The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-06-08
Tie Hero of Santiago.

AN assistant naval constructor, NTH
erto engaged in the routine duties of
school teaching, and dilapidated
tramp steamer lately used as a coal
huIk-these are not on the face of the
case promising material for the build
ing Of an heroic saga. There is not in
them much that is reminiscent Of Mel
son with the glass at his blind eye, or
Farragut lashed to the rigging. One
would instinetively look elsewhither
for stirring deeds. These are only the
fittings OF an age of commonplace, i'm
which veins are filed with water in
stead of blood, and passions are regu-
lated by measure and weight. But in
that instinct would be forever wrong.
For in an hour in Santiago Bay that
man and that ship gained immortality
Of fame for the sheer splendor of delib-
crate daring such as King Olaf and his
Berserks might have loved to see.
Inside the bay was the Spanish fleet,
half dozen superb fighting ships, and
the shores were lined with batteries and
the bottom dotted with mines aud tor
p4d0es like that which destroyed the
Maine. Outside lay the American fleet.
And the problem was 10 block the mar
row gateway so that the Spaniards
could not get out. 1t was TO that task
that this man addressed himself, with
his seven comrades and the old coal
hulk. There was none of the dash and
excitement of battle in the job, no blaz-
ing aud laundering of big guns and
dArting of torpedoes. AT least there
was none on HobsOn's side. He and
his men and their defenceless ship sail
ed slowly into the awful trap withOu
stroke in their own defence. y lit
eral hail of shot and shell swept down
upln them. The chances were that
they would be riddled, or blown to at
oms. But calmly and steadily the ship
was moved forward until the narrOwest
part of the channel was reached. Then
instant peril of death they waited pa
tien:ly, as inch by inch the tide swung
the great hulk around. At last she lay
right across the channel, her length
reaching almost from shore to shore.
Then they dropped another anchor al
the stern, to hold her fast in that posi-
ton. Then, as Grenville said after his
immortal fight, the word was given,
''Sink me the ship, Master Gunner
Sink her, Split her in twainw And
by the hands of her own crew the ship
was sunk, effectnally barring the har-
Dor against Cervera's exit or Camara's s
entrance. The work was done. Then,
seeing there was no escape in their open
slyif through the storm of shot and
shell that fell about them, HobsOn and
his seven calmly rowed to the nearest
Spanish ship, whose guns we're beleh-
ing out death against them, and gave
themselves up as prisoners of war!
That is the simple story, and you
will not surpass it in all the tales of
chivalry. For that discretion which is
the better part of valor, and that un-
fiinehing valor which is the highest of
all discretion, the deed commands rec
ognition among the most heroic deeds
of all time No wonder the Spaniards,
brave men themselves, applauded it
and treated the prisoners as distin-
guished guests. The human race ap-
plauds an act that gilds mere clay with
glory, and the navies of the world dip
flags in salutation to the sunken coal
hulk. The name of Hobson is added
10 the list that already bears the names
of Dewey and of Farragut, of Perry
and Decatur. II was small proceed
ing, compared with their great battles
But its results are not insignificant in
themselves, while the manner of its
doing showed IFS doers to be possessed
of the highest herOism known i'm NOR
tai conflict-the herOism that goes to
the performance of supreme duty with
out single stimulus save the fact that
it is duty, and that in the face of all
but certain death. That in this ease
death did not prove a certainty, but
every one of the gallant eighteam out
from the fearful ordeal unseathed, is
cause for exuliation second to none i'm
the whole resplendent drama.-New
N-orl, T-ribuna