St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-06-22

Montpelier, vermont, WIN says tuas liz
is authorized by the Hon. Charles Dewey
of Montpelier to say that the Admiral is
a loyal COMMUNICATE of the Protestant
Episcopal church.
The Admiral's politics have been as
much discussed as his religion, with the
result OF failure to discover that he has
any politics. But, after all, if he doesn't
know whether he is democrat or re-
publican he is no worse off than many
thousands Of his countrymen ashore
Harper's Weekly.
Letter From an Officer on the Puritan.
The most interesting and accurate in
formation from the seat OF war OCCASION
ally finds its way into print through the
private letters OF naval officers to their
home. Such letter from an officer on
the monitor Puritan has been printed by
the Baltimore Sun, the letter being the
date of May 90 What is said concern
ing the detenses OF Havana and the
strength of the insurgents by this OBJ
server deserves to be quoted with some
fullness -
"If we ever do have to lombard Ha-
vana, it will be no easy matter now to
silence the forts. Last Sunday | had
good chance in the afternoon during my
watch to examine the place through the
glasses. We were about eight miles
broad off the entrance. / counted five
forts to the left of the entrance. not
counting Moro castle, a ring Of sand
and earthworks behind the town, aud
four or five heavy batteries to the west
ward. Havana has been strongly forth
fed. Close along shore, several miles on
each side, the batteries are protected by
tons and tons OF sand, the best protect
ion in the world. They must have had
10000 soldiers and workman throwing
up these hills Of sand. The guns within
them are 10, IL and 16-inch. They cover
all approaches up to four miles distance,
and some of our gunboats have gotten
within range. Some OF their captains
told me that shells as big as footballs fell
within fifty yards of their vessels at four
miles before they got up speed and turned
tall talked to an insurgent captain
few days ago. He had wrigged through
the Spanish lines about Cardenas. He
has been in the bush two years, and
looked like Swede, but is Cuban. He
said the insurgents had $500 men about
Cardenas, 10000 about Havana, and
10000 men all told, but they are short
OF arms, and especially ammunition.
Before battle, he said, they serve out
three rounds per man-two to fire and
one to keep for tomorrow. They want
the 5C-calber bullet that will stop
man, and not small caliber Mauser."
Monitors have been doing cruising,
but are not intended for it. Their speed is
very low, carry little COAL and in this hot
weather are regular sweatb boxes. The
temperature in my state room is 80 de-
grees to 95 degrees, which is cool COM
pared with that Of the warrant officers,
where it is never below los degrees at
sea, or between decks, where it is often
125 degrees. In the engine-room 146 de-
grees to 100 degrees is the rule. 1t is re-
markable that only two men are today
OH the sick list out of ZIG. The men are
standing it well, but the doctors are
worrying about the future, as the strain
and heat are getting worse as the war
continues and summer is approaching.
When working the turrets | had to strip
to undershirt and dungaree pants, and
the men strip to bare backs. In action,
with guns heating up it will be no cold
storage room under the steel turrets,
heated by the sun pouring upon them
outside. Everybody is in good spirits,
except on account OF not getting at the
enemy. This is cha6ng us all. The crew
and officers ofthis ship, like those ofevery
other ship in the fleet, are red hot for
scrap and are envious Of every ship or
tug that occasionally has brush"
The Oregon and her naker.
The battleship Oregon is the work of
an honest man. She was built at the
Union Iron Works, San Francisco, Cal,
by Irving M. Scott, who has Just been
honored with an invitation from the Car
to visit him in st. Petersburg to discuss
the construction of several vessels for the
Russian Navy. The Oregon is America s
unrivalled battleship. Her marvellous
journey OF II ,499 miles in 81 days is an
unequalled record for battleship. Her
continuous run of 1900 knots from San
Francisco to Callao has never been equal
led. Her run of 24S4 knots at an aver.
age speed of Is knots an hour is a record
untouched by ship OF her class, as, also,
is her run of 1855 knots in 10 hours.
And yet from this gigantic journey,
which. broke four world records she
came into port as perfect as when she
started. Mr.. Scott was born 81 years
ago, Dec. %, 1887, at Hebron Mills,
baltimore county, Md. His father, the
Rev. ohm Scott, of an old Pensylvanian
Quaker family, and his mother Elizabeth
Llttig, gave him priceless heritage
integrity, passion for industry, and
truth telling. This explains at the be.
ginning why he did not build his govern.
ment a worthless ship, with detective
boilers and rotton armor.
Dispatch from Dewey.
The navy department at Washington
has received the following from Admiral
. Dewey:
Cavite, une 12 via Hong Kong, June Z
There is little change in the situation
since my telegram of June 3. Insurgents
continue hostilities and have PRACTICAL,