noon
Nothing more was said . The glory of the deed was overshadowed by the supposed fate of the gallant volunteer crew . The `` Yankee '' steamed in to a position designated by the flagship , and the captain went aboard to pay his respects to Admiral Sampson . A Spanish tug , flying a flag of truce , which had emerged from the harbor at noon , met one of our tugs , also flying a flag of truce , and almost immediately a string of signals went up to the signal yard of the `` New York . '' Then came such a burst of cheers and whistling and tossing of hats from every ship in the fleet that it seemed as if every officer and sailor in Sampson 's squadron had suddenly gone daft . Like wildfire , the glorious news spread -- Hobson and his men were safe ! The tug from the harbor had brought an officer sent by Admiral Cervera himself with a message stating that the brave naval constructor and all his crew had been captured alive and were now prisoners in Morro Castle .