The age-herald., 1900-10-20
"HeroD Day at Montgomery's
 Street Fair
THE CITY CROWDED WITH VISITORS
pated in by Ten Thousand People -Adjutant-General Brandon
 Hurt The Trophy

Montgomery, October 19. - (Speoal.)- Lieut. Richmond Pearson Hobson was toe day presented with a loving cup by the citizens of Alabama as a testimonial of their appreciation of his daring act in the harbor of Santiago when he sunk the Mer- rimac. There were 10,000 people present to witness the presentation and to partioi. pate in the ceremonies of the occasion, When Lieutenant Hobson received the cup he was standing the steps of the State Capitol, where Jefferson Davis stood in 1861 when he took the oath of office as president of the Confederate States.
 The procession that preceded the presen- tation formed in Clayton street in front of Phares Coleman's residence. From there 1t marched to Commerce street and through the street fair district into Dexter avenue and thence to the Capitol. In the parading party were Grand Marshal W. w. Bran don, the street fair officials, city officials and members of the testimonial committee. The streets were lined the entire distance traversed by the procession, hot less than 40,O00 people being crowded along the thor oughfare
 Phares Coleman presented the cup to General Wheeler who in turn presented 1t to Lieutenant Hobson on behalf of the oiti- zens of Alabama MT. Coleman, General Wheeler and Lieutenant Hobson made speeches In his response to General Wheeler's presentat ton speech, Lieutenant Hobson referred to his action on the Afer- rimac, and said it was only what hundreds of other naval officers would have done. The keynote of his speech was the great ness and the grandeur of the United States and the navy. After the presentation a public reception was held and thousands of citizens shook hands with General Wheeler and Liueten- ant Hobson
 Description of the Cup
 The cup is of sterling silver stands ten inches high and rests on a solid ebony ped- estal, seven ana one-half inches tall.
 The handles of the cup are dolphins, em- blematic of the seq, and between the three handles are panels on which are beautiful etchings to commemorate the achievements of the gallant young Alabamian. On the first panel Is an excellently etched portrait or Lieutenant Hobson and beneath the DOT trait is the following inscription:
 Lieutenant Richmond Pearson Hobson, U. s. N. Born in Greensboro, Ala, August r, 1Se."
 On the second panel is an etching of the sinking of the Merrimac. Just above the scene are the words: "The sinking of the collier 'Merrimac,' on June 8, 189S," and below the etching are the names of the gallant crew in bas relief, as follows:
 Manned by the Following Crew:
 Lieut.. Richmond Pearson Hobson osborn Deignan, George F. Phillips, John
 Kelly, Daniel Montague, George
 Charette, J. c. Murphy, Ran
 dolph Clausen."
 On the third panel is the following inI scription,
 To Lieut. Richmond Pearson Hobson,
 United States Navy.
 A tribute from the people of Alabama to commemorate his splendid gallantry which conceived, and his superb daring which rendered possible, the accomplishment of a plan to sink across the entrance of the bay of Santiago de Cuba the collier Merrmac which, buffeted by the fire of hostile forts and rocked upon the waves of an angry sea, responded to the exploding call of tor pedoes placed upon her sides by patriot isms holy hand, and sank, the gurgiing vortex of engulfing waters voioing glad hosannahs to the sublimity of heroism manifested, and the last lingering blast from the sinking craft reverberatins In glorious echoes around the globe, nounced to listening world the dauntless achievement and proclaimed in thunderous tones the consummatioh of the American Spanish war, commenced in humanity and ended in glory.
 'The time and the occasion had sounded the reveille of heroism, and to such sum- mons heroes of sublimest type did answer. In the morning hours of June 8 1898, long before the glimmering glow Of dawning day, Lieutenant Hobson, with his valiant and faithful crew, in conseoration to duty, in a deadly torrent of shot and shell, steered with unerring skill the Merrimao athwart the channel of Santiago bay. Es- cape appeared impossible. death and de- struction seemed inevitable. A hero's priv ilege to be offered a willing sacrifice upon the altar of patriotism But He who holds the destiny of nations in the hollow of His hand threw over the noble crew the shield of Providence and without hurt or harm the mission of duty was accomplished the glorious deed was perfor4hed, and stands out upon the tablet of fame in bas relief without a peer; @ record to the ages as they pass that simple duty hath no place for fear
 'So long as Aiabahe's proud sons and daughters glory and exult in the peerless galaxy of her illustrious men, 90 long will the name of Hobson--the intrepid sailor, the ideal patriot, the modest hero, the dautless AlabamJan--glow with resplendent lustre and be cherished in the hearts of an admiring people"
 The case for the cup Is made of quarter sawed oak. lined with ohamois skin and on the gold name plate is lnsoribedt
 "To Lieutenant Richmond Pearson Hobs ~o----~--><
 I3on