The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-10-02
ANOTHER
NAVAL ROW
Hobson's Reflection On
Dewey.
STORY OF MANILA FIGHT
The Young Officer Says Three Span
ish Vessels Were Sunk BY
Their Own Men.

VANCOUVER, B. c., Sept. l9.-Lieut.
Hobson of Merrlmac fame arrived from
the Philippines by the steamship En-
press OF India today, where he has been
inspecting the reconstruction of the
Spanish warships sunk at Manila bay.
Lieut. Hobson was met by large crowd.
eager to get glimpse of the young
American hero. He was introduced to
a large number of American citizens here
and talked freely to all those who desired
to interview him.
To q number of newspaper reporters,
whom he arranged to see together, he
expressed himself as willing to answer
any reasonable questions. Asked as to
the conditions of the hulls of the Isla de
Cuba, the Isla de Luzon and the rest OF
tight of Manila bay, Lieut.. Hobson stat
ed that the damage to the hulls was MAIN
ly the result Of six months surgmergence
in the water. The upper works had been
badly damaged by fire and the woodwork
had been destroyed, while the iron was
twisted into every conceivable shape by
the action OF the heat. Lieut.. Hobson
was then asked what, in his opinion, was
the direct cause of the foundering Of the
ships. Lieut. Hobson replied:
"why, the Spaniards pulled out the
plugs and opened the valves. They sank
the ships themselves. Our shell fire did
very little damage"
Then they were not injured? Not in
jured below the water line?" was asked.
Lieut. Hobson replied: Very little. We
had practically done them no damage at
an."
Lieut.. Hobson left today for Brooklyn,
where he Will report to the commandant
and then ask for leave of absence If he
gets this he will go to his home in Ala
bema. When in Vancouver he made a
very good impression by his manly ap-
pearance and modest demeanor. He was
as eager as n school boy to enjoy himself,
and drove about the city and went to the
theater. saying that 1t was the first time
he had felt free for three years.
WHAT DEWEY SAYS.
NEW YORK. Sept. 20.--Admiral Dewey,
who is stopping at Sayville. L. l., talked
today of the Hobson interview. saying:
Il hardly think the young man meant to
s nythPSs s,a and nerhns ns he aa
vessels he referred to are the Isla de
Cuba. Isla de Luzon, and Don Juan de
Austria. They were the least injured of
the ten or twelve ships sunk at Manila.
Naval Constructor Capps, very able
man, was with me. and ne and divers and
experts from Hongkong made an exami-
nation of all the Spanish ships and de-
cided that these three were worth saving
three out OF a dozen. They were raised
and temporary repairs were made at Ca
yite. The vessels proceeded under their
own steam to Hongkong, and had been
there for some time undergoing repairs
before Hobson saw them.
las n matter of fact. / never claimed
that We sunk the ships. 1 reported that
We destroyed them. / did see with my
own eyes an eight-inch shell strike the
stern of the Reina Maria Cristina, Ad-
miral MontoJo's flagship. and that de-
stroyed her.
1.-THE statement that the vessels were
not much injured below the water line
was probably true. Every one knows
that It is impossible for shells to do much
execution below the water line. or any
thing but torpedoes to do much damage
there. A few inches OF water Is great
protection. Armored ships are not ar
mored much below the water line, the
water being protection enough from a
shell.
"I hardly think 1t worth while to pay
much attention to this. You know, 1t is
human nature to deprecate what others
have done. and Mr. Hobson may not have |
been quoted correctly or In full"
the secret of Constructor Hobson's evil
dent desire to detract from Admiral Dew
ey's achievement at Manila bay is be-
iieved In naval circles to be due to the
fact that Dewey did not allow Hobson to
Join his fleet In the Philippines. but or
dered him TO remain at Hongkong upon
his arrival at that port. This action was
universally construed to be Dewey's |
method of discplinng the thoughtless
young officer for his conduct after the
war with Spain.
So far as the three gunboats which
II Hobson was ordered to repair and put
been conceded by all who participated I'm |
the battle of Manila bay that they were |
scuttled by the Spaniards at their moor
ings in Cavite harbor when the Petrol |
was sent to destroy them after Montojos |
defeat, and that they were not sunk by
Dewey's squadron.
EFFECT AT WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2O-The interview
with Naval Constructor r. p. Hobson at
Vancouver, In which he Is quoted as say
ng that the Spanish ships at Manila were
little better than helpless hulks when
Dewey attacked them. has created a SEN
sation In the Navy Department. II may
lead 10 reprimand for Mr.. Hobson. It
vas expected that that officer would ex-
press himself quite freely in regard to
some OF his observations made while he
has been attached TO the Asiatic station.
The same information was contained In
a report from the Spanish officials TO
their home Government. and the docu-
nent was afforded liberal translation by
The once of Naval Intelligence. and
made one of a series OF pamphlets relat-
nag to the war with Spain.
Later events which brought Dewey
before the country as Pres