Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-07-20


I Son Isataepcer more among his messmates
he told the story. of his experienee, his
inaTFS4lk9Sgf ,St4kS H. effeSqpe fSqpe and bis Imprisonment
We faPe bath }6its4t }6irtys4thaFjeee Il days LAY in in
( Spahisf prison, ~ said I4ebsbn, "and the
more Itthink about itthea ni3re' marvellous
it seems that WE ate' hlite. .iiohoe 7s'' "'
[ 1t5was, abeut 8 d ciocis in the morning
when the Merrmac entered the narrow
channel, and steamed ia under the guns
Of M9rrq, Tastler, The stillness of death
T prevailed; Il was SO dark, tha. Nc could
Fsesrfcly see the, headlana. We, had
| PLANNED o'idr6p our starboaFd anchor at
a ceftaiifpoint ID the right OF the channel,
feVefse Aoir angiHes and then. Swing the
Merfimaeu ar6und; sinking her Directly
/ facro$stlie channeLJ fAded 81 no1i:sisiS'
This plan was adhered to. but cifcuini
stances renders. its Ae.Xeeptipau II impessiv
bloi WheE the Merrimac poked her nose
into the chnhnef our troubles t6ninienced.
| The deadly silence was@ broken by the
'wasli Of H. smal Ii boatnapprohc4ifng Us from
L IitAesshoreanIi made ihef cut toybeaa picket
beat She rap clesafuD nnacr the stern of,
the MerE1imgq9tc, pl fred ,sexeral .shetsi from
whit seemed pdl tQ be ithree97ponndeE, guns.
,fThe. MeTrimacs's rtdder was, carried away.
by this fire. That IS why the collier, was
! not sunk across the 'thanhei. we did not
hdiscofer the lossi Of harudter Until Muir
.pby cTlstraHohorit We then found that the
Merrimae woulddnota answer to the helm
and verenesmpefled to nakeethe best of
Estle situation. ani.os isuaiia sialiGop ia
"a The run, up the channel was very exoit.
iur Ihn nFptnt .hnaf ho1 erirn 4I1.o la
and In a moment the guns,of the Nizcaya,,
theeA Alnlfrra 1ate '0qnendo,H and the shore
batteries were ttrhed Upon ifs. Submar-
Inc mines and ltdfptd6cs were also ex-
iploded about u.s. adding to the excitement.
The mines did 10 DANA sea although we
could hear rambiing and couid dfeel the
snip tfeuble. or{ieEns fRbiifo1 vua af
I'VE were running without lights and
ltonly the DARKNESS saved US from, utterde-
ftrrpetion. When the ship, yas1in the der
Sired position and we found that the rud-
der 'hrs gong I Failed the men. On deck.
While they were launchfhg the .catainarann
] touched''off theesplosives. At the same
niomeht twottofpcdoes fired by the Reiha,
'sfeiecles strucbythe Merrima GA amidships.
! eapot sayewhether eur own explosives or
the Spanish tQrpedoes did the work. but
TIE Merrunac was lifted out of the water
and hliost rent asunder. As she settled
down wa 'strd1hbisd overheard and tut
away the catamaran. A great cheer went
up from the forts and dwarshfps as tie hun
foft Thea eelier ifoandefea, effe' Spanish
i.thiaking athes nj Merrimaeauas an American
Yarship-aDl % ssinags ar bas aiRFiufV'D'
:" "Wie attempted to get out of the harbor'
ION the eata1nla ll "a ran but aistrpng tideawas
running and daylight f3odnndigs still strug-4
Cling in the wafer, Then for the first
lftihit5' / he SSp2a8niaTdg Saw us, and a boat
bEromfsfhc gt67fia cSf6rceties peked US as up. up
II. then vas shortly after ) o'clock in the
tiornirgy ami we had been hi the water
more than an,honral NFeli sreres taken,
asi4orc bE the Reiaa Aernedes md later
were sent, 30 MorEs, Castle. hFn oNerre
! Castle we wegf, confined ine CELLS ar the,
FsinheFrsldf of the fortress. T and were there
.fher first dry tie Squadron, bombarded
,aInrro. r e6dia i5hfy. hear the 'wVhistlipg
| oE shellsi sFF sHg hoisgl lhey imadcei when
fhey strack.abut1 Judged fr0tfi TIE con
bvefkation Af theiEaards that the sgI9llss aid
eopsiderahlesdaEAageJ Attn this bofhbartis
mept. Mr,sR Ralasden. thel Britisas hcousais
pF6testf4 4,oa nd We MsFs rffaeSedsts this
Tile exchange Of Lieut.. Hobson was efr
fected after much parleying between Gen.
EsNafter ahd Gef.' 9ora;, 's s'he, Spaniards
Mt first were not willing 10 hand OVER the
eight Americans fera tsiffiIa r ndniber Of
| Spanish prisoners seveiiad odE res9sA1nq
I42-f@ "a - a a.
United fates Postofficc In Cuba4 In
The firsf Uhited States postofhee in
Cuba alas iseeii iatlishef IL Baiiqsnnirii,
and isrequipped for doing the business of
city or aeege9 inhab absshhtsn o. 59sa 2 ~
~ A------r~+ls- ---------- i1ain q
At BrgI+aaYen, Missed thief epfsyel
the yotfioe .ot. Express Agent Perkinl.1 n,
broad daylight during bis Temporary ,ab.
sanee and carried OF tie money drawer,
containing $50 10 cash and several yalua.