The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-07-09
HoBsoN's WONDERFUL STORY.
Related By Himself TO His Messma,es
on the New YORK.

OF Santiago. July 5, by dispat h boat
Dauutless. via Kingston. jamaica. July 5
Copyrighted 1898 by the Associated Press
The return OF Assistant Naval Construc-
tor Hobson 10 his ship. the flagship New
York, last night was marked by Wild en-
;husiasm.
When Hobson sat once more among his
messmates he told the story of his ex-
perleuce. his marvellous escape and his
imprisonment In M0rro castle.
Il did not miss the entrance 10 the
harbor." he said. as Ensign Powell in
the launch supposed. headed east until
got my bearings and then made for IL
straight in. Their came the firing. Il
was grand. flashing out from one side ana
then the other, from those big guns on
the hills. the Nizcaya, lying inside the
harbor, joining in.
THE troops from Santiago had rushed
down when the news Of tae Merrimac's
coming was telegraphed. and the soldiers
lined the foot Of the cliffs firing wildly
across and killing each other with their
cross fire. The Merr.mac's steering gear
broke as she got 10 Estrela point. only
three OF the torped0es on her side eN-
ploded when 1 touched the button. The
huge submarine mine caught her ful.
amidships, huriing the water hish in the
air and tearing a great rent in the Merri-
macs side. Her stern ran upon Esyrella
point, Chiehy owing 20 the work done
by the mine. she begluto sink slowly,
Az that time she was across the channel.
but before she settled the tide drifted her
around. We were all aft, lying on the
deck. Shells and bullets whisJled around
US. Six-inch shells from the Nlzcaya came
tearing into the Merrimac, crashing into
the wood and iron and passing clear
through, while plunglns shots from the
forts broke through her decks.
"'Not man mus; move, l said, and 1t
was only owing TO the splendid discipline
OF the men that all OF us were not killed,
as the shells sailed over Us and minutes
became hours OF suspense The mems
mouths grew parched, but We must lie
there tiu daylight l told them. Now and
again one or the other Of the men lying
with his face glued 10 the deck and Won
dering whether the next shell would come
our way, would say: Hadn't We better
drop of now, sir? But l said wait till
daylight II would have been Impossible
to get the catamaran anywhere but to the
shore where the soldiers stood shooting,
and l hoped that by daylight We might be
recognized and saved.
"The grand old Merrimac kept sinking
wanted to so forward and see the dam
age done there, where nearly all the tre
was directed, but one man said that II
rose 1t would draw the tire on the rest;
so | lay motionlesS. IL was splendid the
way those men behaved, The fire OF the
soldiers, the batteries and the Vizcaya
was awful.
when the water came up to the Mer-
rimac's decks the catamaran tloated
amid the wreckage. but was till made
fast to the boom, and We caught hold
of the edge and clung on, our heads being
above water.
zone man thought We were safer right
there. 1t was quite light. The firing had
ceased, except on the New Yorks launch,
and | feared that Ensign Powell and his
men had been killed.
"A Spanish launch came toward the
Merrimac. We agreed to capture her and
run. Just as she came alongside the
Spaniards saw us and half dozen ma
rines jumped up and pointed their rifles
at our heads.
us there an officer in that boat to re-
ceive the surrender of prisoners Of warp
shouted. An old man leaned over under
the awning and waved his hand. 1t was
Admiral Cervera The marines lowered
their rifles and we were helped into the
| launch
"Then we were put in cells in Moro
castle. Afterward we were taken into
Santiago. l had the court martial room
in the barracks. My men were kept pris-
oners in the hospital, From my window
could see the army moving across the
open and being shot down by the Span
iards in the rifle pits in front of me. The