Newspaper Page Text
The Abbeville Chronic le
VOL. II.
The Merrimac Is
Blown Up
Her Gallant Crew of Eight Mon,
Led by Lieutenant Hobson,
Are Made Prisoners By
the Spaniards.
Associated Press dispatches via
Kingston state that Rear Admiral
Sampson during Friday morning de
cided to closes the narrow harbor cu
trance of Santiago de Cuba by sinking
the collier Merrimac, loaded with coal,
in the harbor. He called for volun
teers to go to almost certain death and
forty-seven men offered themselves.
Lieutenant Hobson and seven men
were chosen, and at 8 o’elock a. m.
Friday morning the Merrimac, under
her own steam, entered the channel
under a terrible Spanish fire. The ves
sel was riddled with projectiles, but
she anchored and swung around.
Lieutenant Ho„___then set off an
internal torpedo with an electric at
tachment. There was an explosion,
the Merrimac sank, the channel was
closed and apparently Admiral Cervera
will be unable to escape,
Robson and the hero crew of the
Merrimac were saved in the following
manner:
Unable after the sinking of their
vessel to make their way back through
the storm of shot and shell, they rode
into the harbor to the Spanish flagship
and were taken <_)Q board unharmed.
The Spanish admiral under a flag of
truce sent word to the American ad
miral to the effect offering to change
the prisoners, adding that in the
meanwhile he aud his party would be
treated with the greatest consideration.
The only Hobson in the list of offi
cers in the naval register is Richmond
P. Hobson, a naval constructor, who
is a lieutenant of the junior grade. He
was appointed an assistant naval con
structor iu 1891. He entered the
navy from Alabama.
A bulletin was received at the white
house Sntuiiday corroborating the re
port that the Merrimac w r ns sunk iu
Santiago channel, and by orders from
the department.
It w'as stated positively that this
action on the part of Admiral Samp
son was a part of the program for at
tacking Santiago, and that it was
known that he was going to call for a
volunteer crew.
“The cork is driven in the bottle,”
was the comment of the naval officers
at the navy department upon the news
of the sinking of the collier Merrimac.
Cervera Notifies Sampson.
Additional advices received at Hayti
state that all the members of the Mer
rimac expedition are safe. Only two
of them were slightly injured. Lieu
tenant Hobson was not hurt. All of
the Merrimac’s men are held as pris
oners of war. The news of their v r cn
derful escape was sent to Rear Admiral
Sampson by Admiral Cervera, the
Spanish admiral, who, being so struck
with the courage of th§ Merrimac’s
crew, thought Admiral Sampson should
know that they had not ost their
lives.
Admiral Cervera’s chief of staff,
Captain Oviedo, boarded the New
York under a flag of truce bearing the
announcement of tho safety of the
Merrimac’s men and returned with a
supply of provisions and money for
the prisoners. is
Lieutenant Hobson’s name on
every lip in Washington. He is well
known at tlfe navy department, as he
served in the bureau of construction
for several years.
OFFICIAL FROM SCHLEY.
Commodore Notifies Department of the
First Engagement at Santiago.
The navy department has received
an official report from Commodore
Schley regarding his recent attack on
the fortifications at the entrance to
Santiago harbor.
Commodore Schley says that his at
tack Was made for the purpose of de
veloping the enemie’s position, to
locate their batteries, etc.
In that respect it was entirely suc
cessful, and he accomplished what he
set out to do. None of his vessels
were touched by the enemy’s volleys
and there were no casulties or mishaps
on his vessels.
ABBEVILLE. GA.. THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 189S.
FIGHTING IN THE PHILIPPINES,
Insurgents Kill One Thousand Spaniards
In Hattie at Manila.
Advices from Manila, via Hong
Kong, state that the Spanish outposts
have been driven in all along the line
s multaueously and with great slaugh
ter by the insurgents. It is said that
over a thousand have been killed.
There was fiorce hand to hand fighting
for seventy hours, despite the typhoon
which was raging.
The violent winds and torrents of
rain rendered the rifles of the Spanish
troops unavailable. The natives easily
won at every step with their slashing
knives.
