New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-02
FLEET ENGINEERS HONORED
ENTERTAINED BY TIE ENGINEERS CLUB
AT ITS HOME IN FIFTH-AvE
ENGINEER M1LrloAx TELLS THE STORY OF THE

: oREGON'S FAMOUS RACE no THE EAST
The engineer officers Of Admiral SIMPSONS and
Admiral Schey's fleets entertained at dinner
last night by the Engineers Club. at tho latters
clubhouse, No 374 Ffth-ave. The guests Chief
Engineer John l.. Hannum. OF the Brooklyn Chief
Engineer a. Il. Bates. Of the Texas; Chief Engineer
r w Migan, OF the Oregon: Chief Engineer
Charles w Rae. Of the Iowa: Chief Engineer W.
p. Rayiey. Of tha Massachusetts,: Passed Assistant
Engineer y. VI. Bennett. Of the NewYork; Passed
Assistant Engineer X. McAlpin Of the Texas;
Passed Assistant Engineer Patton Of the New
York; PISSED Assistant Engineer Leahy Of the
Oregon: Passed Assistant Engineer Walter Fall. OF
The New-York and Chief Engineer Alexander Hen
derson. United States Navy. retired. Of Washing
ton. The dning-room was decorated with the Ma
tional colors and many palms Two orchestrns in
adjoining rooms alternatcd In furnishing some ap-
proprate musical selections Because Of the I'M
comfortably high temperature speeches were dis-
pensCd with
President John Thompson. OF the club was the
chairman OF the evening. The dinner was arranged
by Passed Assistant Engineer j. c. Kafer. United
States Navy. retired. the chairman Of the House
Committee. During the Cuban war Engineer kafcr
was called back into the service. and was detailed
10 supervise the construction OF the torpedo-boat
Bailey. at Morris Heights He was assisted In his
work OF arranging the dinner by other members OF
the House Committee.
Others presen. were W. w Redding vice-presi-
dent of the Morgan Iron Works; T. y. Ely. o. the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company; Major Joseph NJ
Knapp, commander Of the Knapp Battery; John
Fritz. Of the Bethlehem Iron and Steel WORKS: j.
L. Buck. chief engineer Of the East River Bridge
Commission; S w Baldwin. vice-president OF the
Pennsylvania Steel Company: G. +. Weed. presi-
dent OF the Morgan Iron Works: w. IL. Bailey
OF The American Tube Works &. NJ. Wales. OF the
Cleveland Forge and Iron Company; b. H. warren
vicc-presidcnt Of the Westinghouse Company; H.
G. Prout Of THE Railway Gazette Colonel II. n
Stevens Of IIoboken: Ii. T Scott president OF inc
Union Iron Works; Colonel II. c. Meyer Nj l.
Davidson T. II Wells Charles NJ Everest and
W. II. Fletcher.
Although il was announced that there would he
no speeches chief Ergirec- Mgan OF the ore
gon was importupcd to Tell Of the famous run OF
the Oregon from San Francisco 20 Key west. ana
he was prevailed upon 10 give ar account or the
engineering force OF the vessel during the TRIP.
when we left San Francisco with orders FOR
Callao" said Engineer Mligan mo one on board
had any idea tina. the oregon would make the Tip
10 the East coast. In the messroom oc's were
made that at Callao We would find orders taxing
| rs back 20 San Francisco But when we got 10
Caao We got orders TO come 10 the East cohs'-
AZ least the order said Ric-as quickly as possinc'
We found coal barges ready for us. ana aiter
some slight repairs 20 the engines started away
Al times machnists worked twenty-lour an"
twenty-six consecutive hours, and ms the engineer
force of the Oregon on n peace footing. that
is about three-fo Of what we needed In time
OF wa all were greatly overworked on the trip.
'At one port Captain Clark told me he wanted 20
make the next port In ten hours NJ fourteen KNOTS
| an hour told him didn't think the mon couid
stand the strain. Soon afterward fouhn 'he'o
WAS meeting among the assistant engineers they
| ,ne,stinq that .hcy could make the port In ten
| hours and 40 did. The men stood three watches
| al the engines and TWO in the hreroom' MoS' OF
| our men are Pacific slope men. and they wear
| about the same kind Of clothes the year arouhu
out there In tho tropics we suffered severely rom
| the heat. although the hreroom Is usuai'' 1T ~"
| degrees all the time.
Getting around into the Atlantic. we heard mat
| the Spanish torpedo-boat Temerario was "a'''ns
| for us II had mot her she would nave mao inc
| advantage Of knowing whether war had peeh
! declared and so Captain Clark decided that II s'e
| came anywhere US We would act as II war
| had he.n declared and We knew all about H.
| Applause)
| AT Rio we heard nrst that war Ind been do
clared and that Dewey Ind met the Spaninrds' " .
| also got a telegram from the Navy Department
| saying that four Spanish cruisers and three sea-
| going torpedo-b boats had left Spain and perhaps
were looking for us The telegram said thnt II they
met US the Department hoped we would whip
them II seemed 10 me good deal TO hope , tor;
| his plans If we met that fleet. lie meant to turn
for the oregon M Saye os Of
| bring 10 bear as'ern. Captain Clark said he meant
TO strng 6ae.n nn Then Tie as,es cruisers and
! then 90 back to fght Cervera himself think tho
| occurrences Of July 2 showed his good Judgment.
for not all the Spanish feet had the same speed,
and from wha: ! saw then think MS plan wouid
| have succeeded . IT,
us 10 communicate with the Navy Department ior
twenty-four hours after our arrival so we left Tor
| XIV Wos, II we ia hghtng trim. and 10
| Hampton Roads II needed repairs The mex,
| day we were al Key West You know all about
| the bonn ha rdr and the battle OF July B. We
| did the best could. ana got through az SOON Ms
| we could. 49,, -, 49,. l.,
| ITO show YOU what sort Of ship the Oregon Is
TIL ell Won that there was not a spcck OF salt In her
boilers after the run. Usually the condensers leak
little bit and salt water gets into the boilers ana
| evaporates leaving the salt. but there was no
| euch leakage aboard the oregon. The Workman
| shio OF the vessel the foundation OF our sue
| Chief Fngineer Milligan also told OF the coal
| used and how he kent extra bunkers ready Tor
| an emergency At San Francisco the oregon
| loaded coal which made i20 knots 70 the ton where
| The chief engineer expected TO make but OF 80
| knots Some 81 this coal was put In bunkors that
| emptied directly into the nrcroom without much
| handling other coal obtained on the Atlantic
| made but two and a fraction knots a ton on
| Iulv there was OF that Frisco coal In those
| eesy bunkers and In fifteen minutes the oregon
| Obtained her maximum speed. There - some on
| hoard vet Engineer MilliRan added
| Whom the orchestra played The starr panRlen
| Danncr' every sang and with such spirit
| the, there were flushed faces and sparkling eyes
| among the diners There were cheers Tor Shicf
| Engineer Milnean and then for the other Officers
| OF the other ships