The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-06-09
IBDRnlCsHER0ES
nsrvsl6ls Display u Bravery
By Oar Sailors.
A BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENT,
They Sunk a Collier, to Prevent
Egrsss Of Osrvsra's Fleet,
MEATH FIRE OF SPANISH GUNS,

The EiSAt Hen Who Risksa TAsir Live d
rscSsrn an Aet Of Alnsst l.esslibls Dar.
ilg Are Now HSlA - Prisooess sf VA
b. the Spaniasds, Who Homer TAsir In
tspadity snA wa Exchange Then Fos
Spanish Prisuaso Ass Of
Car sailen WszS Anxious to TAXI ths
Risk That 1ss Given Undyiag Fame t.
the cAossa oass-0ue Of ths Hssess Dis
obsysd 0sasrs - Take Pant IN he Peril
ous Ixpsaitioa.
Port Antonio. Jamaica, June s.-By
one Of IL most brilliant exploits In
naval annals the cork has bsen driver
into the bottle at Santiago de Cuba,
and the Spanish feet could not be more
secure were tie entrance TO that harbor
dooBed, barred and double locked and
the kay dropped into the bottomlsss
depth of The sea.
Lieutenant Richmond r. Hobson. Of
the flagship New York, With vosun-
teer crew Of seven men, snder cover Of
the darkness after the moon had set.
shortly after 8 o'clock Friday morning,
ran the big collier Msrrimac into the
throat Of the harbor, swung her broad
side across the channsl, and then ex-
plo6ed and sank her. He succeeded in
this desperate enterprise under the
dres OF the batteries and forts which
guard the entrance without support
from the feet.
Ensign Powell, also of the New York,
with steam launch, crept close under
the guns Of Moro Castle to take of
the heroes Of the Merrimac, and re-
mained there pluckiiy until daylight
discovered his position. without see-
ing trace of the Merrimacs daring
crew. To have remained longer would
have been sheer madness. As 1t was,
he retired under heavy fire from
Mauser Ejfles and The heavy guns OF
the batteries.
The heroes Who performed .this mar
I'veious fs2t Of daring were:
The Merrimsc's Heroes.
lieutenant Richmond P. Hobson, as
sistant naval constructor. Lieutenant
Hobson was born at Greensboro, Ala,
On Aug. ", 1870, was appointed, after
a competitive examination, to the
Naval academy in May, 1885. He was
The youngest member Of his class, but
| graduated at the head of his 18 COM
panions. He has studied engineering,
under the'aNspices of the United States
government, In France, and was made
assistant naval constructor in 1891.
He is the author of ssmi-political
werk, entitled "The situation and Out
su6k in Klrope," and was assigned to
the flagship New York when Rear Ad-
Atral Sampson sailed for the West
IndAes. He is q nephew Of John N.
Morehead, of North Carolina, and h
. grandson sof Chief Justice Pearson,
of-that state He is unmarried.
Daniel Montague. chief master d
arms, of New York. He has served
fcvr years In the navy, Is - years Of
aee. and his Nome is an Brooklyn.
Gaorge Charette. gunner's mate Of
the first class on board the New York.
He has served IA years TN ,the navy.
IL 81 years OLD and resides ;at Lowell,
Mas.
J. c. Murphy. coxswain of.the Iowa.
Osbrne Deignan. oDxswain OF the
Merrimac. about ~ years old.
Geo. q. Phillips. q machinist of the
first elaas, belonging to the Msrrimac.
He b ss years .of age. and his home
10 in Boston.
Francis Kelly, a water tender, about
IS years ,old. His home Is near Glas-
gov. Scotland.
H.. Claasen. who slipped on board
the Merrfmac without permission, in
order to take part IN the expedition, is
In coxswain OF the New York.
Now Prisoners Of War.
Lieutenant Hobson and his man are
now Spaniah prisoners. - Q nag Of
truce announces, and will be exchang-
ed in due oourse of tine, but that their
mission was successful admits of no
deabt. Ensign Powell distinctly saw
the spars Of the wrecked ship in the
middle Of, the, channel Lieutenant
Hohson planted her at the very point
be had selected. Cushing,s memorable
feat In blowing up the Confederate
ram Albemarle ls ovennatched by
Hobson's act. for Cushings men crept
up Albemarle sound at midnight and
fell upon an unsnspecting foe. Hob
son took bis ship. over 300 feet long,
into the very focus of a dozen bat
teries with the enemy at the guns,
and blew her up. Discovery at the end
Of his journey was inevitable. and
death was almost certain. No name.
therefore: can be written higher on
wars temple Of fame than his. Like
Cushing's deed, Hobson's desperate
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 feet to
crawl into the rathole In which the
Spanish feet had taken refuge. The
s.Sua~ snroaa thn AUtvaunA ana thA hat