The insurgents now hold Mala Bon,
Tariac and Bacoor.
Chief Agninaldo, in the course of an
interview, has said that the insurgents
are eager to rush upon Manila forth
with, but that Admiral Dewey refuses
to allow “hordes of passionate semi
savages to storm a civilized metrop
olis.”
Admiral Dewey intends to await the
arrival of American troops. In the
meantime the insurgents have been
forbidden to cross Maloote river, oth
erwise the Petrel will be stationed
there to bombard them.
SOUTHERN PROGRESS.
The New Industries Repotted in the South
During: the Fast Week.
Among the new industries reported
throughout the south during the past
week may he mentioned a canning fac
tory in Georgia, a large cotton com
press iu Alabama, an electric light plant
in Louisiana and an electric light and
street railway system in Kentucky;
flouring mills in North Carolina, Geor
gia, Tennessee aud Texas; a hoop fac
tory in North Carolina and an ice fac
tory in the same state; a lumber mill
in Kentucky; mining company in Ar
kansas; cotton oil mills in Georgia and
South Carolina, and oil and fertilizer
mills in North Carolina; a rubber
goods manufactory in Texas; a sawmill
in North Carolina and a spectacle
works, capital $25,000; and a large
stave factory in Arkansas.—Trades
man (Chattanooga, Tenu).
BANKS LOSE HEAVILY
Through Moody & Brewster Failure at
Atlanta—Moody Arrested.
One of the most striking features of
the Moody & Brewster failure a few'
days ago at Atlanta Is the large amount
ou'ed by the firm to local and to New
York banks.
It is stated by a man who has made
an investigation of the case, that
Moody & Brew'ster’s paper held by the of
banks would approximate a quarter
a million do lars.
John T. Moody, the senior member
of the firm, was placed under arrest
on a warrant sworn out by Edward
Hiler, of New York, charging him with
committing a misdemeanor.
Bond was given in the sum of $1,000,
it being signed by Messrs. J. W. Ruck
er, J. W. English, Thomas D. Meador,
George W. Parrott and Jacob Hass.
WAR VETERANS UNITED.
Weave rs of Gray and Blue Join in the Cel
ebration at Columbus, O.
The local Grand Army post nt Co
lumbus, O., joined the Confederate
veterans from the south iu memorial
exercises at Camp Chase Confederate
cemetery. Colonel W. H. Knauss, G.
A. R., presided.
Addresses were made by Colonel
Bennett H. Young, of Louisville;
Governor Taylor, of Tennessee; Hon.
John Leathers, of Louisville, all Con
federates, and by Captain Gilbert H.
Barger, G. A. R. The Confederate
Glee club of Louisville and school
children of Columbus sang.
Flowers from the south and north
were profusely strewn.
CERVERA IN BAD PLIGHT.
May Slow Up His Ships Before Surrender
ing Them,
A Washington special says: By no
possibility, it is conceded by members
of the w r ar hoards, will Admiral Cer
vera’s vessels in the harbor of Santiago
be able to reach the open sea, even
with the remains of the Merrimac re
moved, which is not probable.
The entire Spanish squadron is now
conceded to have been caught and
closed against all possibilities of es
cape, and unless Cervera purposely
destroys the ships they are hound ulti
mately to fall into the hands of the
United States.
REPORT FROM DEWEY
Announcing Decisive Victories of Insur
gents In Philippines.
The navy department Monday re
ceived a report from Admiral Dewey
of important success achieved by the
insurgents at Manila. It read:
“Admiral Dewey reports that the
insurgents have been actively engaged
within the province of Cavite during
the past week. They have won sev
eral victories, taken prisoners about
1,800 men, fifty officers of the
Spanish troops, not native, Tho ar
senal of Cavite ha i been prepared for
occupation by United States troops
n pon their arrival on transports.”
»
SINKING OF THE MERRIMAC IN
SANTIAGO HARBOR DESCRIBED.
PERSONNEL OF THE BRAVE CREW.
