Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-06-09

Ored by the Enemy.
OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, June 8, z a.
h., via Port Antonio, Jamaica, June 4.
delayed in transmlssion.). The fol-
lowing is detailed story of the act of
heroism performed by Lieut.. Richmond
P. Hobson and his seven companions
in sinking the collier Merrimac across
the channel leading into the harbor of
Santiago de Cuba:
the Spanish fleet is now helpless,
being held captive in Santiago de Cuba
harbor. The narrow channel leading
into the harbor was completely
| blocked early this morning when the
United States collier Merrimac was
sunk across it's entrance. It is now
impossible for the Spaniards to get
out, and it is equally impossible for
any vessel to get into the harbor.
Therefore, the Spanish first-class ar
mored cruisers Maria Teresa, Cristobal
Colon, Vizcaya and Almirante Oquendo,
| with the two torpedo boat destroyers
Furor and Pluton, are no longer of any
use to Spain.
This result was accomplished through
the heroism of Lieut.. Richard P. Hob
son, assistant naval constructor, and
Daniel Montague, George Charette, j.
C. Murphy, Oscar Deignan. John P.
! Philips, John Kelly and III. Clausen.
| The latter, a coXswain of the New
York, took part in the expedition
against orders. They were all cap
tured by The Spaniards, but the Span
ish admiral, in recognition of their
| bravery, sent word to the American adj
miral, under a flag of truce, that he
was willing to exchange the prisoners,
and assuring the American commander
| that they would be treated with the
greatest kindness. Money and pro-
visions have been sent to them, and
the necessary steps are being taken to
bring about their exchange.
Montague is chief master-at-arms of
the New York. He has served four
years in the navy, is 20 years of age
and his home is in Brooklyn.
George Charette is a gunner's 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 is q coxswain of the
Iowa.
D6lRudu a COAS"dlH Oh Inc
Merrimac, and is about "a years old.
John =. Phillips is machinist of the
first class, belonging to the Merrimac.
He is SO years of age, and his home is
in Boston.
John Kelly is a water tender, about
35 years. His home is near Glasgow,
Scotland.
H. Clausen, who slipped on board the
Merrimac without permission, in order
to take part in the expedition, is a cox
swain of the New York.
Lieut.. Richmond Pearson Hobson,
assistant naval constructor, was born
at Greensboro, Ala, ON August II,
1870, was appointed, after a competitive
examination, to the naval academy in
May, 1885. He was the youngest men,
Der of his class, but graduated at the
head of his eighteen companions. He
has studied engineering, under the
auspices of the United States govern
ment, in France and was made assist
ant naval constructor in 1891. He is
the author of semi-political work
entitled 1.-The Situation and Outlook in
Europe and was assigned to the flag
ship New York when Rear Admiral
Lieut.. Hobson is a nephew of John
NJ. Morehead, of North Carolina, and is
a grandson of Chief-J Justice Pearson of
that state. He is unmarried, and his
father, Judge James M. Hobson, lives
at Greensboro, Ala.
The three men from the Merrimac's
crew were all green hands and shipped
recently for the war.
The Merrimac had on board 600 tons
Of coal when she was scuttled across
the channel.
Lieut.. Hobson started on his daring
errand at three o'clock in the morning.
The Merrimac was lying to the west
ward. Under cover of the clouds over
the moon she stole in toward the coast,
and made her way to the eastward,
followed by steam launch fro m the
New York, with the following crew on
board: Naval Cadet J. w. Powell, of
Oswego, N. Y; P. K. Peterson, cox
swain; H. landlord, apprentice of the
first class; j. Mullings, coal passer; G.
L. Russell, machinist of the second
class.
In the launch were bandages and ap-
planes for the wounded.
From the crowded decks of the New
York nothing could be seen of the
Merrimac after she had got under the
shadow of the hills. For half an hour
officers and men strained their eyes
peering into the gloom, when, sud-
denly, the flash of a gun streamed out
from Moro castle, and then all on
board the New York knew the Merri
mac was nearing her end. The guns
from the Spanish battery opposite
MORO castle answered quickly with
more flashes and for about 20 minutes
flashes of fire seemed to leap across
the harbor entrance.
The flagship was too far away to
hear the reports, and when the firing
ceased it was judged that Hobson had
blown up the Merrimac. For an hour
the anxious watchers waited for day
light. Rear-Admiral Sampson and
Capt. Chadwick were on the bridge of |
the New York throughout.
At o'clock thin streams of smoke |
were seen against the western shore, |
quite close to the Spanish batteries, |
and strong glasses made out the launch |
of the New York returning to the flag |
ship. Scarcely had the small craft |
been sighted before puff of smoke is
sued from a battery on the western !
arm of the harbor, and shot plunged
far over the launch. Then for fifteen
minutes the big guns ashore kept ur |
an irregular fire on the little launch. /
AS the shells fell without hitting the
object they were intended for, the men