The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-06

collier was seen heading straight for
MORO castle. The torpedo boat Porter
was lying near the flagship and Ad-
miral SIMPSONS orderly. Lieutenant
stanton. snatched up the megaphone
and hailed the Porter. saying: "Por-
ter. there. tell the Merrimac to return
Immediately" Smoke quickly poured
from the Porter's smokestacks and the
dark little craft darted toward the
shore. BY that time darkness had quite
disappeared. and quickly as the fast
torpedo boat tore through the water 1t
seemed as IL she would never head on
the Merrimac. At last. when under the
range of the guns of~the Spaniards. the
Porter crossed theS Merrimac's bows
and a sigh of relief went up from the
watchers, for they thought that
it was sure death for Hobson to ven-
ture in at that hour.
Some time after s o'clock the Porter
came tearing bach and the Merrimac,
to e~veryone's surprise, kept her posi-
ton. Admiral Sampson. Captain Chad
wick and Lieutenant Staunton could
not understand until Lieutenant Free
mont, from the deck of the torpedo
boat shouted, Lieutenant Hobson asks
permission to continue on his course
He thinks he can make it,"
But i'm stern tones the admiral sent
Hobson a message to the effect that
the Merrimac must return at once, and
in due course of time the doomed COL
lier slowly steamed back, her COM
mander evidently disappointed with the
orders received from the admiral
through the commander of the Porter.
Hobson's figure standing put vividly
on the lonely bridge of the Merrimac.
All day yesterday the collier lay near
the flagship and more elaborate prepa-
rations were made to carry out the mis-
sion of the Merrimac successfully. Dur
ing these preparations Hobson was tire
less. cool and confident. supervising per-
sonally every little detail.
When finally Hobson went on board
without sleep since Wednesday morn
ing. His uniform was begrimed, his
hands were black and he looked like a
man who had been hard at work in an
engine room for a long time. AS he
said goodbye, the lieutenant remarked
that his only regret was that all of the
New York's volunteers could not go
with him.
When the Merrimac started yesterday
morning on the trip for which she was
recalled she had on board of her two
men who had no right to be there. They
were Assistant Engineer Crank of the
Merrimac and Boatswain Mullin of the
New York, who had been working on
the collier all day. These two men re-
fused to leave the ship, and as their
disobedience was OF the nature which
produced the Cushings and F%arraguts
of the American navy, it was not Off
cially recognized.
The spirit shown by the men and off,
GERS of the fleet in connection with the
Merrimac expedition is really grand,
and beyond being merely expressed i'm
words, under these circumstances one
can imagine the immense feeling of sat
i~sfaction experienced when it became
known that Hobson and the crew of the
Merrimac were safe. Later in the day
Il Dodt Win IL "Hlte nag put out from
the harbor and Captain Oviedo, the
chief of staff Of admiral Cervera, board
ed the New York and informed the ad-
miral that the whole of the party had
been captured and that only two of
them had been injured. Lieutenant
Hobson had not been injured. 1t APP
pears that the Spanish admiral was so
struck with the courage of the Merri-
macs crew that he ecide to inform
Admiral Sampson that they had not lost
their lives, but were prisoners of war
and could be exchanged. The dingy
portion of the programme does not APP
pear to have been carried out, which
to the belief that she may have
been smashed by a shot, for Hobson's
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 pre-
vious to being transferred to MORO
castle, where they are now understood
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 brav-
cry more han does Lieutenant Hobson.
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