Commendable Courage of Council Men
Who Were Waiting to Rescue Hob
son and His Companions.
The - Associated Press gives the fol
lowing detailed story of the act of
heroism performed by Lieutenant
Richmond P. Hobson and his seven
companions in sinking the collier Mer
rimac across the channel lending into
the harbor of Santiago do Cuba:
The narrow channel leading into
the harbor was completely blocked
early Friday morning when the United
States collier Merrimac was sunk
across its entrance. It is now impos
sible for the Spaniards to get out, and
it is equally impossible for any vessels
to get into the harbor, therefore, the
Spanish first-class armored cruisers
Maria Teresa,Cristobal Colon, Vizcaya
and Almirante Oquendo, with the two
topedo boat destroyers Furor and Plu
ton, are no longer any use to Spain.
Lieutenant Hobson started on his
daring errand at 3 o’clock Friday
morning. Tho Merrimac was lying to
the westward, and under cover of the
clouds over the moon, she stole in
toward the coast, making her way to
the eastward, followed by a launch.
From the crowded decks of the
New York nothing could be seen of the
Merrimac after she had got under the
shadow of the hills. For half an hour
officers and men strained their eyes
peering into the gloom, when, sud
denly, the flash of a gun streamed out
from Morro castle and then all on
board the New r York knew the Merri
was nearing her end. The guns from
the Spanish battery opposite Morro
castle answered quickly with move
flashes, and for about twenty minutes
flashes of fire seemed to leap across
the harbor entrance.
The flagship was too far away to
hear the reports, and when the firing
ceased it w r as judged that Hobson had
blown lip the Merrimac. For an hour
the anxious watchers on tho steam
launch sent along to rescue the Merri
mac’s crew, w aited for daylight. Rear
Admiral Sampson and Captain Chad
wick remaining on the bridge of the
New York throughout the night.
Then Cadet Powell, who was in
command of the steam yacht, return
ing, reported that he had clearly seen
the Merrimac’s masts sticking up just
where Hobson hoped to sink her—
north of the Estrella battery and well
past the guns of Morn. But of the
heroes who had penned the Spaniards
in there was not a sound or sign.
Rear Admiral Sampson said: “I am
pretty sure the attempt was quite Sue
cessful I hope all those brave fellows
are not captured.”
Cadet Powell, in making his report,
said he believed the torpedoes pre
viously fixed about the Merrimac W'ere
exploded as planned.
What actually happened on board
the Merrimac will not be known until
flobson tells it himself.
Great admiration is expressed at the
department at the coolness and discre
tion shown by the young cadet, Geo.
W. Powell, who took command of the
New York’s steam launch and lay un
der the batteries until he was satisfied,
from his own observation, that the
Merrimac had gone down before he
returned to the flagship.
The men Hobson selected to go with
him were Daniel Montague, George
Charette, J.C. Murphy,Oscar Deignan,
John P. Phillips, John Kelly and H.
Clausen. The latter, a coxswain of the
New York, took part in the expedition
against ordei s.
Daniel Montague is chief master at
arms of the New York.
George Charette is a gunner’s mate
on board the New York.
J. C. Murphy is a coxswain of the
Iowa.
Oscar Deignan is a coxswain of the
Merrimac.
John P. Phillips is a machinist of
the first class, belonging to the M erri
mac.
John Kelly is . a water tender.
H. Clausen, who slipped on boa d
the Merrimac without permission to
take part in the expedition , is a cox
swain of the N ew York.
GUNBOAT MARIETTA SAFE.
Beaches Key West After an Uneventful
Trip of Three Months.
The United States gunboat Marietta,
Commander Simmons, arrived at Key
West early Saturday morning from San
Jose, Cal., which port she left on the
16th of March. The trip was unevent
ful and there was not even a case of
sickness aboard. Much of the voyage
was made in company with the battle
ship Oregon, and the first question of
the Marietta’s officers was as to the
Oregon’s whereabouts, the Marietta
left Rio Janeiro on May 3. The men
on hoard had heard no war news later
than tho bulletin of Rear Admiral
Dewey’s victory at Manilla.
