St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-09-21
VOYAGE OF THE OREGON.

Julius Chambers in New York WORLDLY
"What should Ccrvera have done|
ale should have stayed in Santiago
harbor forever rather than come out
the way he did" was the solemn re-
mark of Capt Clark lately of the bat
tleship Oregon, recently the Meet
was fortress. With its guns he could
nave driven the United States army
away from shore until such time as u
could have mounted ten-inch guns TO
sink his ships. He was master OF the
situation and should have hung on
until every last member OF his SHIPS
crews had died of absolute starvation!
Then would he have been real hero
an eternal figure in history.
.NThink of the chances in his FAVOR!
Yellow fever might have come and
decimated the American ranks. A gaze
might have broken loose on the Car
thbean seas that would have scattered
our ships to the four winds of heaven,
after which Cervera could have sailed
away without opposition and returned
to his nItlNe lduu uhuCiN"'N''
The story of a great achievement
not less great because modestly toid'
Is that of Captain Charles IL. CLARK
recently in command of that wonder
full fighting machine, the battleship
Oregon.
Captain Clark is large, well built
man. 5 feet inches in height, and
tips the scales at 200 pounds. His
face lights up with a cordial smile
whenever he meets anybody he knows
and he is equally affable to strangers.
1.-THE Oregon's voyage doesn't seem
great to me- began Captain Clark,
Though it became memorable because
of its opportune completion just at a
time that the Oregon was needed to
strengthen the North Atlantic squad
ron in order to impart confidence at
home. That the Oregon should have
sailed $4,000 miles to be present at the
destruction of Admiral Cervera
fleet. and got there in time, is really
interesting and curious.
81 was appointed to the ship or
March II, and we sailed two days lat
er. She had been OIL the dry deck a
Brewerton only short while before
and her hull was thoroughly clean
From stage to stage the coal capacity
of the ship determined the length O
the run. The weather. except in TN
straits of Magellan. was excellent. In
RIM down the poc'r coast wood not y
uwelt upon. Nine hundred tons OF Goa
carried us to Callao. No trouble oc
Cured with the engines, and the SAM
may be said of the entire voyage
The incident of this run OF 1000 knot
was a fire in the port coal bunker
The fire was dug out and quenchec
1t was a terrible ordeal for the me
and a period of great anxiety to all O
board. Several acts of real heroisl
were displayed In this hazardous hgn
with the flames.
"When Sandy Point was left benin
we all realized the possible dangers
front of u.s." continued Captain Clarl
"The Oregon conveyed the Marriott
to Rio without incident. And in thu
harbor the Nictheroy lay at ancho
about to be added to the America
navy. The Brazilian government wa
very courteous. 1t may have bee
owing to the fact that the purchase G
the Nictheroy had not been completes
There was the Telnerario! Detcctln
her presence at once, l ordered II
Marietta to guard the harbor mou1
and told her captain to send bot
on board the Spanish craft and serN
notice upon the Temerario that If 81
came within one mile of the Gregg
our guns, big and little, would ope
on her without notnce.
ION reaching port | had been moi