The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-07

hands were black and he looked like
a man who had been hard at work In
and about an engine room for a long
time. AS he said good bye, the lieu
tenant remarked that his only regret
was that all of the New York's volun-
teers could not go with him.
Read Admiral Sampson, speaking of
of the expedition, said:
Il think ne will have a fair chance
to get out. Yes, it is plucky. Very
plucky."
When the Merrimac started yester
day morning on the trip she had on
board of her two men who had no
right to be there. They were Assist
ant Engineer Crank, of the Merrimac,
and Boatswain Mullen, of the New
York, who had been working on the
collier all day. These two men refused
to leave the ship, and as their diso-
bedience was of the nature which pro-
duced Cushings and Farraguts for the
American navy it was not officially
recognized.
The spirit shown by the men and Of
ficers of the fleet in connection with
the Merrimac expedition is really
grand and beyond being merely ex-
pressed in words. Under these circum
stances one can imagine the immense
feeling of satisfaction experienced
when it became known that Hobson
and the crew of the Merrimac were
safe. Later in the day boat with a
white flag put out from the harbor and
Captain Iviedo, the chief of staff of
Admiral Cervera, boarded the New
York and informed the admiral that
the whole of the party had been cap
tured and that only two of the heroes
had been injured. Lieutenant Hobson
had not been injured. 1t appears that
the Spanish admiral was so struck
with the courage of the MerrimacS
crew that he decided to inform Ad-
miral Sampsan that they had not lost
their lives, but were prisoners of war
and could be exchanged.
The dingy portion of the programme
does not appear to have been carried
out, which leads to the belief that she
may have been smashed by a shot,
/, for it seems Hobson and his men
! drifted ashore on an old catamaran,
| which had been slung over the Merri-
macs side at the last moment, as an
| extra precaution. They were captured
| and sent to Santiago under guard,
| previous to being transferred to Nor
| 70 castle, where they are now under
stood to be confined.
| The fleet tonight is in a state of de-
| lighted enthusiasm and the admiral is
/ just as happy as the youngest sailor.
| The general opinion is that no man
ever deserved recognition for personal
! bravery more than Goes Lieutenant
| HobsOn.
Lieutenant Hobson's chief anxiety
| was that in the dark he might miss
| the narrow cut and run onto the shoals
! at the west Of the entrance. To pre-
| vent the possibility Of this, the plan of
! allowing the Merrimac to run in under
the Spanish flag with the fleet in
| feigned pursuit, firing blank cartridges
| and blazing the path to the harbor en-
| trance With searchlights, was consid-
dered but abandoned, because, among
| other reasons, Lieutenant Hobson and
his volunteer crew did not want to die,
| if their lives should be sacrificed un-
| der false colors. They wanted to &c
down with the stars and stripes float
| ig proudly from the Merrimac
During the day Lieutenant Hobson
| went aboard the flagship. His once
white duck trousers were as black as
| a coal heavens, his old fatigue coat
was unbuttoned and his begrimmed
! face deep furrowed by tense drawn
! lines, but resolution still shone in his
| eyes. So absorbed was he in the task
| ahead of him that, unmindful Of his
! appearance and of all ceremony and
naval etiquette, he told the admiral in
| tone of command that he must not
| again be interferred with.
| 'I can carry this thing through" he
said, ''but there must be no more re-
| calls. My men have been keyed up
i for twenty-four hours and under a
| tremendous strain, iron will break at
last" Such was the indomintable will
| and courage with which he faced death
| and glory.
When Hobson left the ship and the
! extended hands of his shipmates, more
| than one Of the latter turned hastily
| to hide the unbidden tear. But the
! lieutenant waved them adieu with a
| smile on his handsome face.
NO NEWS FROM THE FLEET
YESTERDAY.
| ST. Thomas, Danish West Indies,
| June Sup to a late hour this morn
! ing there had been no news received
| here from the American fleet or from
| any point where hostilities are believ-
! ed to be impending.
Port Au Prince, Hayti, June 5.-NO
: further war news reached here during
! the early part of the day.
Cape Haytien, Hayti, June 5--No
| news has been received from Santi-
ago de Cuba since yesterday.
A SPANISH CRUISER AT SAN
JUAN.
Cape Haytien, Hayti, June 5.-The
steamer st. Simon, which arrived here
this morning from Havre, reports that
one Spanish cruiser and two or three
| Spanish torpedo boats were at San
Juan de Porto Rico Oh Friday at noon.
| She saw no warships elsewhere.
F, GALLANTRY OF ENSIGN POWELL.
/ Copyrighted 10y Associated Press.)
On Board the Associated Press Dis
! pat boat Dauntless, off Santiago de
Cuba, a. m, June 8, via Port An
tonic, Jamaica, June 4.-Delayed in
transmission).-Kno Hobson's des-
| perate plan, the dispatch boat took up
! a position at sunset opposite the mar
row harbor entrance and just outside
; the line of the blockading warships.
The night wore slowly away. the