BONDS AND SEIGNIORAGE.
Former In Incorporated In Revenue Hill
anil Latter Will l>e Coined.
The revenue tariff discussion in
congress, and test votes takou on the
principal items of the bill formed the
chief feature of Friday’s news from
Washington.
The bill is still incomplete, but the
bond feature and the seignorage prop
osition have been disposed of. These
have been the principal items of con
tention.
The senate modified the bond pro
vision as it came from the house by
providing for the issue of $300,000,000
instead of $500,000,000.
The bond feature was put in the bill
in the face of the report of the major
ity of the finance committee against it.
The adoption .of this provision, with
its attendant provision for the issue of
certificates of indebtedness, was put in
the bill in lieu of that urged by the
majority of the democrats for the issue
of treasury notes.
The provision for t,lie immediate
coinage of the seigniorage existing in
the silver bullion now in the treasury
—$45,000,000 in all—was put in the
bill by the votes of the democrats and
silver Republicans.
Mr. Aldrich, republican, of Rhode
Island, then pressed the amendment
of the minority of the finance commit
tee providing for the issue of one hun
dred millions of certificates of indebt
edness and three hundred millions of
bonds, to be used exclusively for the
payment of the expenditures of the
war.
After an extended debate, the ques
tion was brought to an issue and by
the decisive vote of 45 to 31 the bond
amendment was incorporated in the
bill as a substitute for the amendment
to issue legal tender notes. The bond
proposition received the votes of
thirty-seven republicans, seven demo
crats and one populist. The democrats
■who voted voted for it were Messrs.
Caffery, Faulkner, Gorman, Gray,
Lindsay, Mitchell aud Murphy and the
populist was Mr. Kyle. No republi
can voted against the issue of bonds,
the votes in opposition to bonds being
cast by twenty-one democrats, five
populists and fivo silver republicans.
Mr. Wolcott, of Colorado, pro
posed the amendment directing the
secretary of the treasury to coin the
silver bullion in the treasury to an
amount of not less than $4,000,000 a
month and to issue silver certificates
against it. After some discussion a
vote was reached and the amendment
was agreed to—48 to 31—several re
publicans voting for it.
SPANISH SPIES IN PRISON.
Suspects Arrested at Tampa and Sent To
Fort McPherson.
Two prisoners who are charged with
being Spanish spies arrived at Fort
McPherson, Atlanta, Ga., under guard
Friday morning. aud
The men are Jose Castellanos
Frank Miller. They were placed under
arrest at Tampa a few days ago aud
have been sent to tho post to await
trial.
Castellanos is a native of Cuba, and
claims to be an ardent sympathizer
with his countrymen. Suspicious cir
cumstances, however, pointed to him
as a man employed by the Spanish
! officials to obtain information. Miller
: i s an Englishman and is alleged to
j have been detected in the act of send
| ing dispatches from Tampa contain
j ing very valuable information intended
f 0 r the enemy,
TO AGAIN URGE AUTONOMY.
Spain May Make Another Effort to rat ify
tlie Insurgents.
A dispatch received at Madrid from
Havana says that in the chamber of
representatives there Senor Gibcrja,
the autonomist leader, has presented a
motion urging the government of
; Cuba to request the insurgents of that
j island ground to that accept the insurgents autonomy themselves on the
1 “must be aware that the country was
n °i r iP e i° r independence,
| .The president of the chamber, the
dispatch adds, declared in a patriotic
speech that the government would en
tertain such a motion.
ASTOR PURCHASING MULES.
They Are Wanted For tlie Battery Be
ing Organized In New York.
A representative of John Jacob
Astor has been in St. Louis for some
j attending the mule market and
hag purc j iasc d 78 mules and 50 horses
{or the battery that Mr. Astor is or
rranixing in New York,
PROMOTION FOR HOBSON.
Gallant Lieutenant Will He Honored By
the Government.
A Washington dispatch says: The
promotion instore for Lieutenant Hob
son, the hero of Santiago, is under con
sideration by the navy department.
