The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-16
A HERO MANNED THE CAMERA
The Oregon's Feather" Snapped in
the Face Of Death.
From the San Francisco Examiner.

Jhe ace OF OsaIhs
From the san Francisco Examiner.
A hero has already faced the big battle
ship Oregon while death seemed riding on
her PROV. He is a mild-mannered pho
tographer but in the background of a
negative he secured the other day on the
bay is a story covering about three sec
onds of time which adds heroism TO the
possibilities of his peaceful art. This
photographer, expecting TO risk death a
second later, steadied his camera ard
clicked the shutter an instant before a
disaster was averted by hairs breadth.
The story of how the tug Rockaway,
with a photographer on board, barely
missed being run down by the Oregon
while rushing through the water on
speed trip last Wednesday, was told next
day in the papers. IL was stated then
that the photographer had missed the
picture he was there TO take when the ex-
element and danger following the misun-
derstanding about signals occurred, but
in fact the picture was successfully
flashed upon the camera in front of the
rushing man-of-war.
The Oregon was making preliminary
trial trips over straight measured
course, and arrangements were made to
photograph the waves thrown from her
bow from all points of view, TO be care
fully studied by her builders and by ma
val experts.
ACROSS THE oREGoN's BOW.
o. v. LANCE, the Off cial photographer
of the Union Iron Works, on board the
little tug Rockaway, had taken several
side and quarter views of the speeding
ship, but one was wanted showing the
monster feather" rolled up by the ship
as nearly as possible from a point squarely
in front. MIR. LANCE wanted to cross the
bow at 100 yards TO get as close view as
possible but Capt. Jensen of the tug
would risk but 200 yards II was ar
! ranged that the tug should shoot across
the Oregon's bow as she came at full
4 speed, an arrangement of which Capt.
Goodall Of the Oregon had no knowledge.
When the time for action came, accord
ing 10 stories by men on both tug and
man-of-war, the Rockaway was a short
! distance in front Of the oncominR ship GO
ing about six knots an hour and headed
at an angle across the Oregon's course.
On the tug besides Mr. LANCE was Capt.
| Jensen, the engineer, one deck hand and
| George Ratio of the Union Iron Works
with a camera. Ratio snapped his camera
/ a moment before the real danger was ap-
! parent. The Oregon gave two blasts Of
! her whistle TO tell the tug that IL would
| pass to starboard. The Oregon was com
! ing like an express train at speed OF
/ tlEHJCtn hnDbos duu bSSOuuo WbED pAI-
| ciOus
Capt. Jensen saw two things: He
| could not obey the Oregon's signal, for II
| he tried to avoid crossing the Oregon's
bow at the speed he was going he would
collide with the ship, and he realized in
an instant that in arranging the risky ex-
pertinent he had miscalculated the posi-
| bilities He acted instantly and with q
cool head, and sounding one whistle TO an
nounce that he would cross in front Of the
Oregon, signaled the engineer for full
speed and quickly steered at the angle
most likely TO enable the tug 10 avoid the
Oregon's stem. He must beat the Oregon
or 90 down. The vessels were almost TO-
gether, and IL was too late for the Oregon
10 swerve either way
WHEN LANCE TOOK THE PICTURE.
on the tug the sense Of imminent dan
ger was overwhelming. The tug could
not back nor swerve, and IL was not yet
across the Oregon's course. The speeding
monster presented an inspiring spectacle
from a point Of safety. but 10 those
squarely in front the death blow seemed
| inevitable. Her prov Of steel rose
| twenty feet 10 the decks. High above
that lowered a mass Of steel turrets and
! ponderous superstructures. The big