Middletown transcript., 1898-05-28
WAR ITEMS.

kuO lE5b N6W Jersey h6Blm6ut
scratched their names on one Of the
bronze doors in the capitol. These
doors are the pride Of Washington.
They cost $65 900. The soldiers iden-
titled themselves SO plainly that they
were easily apprehended; but a lenient
magistrate let them off with fine OF
S. apiece.
The whole country is 80 hungry for
war news that it is forced to accept all
sorts of fakes. The administration,
meanwhile, wisely refuses to make its
plans known.
The rush which is said to have at
tended the sending Of troops and am
munition to Admiral Dewey seems to
have been spelled with lower case r.
Doting parents are naming their off
springs after all the leading officers of
the present war. One has even been
named Walter Sampson Schley Dewey
Cullen. IL has been remarked of him,
if he tries to live up to all those given
names his patriotic pap has bestowed
upon him, what task it will bel
Those who lead the wrong end of their
classes at the coming June commence
ment will be relieved to know that
General Fittzhugh Lee stood forty
fourth in class of forty-nine men,
bers at West Point. Kennebec Jour-
nal.
Spain's difficulty in landing aid at
blockaded Manila, in advance Of the
supplies and men which have left San
Francisco to relieve Dewey, are APP
parent when it is remembered that
from Cadiz to Mauila via Cape of
Good Hope is about thirteen thousand
miles, and via Cape Horn sixteen thou
sand. The shortest route, via the Suez
Canal, is eight thousand three hundred
and fifty FIVE miles. Against these
distances the United States has to cross
but sixthous and three hundred miles
from San Francisco to Manila.
The Spanish feet is mainly COM
posed of ships that pass in the night
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Up to date, Spain's armada has been
more invisible than invincible.
Lake Herald.
But for the splendid work Of Dewey
at Manila, the war against Spain
would have been so far barren of re-
suits. The unwisdom Of going into
war unprepared, even with fourth
rate power has been clearly demons
trated. Be sure you are ready then
go ahead, is scarcely less important
than to be sure you are right before
making the start.
No battleship of the modern type has
hitherto made so long and interesting
q voyage as that Of the Oregon, which
began at San Francisco on March 10
and ended at Jupiter, on the east coast
of Florida, on May "a. Though her
destination is only about twenty-five
hundred miles from her starting point,
she has sailed nearly fourteen thousand
miles, making an average of about two
hundred and fifty miles day for more
than two months together. The route
of the Oregon was down the Pacific
coast to the Strait of Magellan, stop
ping to. coal at Callao, in Peru. At
the Strait she was joined by the gun
boat Marietta, whose speed is less than
that Of the Oregon, and together they
raD up the Atlantic coast to Rio. Here
The Nictheroy joined them and they
were next reported at Bahia. AT this
point the perilous part Of the journey
began, since there was reason to sus=
pect that the Spanish feet might un-
dertake to intercept them. Captain
Clark having learned at Bahia that
Cervera was in the Caribbean, took
the extreme outside course, sailing
around the whole West Indian archi-
pelsgo and coming in above the Ba-
hanas. He thus avoided the danger
Of encounter with more numerous
forces and has delivered his charge |
safe and sound, a fine achievement of |
seamanship that adds still another |
honor to our navy. The. Oregon is
great addition to the Atlantic fleet |
and if any opportunity occurs will |
make her presence felt. The only
drawback to the pleasure which her
arrival gives is the regret that she
started too soon to be sent to the Phil
ppines, where she is m ore needed.