Acting Secretary Allen and Commo
dore Hichborn. chief of the bureau of
naval construction, t'ave already talked
over the matter. The department is
desirous of knowing what would be
most acceptable to Hobson himself,
and when that is learned, a recom
mendation will be made to congress,
which will doubtless carry it into
effect without delay.
I
Was a Veritable
Landslide.
Phil Cook Nominated Secretary
of State and Stevens Wins
as Commissioner of
Agriculture.
In every one of the 137 counties in
Georgia the democrats voted Monday
in primary for governor aud state offi
cials, for senators and members of the
legislature, and in many of the coun
ties for members of congress. Ih a
number of counties the nominees for
county offices were also selected. In
a very few there was balloting for su
preme court justices.
The candidates for state officers
were:
For Governor—Allen D. Candler,
Robert L. Berner and Spencer R. At
kinson.
For Secretary of State—Philip Cook
and Mark A. Hardin.
For Comptroller General—William
A. Wright.
For Commissioner of Agriculture—
R. T. Nesbitt aud O. B. Stevens.
For State School Commissioner—G.
R. Glenn.
For Attorney General—J.M.Terrell.
For Prison Commissioner—-J. S.
Turner and J. W. Renfroe.
For Treasurer—W. J. Speer.
Allen D. Candler for governor will
have 254 out of tho 350 votes in the
convention.
The race for secretary of state was
expected to be close, but Mr. Cook
surprised even his most enthusiastic
friends.
That for commissioner of agricul
ture was one hard fought on both
sides, nnd Senator Steven’s nomination
was well won.
The race for prison commissioner
resulted i» a victory for Judge Turner,
tho present incumbent.
There were three contests for seats
in congress. Of the eleven membors
of the house of representatives, eigot
had no opposition for renomination.
These were Messrs. Lester, of the
first district; Griggs, of tho second;
Lewis, of the third; Adamson, of the
fourth; Bartlett, of the sixth; Howard,
of the eighth; Fleming, of the tenth,
and Brantley, of the eleventh.
There was talk of opposition to
J udge Griggs and Congressman Lewis
—indeed, candidates announced them
selves against each of these, but they
soon withdrew.
The three contests were in the fifth,
seventh and ninth districts.
In the fifth district Congressman
Livingston was opposed by Mr. Charles
I. Branan. There was a vote for con
gress iu each of tho counties in the
district except Fulton, which acted in
April, giving its six votes to Congress
man Livingston. The result of Mon
day’s contests insures tho ronominn- present
congressman unanimous
tion, he carrying all the counties.
In tho seventh Congressman Mad
dox had as liis opponent Judge J.
Watt Harris, of Bartow county. Tho
race was a spirited one. The result
is the renomination of Judge Maddox,
who has secured a good majority of
the votes in the congressional conven
tion.
The lace in the ninth was in many
respects the most hotly contested of
the three. Both Congressman Tate
and his opponent, Solicitor General
Howard Thompson, made an active
canvass of the district, and while hut
little news from the campaign has
found its way into the newspapers, it
has been a hot one. The reports show
that Congressman Tate carried the day.
Tlie Totals.
Candler ... 254
Berner ... 60
Atkinson .. 34
Cook...... 214
Hardin.... 72
Stevens ... 190
Nesbitt.... 106
Turner.. . .. .. 206
Renfroe .. . . 58
There seems to be universal satis
faction at the method of conducting
the primaries throughout the state,
and particularly does the plan of hav
ing all counties act upon the same day
find hearty endorsement.
This is the second time in tho his
tory of the state that the democratic
primaries have been held in all the
counties on the same day.
NO, 21.
SAMPSON CAHI.ES LONG
Hoffiirtlliig the Sinking of the Merrimao
‘In Santiago Harbor.
The navy department posted at
Washington .Saturday afternoon tho
following bulletin, containing a dis
patch from Admirrl Sampson:
“Mole, Hayti, June 4. —Succeeded
in sinking Merrimao in the channel off
Santiago at 4 p. m., June 3. This
was carried out most gallantly under
the command of Naval Constructor
Hobson and seven men. Ry a flag of
truce from the Spanish admiral, Cer
vera, sent in recognition of their
bravery. ] am informed all are prison
ers of war, two slightly wounded.
