Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-07-08
HOBSON TELLS ADOCTIT
How The Merimas Was Sunk IN Santiago Han.
Dor.
why The CHANNEL WAS NOT LOCKED.


h'@ " hfAAiAh iNuHul lNWtHNrms
New York. July "a dispatch to
the Herald from on Santiago de- cuba
says
Your corrc pendent a'w SIR. uobson
after Dc had made report tn Admiral
sampson. ami DC cons.u tcd 20 give the
Herald fuller interview W his cx-
pcrlcncCa iic spoke Ia glowing terms
Of the courage and bravery Of his
crew.
1--WE have been thir,y-thrce days In
q spanish prison. nld Nicholson. and
the more / ihinl, about Il the more mar
ycllouH u rccms that We are alive.
" 10 was about Q o'clock In the morn
Ing when the Mernmac entered the
narrow channel. and steamed In under
me guns Of MORO Castle. The Etlll-
mes ~ death prevailed, II was 80
dark that We could scarcely sec the
heudlaud.
1--WE had planned 70 drop our star
board anchor a. q certain point 10 tho
right % the channel. reverse our en-.
gincs and then swing the Merrlmao
around. sinking her directly across the
channel.
"'Thls plan wla adhered 60. hut cir.
cumanncva rrndorsi iu execution Inn
possible. When the Mofr.mac pokod
hCf nose Into the channel. our troubles
commenced. The deadly silence was
broken by the wash u small boat
approaching MS from the shore.
made her out 90 b. a picket boat She
ran cluaH up under the stern or the
Meuimac Hui nrUd several shots from
whui seemed Co De- three FOUNDER guns.
The M0uImur'H tuddor WIS carried
away hy this nro. That 10 why the
collier was not sunk acruss the cham
MOI.
1--WE did nv, discover the loss or N.
ruddrf until Murphy east the anchor.
We then found thut the Merrimnc
would M answer her holm. and were
compelled o. make the best u the aitu-
Itiuu The run rp the channel was
very exciting The picket boat had
given thr alarm, ana IN "a moment The
runs ~ the NlECuyn and Almlrnute
OuuHuio and NJ the shore batteries
W.ro turned upon iiH.
submarine mines and t0rpodors al.
20 were exploded. an about ua adding
Co the excitement Tho miuca ala no
damage. although we could hear the
rambling and could feel the ship trem-
hlr We were running without llsht
ana only "a" darkness saved ua from
utter destruction.
when thu ship was IN the desired
position. We found the ruddHr was gone.
ana / called the men on deck. While
| they WERE launching thu catamaran, I
/ touched On tho explosives,
AT the same mumettt twu tOrprdurs
] nrod hy IN" Reina Mercedes struck
| the Mrrflmhc amldshipa cannot
I say whether our explosives or the
/ spanish tnrpcdoes did the work. but
| the Mrrflwnc was nftUd uui OF the Wa-
ter ana almost rent asundor
"'As she settled down We scrambled
overheard ana cut away the cata-
m1rlu. 4 EfUat cheer went up from
tho forts and wHtssilp1. aH she hun %
the collier f1uudDr'd. the Spanlaria
thinking the M'rimac was an Amrrl-
CIn warship
1--WE attempted 90 s. { out of the hnr-
Dor 10 me ohtamtun, but strong
tide was running. ana daylight found
uH Filll STRUGGLING ln the water Then
flr rIu nr, time the fpanlarla saw
uH and O. hllt from M Rrlua Mer-
CHiHH picked u1 up ~ was then short
iy If'Ur nyc o'cl1ek 90 tho morning aud
We bad then boon In the water more
than 40 hour We were taken aboard
th' X ..ni Mercedes and later were
sent 90 Moro Castle.
In Moro wo were confined ln cells
IN the inner side ~ tho fortress and
were ih-rc The nrst day the neet bonn
hir1pd Moro.
80 could only hear the whiHtllng Of
shells and the noise thUy made when
they struck. and I judged frVm the
conversation NJ the guards that thu
shells ala considerable damage.
AFTER ihlH hlmhardment Mr,iiama-
den, rho British consul. protested, and
wc wsf1 removed a. The hospital
There I was separated from the other
mon ln our crew and could see them
only by special permission, Montague
and Kelly fcll ~ two weeks ago, SUE
ferlng from malaria. AMI | was per-
United % visit them twice,
SIR Uamsicn was very Kind 90 rs
and demanded that Montague ana
Kelly be- removed 20 better quarters IN
the hospital. ThiH was done, A. Tor
myself there IL little "a say. The
SpauiRrls worr not disposed 10 do
much Tor tho comfort ~ any 0f the
prisoners at hrat, but after our army
had taken ayme ~ their men - prison.
ers. the treatment was brpier Food
was scarce In the city ana ! was told
that we Jared better thar The spanish
DfNraTHf"