesa
depth of the sea.
Lieutenant Richmond P Hobson, OF
the flagship New York, with a volun-
teer crew of seven men, under cover OF
the darkness after the moon had set,
shortly after 3 o'clock Friday morning,
ran the big collier Merrimac into the
throat of the harbor, swung her broad
side across the channel and then eX-
ploded and sank her. He succeeded in
this desperate enterprise under the
fires of the batteries and forts which
guard the entrance without support
from the fleet.
Ensign Powell, also of the New York,
with a steam launch, crept close under
the guns of MORO Castle to take off
the heroes of the Merrimac, and re-
mained there pluckily until daylight
discovered his position, without see
ing a trace of the Merrimac's daring
crew. To have remained longer would
have been sheer madness. AS it was
he retired under a heavy fire from
Mauser rifles and the heavy guns OF
the batteries.
The heroes who performed this mar
velous feat of daring were:
The Merrimac's Heroes.
Lieutenant Richmond p. Hobson, as
sistant naval constructor Lieutenant
Hobson was born at Greensboro, Ala
on Aug. II, 1870, was appointed, after
a competitive examination, to the
Naval academy in May, 1885, He was
the youngest member of his class, but
graduated at the head of his IS COM
panions. He has studied engineering
under the auspices of the United States
government, in France, and was made
assistant naval constructor in 1891
He is the author of a semi-political
work. entitled THE Situation and Out
look in Europe" and was assigned to
the flagship New York when Rear Ad-
miral Sampson sailed for the West
Indies. He is a nephew of John M
Morehead, of North Carolina, and is
a grandson of Chief Justice Pearson
of that state. He is unmarried.
Daniel Montague, chief master OF
arms, of New York He has served
four years in the navy, is 29 years OF
age, and his home is in Brooklyn.
George Charette gunners mate Of
the first class on board the New York
He has served IA years in the navy
is 81 years old and resides at Lowell
Mass.
j. c. Murphy, a coXswain of the Iowa
Osborne Deignan, a coXswain of the
| Merrimac, about "a years old.
Geo f. Phillips, a machinist OF the
first class belonging to the Merrimac
| He is 80 years of age, and his home
! is in Boston.
Francis Kelly, water tender, about
35 years old, His home is near Glas
gov, Scotland.
H. Clausen, who slipped ON boart
the Merrimac without permission, il
| order to take part in the expedition, Il
a coXswain of the New York
Now Prisoners of War.
Lieutenant Hobson and his men ar,
now Spanish prisoners, as flag o
truce announces, and will be exchang
ed in due course of time, but that thei
mission was successful admits of NJ
doubt. Ensign. Powell distinctly saw
the spars of the wrecked ship in tn,
middle of the channel Lieutenan
Hobson planted her at the very poin
ne had selected, Cushing's memorabl
feat in blowing up the Confederate
ram Albemare is overmatched b,
Hobson's act, for Cushings men crep
up Albemarle sound at midnight an,