Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-24

ed up with red lead and paint on the our
Sid In spots which have made her look
somewhat battered after her long season
OF active duty. Her cylinders have not
been opened since she began her Ions
voyage, and 1t is desired to look into them
ana see what the condition of the pistons
Is before she starts on another trip. even
OF O. Few thousand miles-for the Oregon's
men have come to regard a journey across
the Atlantic as only a short trip.
one reason that the Oregon has been al
Z ways ready for whatever turned up and
able to do SO much without any over
hauling or repairs is that no saltwater
has been used in her boilers. Another
reason Is the common spirit animating
oflcers and men, a spirit that makes
every one willing TO do any one's work
SO long as the ship has anything TO do.
The Chief Engineer has not permitted
any saltwater to be used in the boilers.
He is willing to go thirsty and do with
out fresh water generally, II necessary,
but insists that the boilers shall have
fresh water. The only saltwater that
has entered them got in by reason of a
leak In the bilge pumps one day. 1t was
only a little, amounting to a fraction OF
/ per cent, practically nil as far as leaving
salt In the boilers is concerned. Conse-
quently the Oregon's boilers can do to-
day at II minute all that they could do
when new. This is how Is has come
about that the Oregon is jokingly called
in the fleet a cruiser, owing 10 the alaori-
ty with which, when she first came here,
she started off after possible prizes, even
chasing newspaper dispatch boats, as she
was not familiar with their appearance.
and to the speed at which she put after
the Spaniards. especially the Colon, on
last Sunday.
One OF the things the Colon's captain
found hard to bear, hard ven among the
hardships of that fatal day, SO hard that
he felt impelled to speak Of II after his
surrender, was the fact that the Oregon
not only chased him, but chased him sue
cessfully; chased him until her great l3-
inch guns she was able to send two such
shots alongside him as convinced him OF
the futility of further running and in
duced him TO fire that pathetically elo-
quent gun TO leeward, the accompaniment
to the lowering OF the Colon's fag-the
last shot Of the great naval battle. He had
believed himself 20 be on a fast cruiser.
To have tho cruiser Brooklyn after him
his class.
But to be chased By a battleship!" he
said to his captors. 1t was too much,
enough to break him all up had he not
been all broken TIP already.
Two incidents OF that chase after the
show the spirit that has made the
.regon's feats possible. After the Vizcaya
had been disposed Of, Is miles from MORO,
1t was a long run of Is or 80 miles after |
the Colon before the Oregon got within
firing distance of her. The big battleship
was under forced draught and was being
to the utmost. F1remen were
down below, and the engineer
came up to Captain Clark and said:
N"Can't you fire just one gum
whats up?" the Captain asked.
1.-The firemen are laying down, exhaust
I'd. If they hear q gun n think we're
n action again they'll al be up in an in
All they needed was that Indictment
hat their ship was In action, and all were
to the full again. II happened
hat just as the engineer came up TO
he Captain the Oregon had got to a po-
'ition whore. Captain Clark thought he
ould reach the spaniard with effect, and
he big gun was fred which marked the
BEGINNING Of the end OF the Colon and the
fleet.
The other incident came to notice after
III was over. The second engineer and
wo acknowledgements came up to the
eek as begrimed as stokers. They had
Torked shovelIing coal and siashing the
themselves. the second engineer
to with q will. though in charge
1 the time.
The Oregon fired a patriotic number of
hots in last Sundays battle. There
1ere just Its Of them. and her 6-inch
uns are not rapid-fring guns either.