Evening star., 1933-03-12
IA Ht
Continued from Third Pogo

nishtglasses, saw the tiny black speck slip
through the opening
For 10 minutes hearts beat faster and faster
and then suddenly Spanish gun on shore spit
her first venomous fire. and in a moment the
dark mouth had become a cauldron Of fame
and she'll the water whipped into phos-
phorescent glare by the rainfall o. bullets, while
the echo of the huge guns loud mouthings
reverberated from hill to hill. and finally swept
out over the water to who were vainly trying
to pierce the hellish glare for glimpse of the
Merrimac.
Hearts sank at the awful spectacle and
prayers went up fo- the safety of the little
crew, but it seemed though there could be
scant hope. For IS minutes this terrible
baptism of fire continued. the entire harbor
apparently being covered by the guns. while
seeking here and there for the stranger, and
then at $50 O'Clock, all was suddenly Silenced
and darkness curtained the scene.
Until daylight we sat. anxiously awaiting for
q possible sign Of life from the haIboc. In
the early morning the little steam launch that
had followed the Merrimac out a few hours
previously steamed from near the mouth OF The
batteries and announced, Nobody has returned
But. aided the boyish commander Ensign
Joseph Wright Powelb. As the launch steamed
away, his enthusiasm for Hobsons splendid
action overwhelming for the moment his loss
OF ITltnC. ne 0lQ II just the SdHlc:
But by almost unbelievable good fortune
Hobson and his men had escaped death end
only two were even injured. The entrance OF
the Merrimac had been discovered before she
had reached the spot where she was TO be
sunk and she was subjected to q terrific bonn
bardment from the shore batteries and tor
pedoes from the Reina Mercedes. A Spanish
picket boat approached and shot away the
Merrimac,s rudder. rendering her largely un-
manag able When she did reach the spot
where she was to be sent down some o: the
torpedoes refused to work. harbor mine
assisted the sinking and finally the collier
plunged. but not in . position to entirely block
the channel. The Spaniard garrison cheered
wildly. believing they had destroyed an Amer
ican warship.
As she made her death plunge HObson and
his men, who before starting had stripped to
their underwear and donned hfe-preservers and
revolvers. were swept over the side into water
churned by exploding shells and bullets. The
lifeboat upon which they had hoped to make
their escape hsd been carried away, but they
did find a catamaran and about it the refugees
assembled
The shivering men mustered and all were
found present. For more than an hour they
clupg to the catsmaran and then the sun rose
Frogs croeked up the blight" Hobson mar
rated. "and as dawn broke the birds began to
twitter and chrp in the bushes and trees near
at hand along the wooded slopes. Day came
bright and beautiful. 1t seemed that nature
disregarded man and went on the same. serene,
peaceful and unmoved Mans strife appeared
q discord and his tragedy received no sympathy.
About daybreak a beautiful strain went up
from a bugle at Punta Gorda battery. 1t
pitched at a high key and rose and fingered
long drawn out gentle and tremulous; 1t seemed
as though an angel might be playing while
looking down in tender pity. Gould this be
Spanish bugle?"
At length a steam launch, b.istling with
rihemen. discovered the self-shipwrecked
octette Hobson sang out that II . Spanish
officer was aboard an American oficer desired
to surrender himself and his comrades as
prisoners of war. The rifles came down and
Hobson swan to the little craft onto which
he was assisted by 10 less a pcrsea thar
Admiral Cervera himself. who had come out
to see what manner Of men were these who
would undertake. so desperate an adventure. A
few weeks later Cervera was to be rewarded
when American sailors rescued him and his
son when the Spanish fleet was sunk.
with Cervera were two other officers. his
juniors" Hobson wrote. ITO him surrendered
myself and the men. taking of my revolver bell,
glasses, canteea and iife-p-cservcr. The officers