“Request authority to approve ex
change if possible between these and
tho prisoners at Atlanta. Six of the
Spanish squadron in the harbor of
Santiago unable to avoid being cap
tured or destroyed.
(Signed) “Sampson.”
The action iu sinking the Merrimao
is applauded at the navy department
as a vorv brilliant strategic move. It
is the opinion of naval officers that
now that the entrance to the harbor is
thus effectively blocked, a couple of
monitors with a swift cruiser and tivo
or three small torpedo or gunboats
will be sufficient to guard the en
trance, while Schley and Sampson can
go along to convoy the troops to Porto
Rico and elsewhere. In the engineer
ing department it is said that it would
be impossible for the Spanish fleet to
attempt to clear the channel of the
wreck of the Merrimao, as a few of
our vessels stationed outside the har
bor could shell the Spanish fleet and
compelHhem to retire. It is said it
would take several weeks to raise an
obstruction such as that caused by the
hull af the Merrimao.
ALL CABLES ARE CUT.
General Blanco Has at Last Been Wholly
Isolated.
It developed at Washington for the
first time Saturday that an important
cable cutting expedition, projected by
General Greely, chief of the signal ser
vice, and in charge of the strategic su
pervision of cable and telegraph lines,
had met with success, and that Gen
eral Blanco was probably isolated from
the outside world, particularly from
the Spanish authorities at Madrid.
The advices received were inde
pendent of those by the Associated
Press dispatch boat via Kingston, hut
they bore out the dispatches aud gave
additional details. They show that
the French cable, from Sautigo to
Hayti, was interrupted at 6:30 Friday
night, and lie messages have passed
over that line since then.
Word has not yet come as to the in
terruption of tho two British cables,
leaving Cuba by way of Jamaica, hut
General Greely is satisfied that these
have also been cut. He conferred
with Secretary Allen at noon Satur
day, and tho two exchanged congratu
lations on the indications that this
much desired purpose of isolating
Blanco had been accomplished at last.
CAPTAIN GRIDLEY DEAD.
Commanded the Olympia in tho Brilliant
Naval Fight at, Manilla.
Captain Charles V. Gridley, com
mander of the Olympia, and one of
tlie heroes of the brilliant victory at
Manilla, is dead. The announcement
of his death was received by the nuvy
department late Sunday afternoou in
a cablegram from Paymaster Galt, of
the navy, dated Kobe, Japan, June 4,
and directed to Secretary Long.
As the commander of Admiral Dew
ey's splendid flagship and one of the
American’s chief advisers, Captain
Gridley achieved distinction at the
battle of Manila hay and added to his
laurels by winning high praise from
his superiors in the service for dis
tinguished gallantry and ability. It
was not known for several weeks after
the engagement that Captain Gridley
had suffered from it, and even now
the precise nature of his trouble is not
disclosed.
FIRE DEVASTATES WALIIALA.
South Carolina Town Loses Seventeen
Business Houses and Masonic Temple.
Flames completely destroyed the
business portioa of Walhala, S. C.,
Saturday evening. The fire started in
tho store of M. W. Wright and rapidly
spread until twenty-three houses were
destroyed. Tho Masonic temple,post
office aud seventeen business houses
were burned. Also livery stables and
hank and drug store of Darby’s. Loss
between $40,000 and$50,000;insurauce
about $13,000.
GORDON RECEIVES COMMISSION.
Georgia Culls on tho President and Thanks
Him for Honor.
General W. W. Gordon, of Georgia,
arrived in Washington Friday morn
ing, and at once communicated with
his senators and at 11 o’elock senators
Bacon and Clay, with the Georgia
brigadier, called at the war depart
ment.
General Gordon then called with
Senators Bacon and Clay at the white
house and thanked the president for
his appointment and spoke of the great
honor he deemed it. The president
said he had only done his duty to the
as he saw it in making the ap
pointment.