Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-07-13
HOBSoN TALKS
About His Experiences on the Merri-
inactivity the Sinking Of the Ship
xvaa NOT GueepasfuuI.


Cuba, says: Your correspondent
saw Mr.. Hobson after he had made
his report to Admiral Sampson and
he consented to give the Herald a
fuller interview about his exper-
fences.
He spoke in glowing terms of
the courage and bravery OF his
crew.
1--WE have been thirty three days
in Spanish prison" said Mr.. Hob.
son, land the more l think about
it the more marvellous it seems that
we are alive.
ct was about 3 o'clock in the
morning when the Merrimac en-
tered the narrow channel and
steamed in under the guns of Nor
TO castle. The stiffness of death
prevailed. It was so dark that we
could scarcely see the headland.
We had planned to drop Our star
board anchor at certain point to
the right of the channel, reverse
our engines and then swing the
Merrimac around, sinking her di-
rectly across the channel.
"This plan was adherded to, but
circumstances rendered its execu-
ton impossible. When the Mer
rimac poked her nose into the
channel Our troubles commenced.
The deadly silence was broken by
the wash of a small boat approach
ing us from the shore. I made her
out to be picket boat.
"She ran close up under the
stern of the Merrimac and fred sew
eral shots from what seemed to be
three-pounder guns. The Merri.
macs rudder was carried away by
this fire. That is why the collier
was not sunk across the channel.
eve did not discover the loss of
the rudder until Murphy cast an
Choir. We then found that the
Merrimac would not answer to the
helm and were compelled to make
the best of the situation.
THE run up the channel was
very exciting. The picket boat
had given the alarm and In mo-
ment 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,
adding to the excitement. The
mines did no damage, although we
could hear rumbling and could feel
the ship tremble.
eve were running without
lights and only the darkness saved
us from utter destruction. Vixen
the ship was in the desired position
and we found that the rudder was
gone, l called the men on deck.
While they were launching the
catamarin I touched off the explo.
sives.
cat the same moment two tor.
pedoes, fired by the Reina Mer-
cedes, struck the Merrimac amid =
ships. | can not say whether our
own explosives Or the Spanish tor,
pedoes did the work, but the Mer-
rimac was lifted out of the water,
and almost rent asuuder.
CAS- she settled down we scram-
bled overheard and cut away the
catamarin. A great cheer went up
from the forts and warships as the
hull of the collier foundered, the
Spaniards thinking the Merrimac
was an American warship.
I'VE attempted to get out of the
harbor On the catamaran, but a
strong tide was running and day
light 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 was then shortly after five
o'clock il the morning and we had
been in the water more than an
hour. We were taken abroad the
Reina Mercedes, and later sent to
Moro castle.
In Moro we were confined in
cells in the inner side of the
foress and ware the first day the
fleet bombarded Moro. l could
only hear the whlstlirg of the
shells and the noise they made
when struck but I Judged from the
conversation of the guards that the
shells did considerable damage.