The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-03-24
The Sinking of the Collier Merrirae

Frors ConteT7ooraTY DTs"Hn9
next shell would not come our way would say |
Hadn't we better drop OF now, sir? but said |
Wait till daylight It would have been impos- /
sble TO get the catamaran anywhere but on TO |
the shore where the soldiers stood shooting and |
hoped that by daylight we might be recog- |
nized and saved.
TT was splendid the way those men behaved |
The fire of the soldiers, the batteries and the |
Vizcaya was awful. When the water came up on |
the Merrimacs decks the catamaran foated
amid the wreckage, but she was still made fast
to the boom and we caught hold Of the edges
and chung on, our heads only being above water.
AT daylight the fire ceased and Spanish
launch came toward the wreck. We agreed TO
try capturing her and running for the open sea,
but as she drew near dozen Spanish marines
aimed their Mausers ar US and / saw that, In
western parlance they had the drop on u.s. Is
there any officer in that boat TO receive sur
render of prisoners of WARP I shouted An old
man leaned out under the awning and waved
his hand. It was Admiral Cervera. The marines
lowered their rifles and we were helped into
the launch
Then we were put In cells in Moro castle.
It was grand sight few days later 10 see
the bombardnent, the shells striking and burst
ing around FL Moro. Then we were taken into
Santiago. had the court martial room in the
hospital"
In his prison Hobson was visited by Spanish
officers who asked permission TO shake his hand
and congratulate him for his courage. AT his
request message was sent TO Admiral Semp-
son, telling the commander that he and his
men were safe and, except for minor wounds
Of two Kelly and Murphy. that they had come
through their terrible experience unscathed.
At first the Spanish authorities refused TO ex-
change the prisoners. But at last on July 9
Hobson and his men were marched blindfolded
through the Spanish lines to a place halfway
between the Spanish trenches and the Amer
lean lines and the formalities Of exchange were
completed by Spanish and American officers I'M
der big ceiba tree
Even before Hobsons release from prison the
news of his deed had made him the man Of the
hour in America. So when he was sent up to
New York with instructions to report to the sec
rotary of the navy at Washington on the con-
dtion of the Spanish ships wrecked in the bat
tie of Santiago which followed soon after his
exploit, he given such ovation as no
man, since his time, except Colonel Lindbergh.
has known.
Next followed another form of those hyster-
zeal demonstrations which seem to sweep coun-
. try when its heroworship begins to run rampant.
1t had its beginning in an incident which was
chronicled in New York newspaper on Au-
gust g. 1885, under the headline of Challenged
to a Kiss by Pretty Girl, Lieutenant Hobson
proved His Calamity Again." as follows:
Lieutenant Hobson was the hero Of Long
Beach last night, where he went as the guest
of Lawyer Edward ]. Gavegan, Of this city.
His reception was such as to test the mod
esty Of any hero but the lieutenant bore him.
self with graceful composure until Miss Arnold
of ST. Louis. the prettiest girl at the hotel ran
up TO him and cried impulsively:
MAY kiss you?
"Blushing at her temerity she turned eloquent
eyes on the lieutenant and her parted lips, Ike
twin roses, whispered sweet invitation
"Who could resist? Not the lieutenant, gallant
man that he is So blushing almost deep as
the beautiful woman before him, he replied:
81 would be very proud to comply
"And so he did. As their lips met the people
who were pressing around clapped their hands
with delight Thus Lieutenant Hobson's gal
lantry was proved again"
After that-the delugel Wherever he went
hundreds Of women literally mobbed him for the
privilege of bestowing similar osculatory tributes
upon him and he became almost as well known
as +the most kissed man in America" as he
had been as the hero of the Merrinac exploit
Other honors came TO him rapidly. Alabama,
his native state was the first TO propose giving
him a jeweled sword. He was raised ten num-
bers in the ranks of naval constructors and was
made a captain For more than year he en-
loved the hero worship of the nation Then the
tickle public began TO forget him when the news
papers ceased TO chronicle his every movement
He was put in charge of raising the wrecks
OF Spanish ships and in the course Of this duty
he went TO China 10 superintend the repairing
of the Spanish ships sunk by Dewey at Manila
While there he began having trouble with his
eyesight and he asked TO be retired from active
service By this time the newspapers and the
public had definitely turned against him. Hii
heroism at Santiago was either forgotten or min
imized. His request TO be retired was denied
and in 1903 he resigned his commission
After his retirement he began making speeches
throughout the country advocating large nav
and as early as 1902 he predicted the World
war which came u years later. In 1906 he wal
elected TO congress from his home district II
Alabama and during his eight years IN congress.
he served the committee on naval affairs
Since his retirement from congress he has de
voted his time TO the cause OF prohibition and Il
fighting the spread Of the use of narcotics.
&C BY Western Newspaper Cnion-1