The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-04

she started toward me. I called out in
Spanish, Is there an officer on boardT
An officer ANSWERED me in the Affirmative,
ana then l shouted In Spanish again: I
nave seven men TO surrender / contin-
ued swimming. and when l reached the
side of the launch 1 was seized and pulled
out of the water.
las I looked up when they were drag
ging me into the launch I saw that IL was
Admiral Cervera himself who had hold of
me. tie looked at me rather obviously Mt
first, because ! had been down in the en-
gine room of the Merrmac. where l got
covered with oil. ana that, with the SCOT
and coal dust, made my appearance most
disreputahe. ] had put on my officers
belt before sinking the AierrmaC. as a
means OF identification, no matter what
happened TO me, and when I pointed 70 1t
i'm the launch the admiral understood and
seemed satisfied The first words he said
60 ME when he learned who ! was We're
'Iaenvouido sea usted,' which means You
are welcome My treatment by the naval
officers and that of my men also was
courteous all the time that [ was a pris-
oner. They heard my story. as much Of
II as I could tell. but sought to barn
nothing more.
My men were rescued from the float
and we were taken to the shore and we
We're all placed I'M a cell I'm MORO Castle.
l asked permission to send a note TO Nd
miral Sampson and wrote It, but when Ad-
miral Cervera learned Of it he came to me
and said that Gen Liuares would not per
NIT me to send IT, The admiral seemed
greatly worried, but Il was not until a
day or two latter that l learned what was
on his mind That same day he said he
would send boat TO the feet TO get
clothes for us, and that the men who went
In the boat could tell Admiral Sampson
that we were safe. ! learned later that
Gen. Linares was inclined TO be ugly,
and that Admiral CerVera wished TO get
word TO our fleet as soon as possible that
we We're safe, knowing that Gen. Linares
would learn that the fleet knew 1t, and
he would not dare to harm us
when we were placed in MORO the
solid doors to our cells were kept closed
for an hour or two but when we objected
TO that the admiral ordered that they be
thrown open Then we had a view OF san
tiago harbor, the city and the Spanish
fleet. All of the officers of the army and
fleet called on us that day, ana their treat
ment of us was most considerable and
courteous Gen. Linares did not cali but
sent word that as all the others had cali
ed he thought that visit from him was
not included in his duties. | do not know
what Me meant by that but am sure that
we do not owe our safety to him.
1--WE were stil In Moro Castle when
Admiral SIMPSONS feet bombardcd San
tiago. The windows in the side of our cell
opened west across the harbor entrance
and we could hear and see the shells as
they struck. We knew that we would not
! be fred upon, as word had gone out as 10
where we were, so we sat at the windows
| and watched the shells. Each one sang a
| different tune as IL went by. The smaller
shells moaned or screeched as they passed,
! but the l3-inch shells left a sound behind
! them like that of the sudden and contin-
! ued smashing of huge pane OF glass.
! The cracking was sharp and metallic,
something like sharp thunder without the
| roar, and the sound continued, but de-
! creased after the shell had gone. In many
| instances the shells struck projecting
| points of rock, and rlcochetting spun end
! over end across the hills. The sound they
! made us they struck again and again
was like the short, sharp puffs of loco
motive starting with "A heavy train.
1--WE were in Moro Castle four days,
and only once did feel alarmed. The day
before we were taken into the city of San
uago l saw a small boat start from the
| harbor with a flag OF truce up, When !
asked one of the seutries what it meant
| was told that the boat had gone out e
tell our fleet that my men and | had al
ready been taken into the city. Then
| feared that Moro would lie bombarded
at once. and believed t 40 be a scheme gol
up by Gen. Ljnares 20 end US We were
taken 10 the city the next day, and were
safe any way then.
"In the city we We're treated with the
| same consideration by the naval officers
| and the army officers, with the exception
Of Gen. Linares, which we got on the
day of our capture. ] believe that we owe
| to Admiral Cervera our exchange, and a
| great deal more IN the way OF good treat.
ment that we would not otherwise have
| received. Gen. Linares had no good
blood for us, nor did the soldiers and ma
| rines who would have shot MS ON sight
the night that we went into the harbor
Sharks? No, we did not have time to
think of them that night" said Lieut.
Hobson in reply to the question of one Of
| his listeners. I'VE saw a great many
things though and went through a great
many experiences. When we started Out
from the fleet / tied 10 my helt a flask Of
medlcated water, supplied to me by my
ships surgeon. The frequency with whicf
we all felt thirsty on the short run into the
passage and the dryness of my mouth ant
lips made me believe that ! was frightened
The men felt the same, and all the way tho
flask went from hand TO hand Once / fell
my pulse TO see If 1 was frightened, but tc
my surprise ! found it, normal. Later W.
forgot all about 1t, and when we got intC
the water there was no need for the flask