The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-06-10
Number %.

~ ClllDCl aae).
cavalry, steamed down Mobile river
| Saturday morning, enroute presumably to
Tampa, but really under sealed orders
The transports are the steamers Matte
wan, Saltwater, Breakwater, Arkansas
and Morgan. Scenes of enthusiasm all
along the river front, where thousands
of people had congregated were wit
messed Whistles of all the river and
bay craft and ringing of bells kept up
an unceasing din as long as the trans
ports We're in sight.
ra;..":tc Spirit of Oregon's Crew.
The nav, apartment made public nm
extract FROM L report to the department.
made by Captain Clark of the Oregon
on the extraordinary run Of that ship
around two continents: cit is crafty
ing to call the departments attention
to the spirit on board this ship in both
officers and men. This can best be de-
scrlbed by referring to instances such
as that of the engineer officers in vol
UNFAIRLY doubling their watches when
high speed was to be made and to the
attempt Of the men to return to the
fire room after being carried out of it
insensible."
FeinfOrcements For Dewey.
Effective measures taken by the adj
ministration will shortly render Manila
harbor impregnable against Spanish at
tack. The City Pekin carried with her
and death was almost certain No
name, therefore, can be written higher
on wars temple of anne than his,
Like Cusbing's deed, Hobson's desper-
ate undertaking WAS conceived by him
who executed it.
When Rear Admiral Sampson joined
Commodore Schley on Wednesday the
latter had already ascertained that it
would be impossible for the fleet to
crawl Ito the rat hole in which the
Spanish fleet had taken refuge. The
mines across the entrance and the bait
teries which commanded it made the
mere contemplation of it an act of folly.
When the admiral's consent was OBJ
tanned Lieutenant Hobson became i'm
patient OF all delay and that very nighI,
wednesday, after the moon went down
he set the time for the attempt. VOL
unteers We're called for from all the
ships Of the fleet and to the credit OF
the American navy be it said that few,
dinched. Whole cheering crews
stepped forward at the summons for
the hazardous duty. About 300, on
board the New York, some $50 on bcuud
the Iowa and a like proportion from
other ships volunteered, but Lieuten-
ant Hobson, like the hero he is, decided
to risk as few lives as possible. He
picked three men from the New York
and three from the Merrimac.
Six other men, selected from various
ships, with Ensign Powell in command.
manned the launch which was to lie at.
the harbor mouth and take off those
who escaped.
When Hobson left the ship and the
extended hands of his shipmates many
OF the latter turned hastily to hide the
unbidden tear. But the lieutenant
waved them adieu with smile on his
handsome face. This morning the
Merrlmac started in shortly after 3
O'Clock. The full moon had disap-
peared behind Il black cloudpank in the
west, leaving only a gray mark of
hcaving waters and the outline of the
Cuban hills slowly against the un-
starred sky to the watchers on board
the ships OF the neeC It was that
catu hour before dawn when life is at
its lowest e,o ALA 4. ,1,le runs cue.
carrying lnortals with it.
Slowly the seconds of fate ticked on
as, for an hour, 5000 strained eyes
strove to pierce the deep veil Of night.
Suddenly several blood red tongues Of
flame shot down from the rocky emf
nence on which Moro is situated.
They were followed by jets and streams
OF fire from the batteries opposite.
The Merrimac had reached the en-
trance OF the harbor. She must have
passed SO close that a stone loosened
from the frowning parapet Of the cas-
tie would have fallen on her deck. Into
the murderous hail showered down on
her the Merrimac passed and moved OH
full quarter Of a mile, attacked from
sides, rear and front with a plunging
ire from the batteries. It seems u mir
acle that her apparently unprotected
hull could have reached the goal After
tive minutes the fire ceased and all be-
came dark then. Hobson and his crew
had accomplished their task.
Up to the time the Associated Press
dispatch boat left the fleet the admiral
had pot given any orders for the bonn
bardment OF Santiago de Cuba's forts,
but the spirit of revenge seemed to
irang over the fleet and by this time
MOrro castle and the Spanish batteries