Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-09-20
CAPT. CLARk''S!; VOYAGE.
Tells the Story Of the Oregon's
Long Journey. 3

Long Journey. II.
He CANE IN AT THE DEATH.
a tisEo = Thinks Cervers Committed .
Grave Blunder States That the spsaish
d Omoers who Blew Up Their ships For
"a ssited tho Right 70 He Protected.
1.-THE Oregon's voyage doesn't seem
great to me. " said Captain Clark, former
commander Of the Oregon, in . recent
interview, Though 1t became memora:
DE because Of its opportune completion
inst at time that the Oregon was
1seded to strengthen the north Atlantic
squadron in order to impart confidence
.t home. That the Oregon should have
sailed ii, 600 miles to be present at the
obstruction of Admiral Cervera's feet
md got there in time is really interest
ing and curious.
I II was appointed to the ship ON
March II, and we sailed two days lat
o. She had been on the drydock at
Beaverton only short time before, and
ler hull was thoroughly clean. From
stage to stage tic coal capacity Of the
ship determined the length of the run.
The weather, except in the strait Of
Magellan, was excellent. The run dow II
the Pacific coast need not be dwelr
upon. Nine hundred tons Of coal carried
rs to Callao. No trouble occurred with
the engines, and the same may be said
q the entire voyage. The incident Of
this run of 1000 knots was fire in
the port coal bunker. The fire was dug
eut and quenched. It was tcrritle or
deal for the :Osn and period Of great
anxiety to all on board. Several acts Of
real heroism were displayed in this
hazardous fight with the flames.
: Leaving .Callao ON April 2, we
scanned due south at an H. knot speed
This was sometimes slightly increased,
until the evening of the 10th. when
Port lamar, at the western end of the
strait Of Magellan, was sighted. We
anchored for the night on ledge Of
rock that broke from 43 to SO fathoms
IN depth in a ships breadth. It was the
deepest anchorage $500 feet) that ha, .
ever known to hold on rocky surface.
Here a terrible squall struck US which
lasted throughout the night.
ION reaching Rio Janeiro had Teen
notified by our consul that war was o..
snd could not afford to take any
chances / steamed into the harbor tw ,
miles above the usual anchorage for
war vessels, giving to my ship an iso-
lated position, SO that might be JUST.
fed in regarding the approach of any
strange craft as hostile act. The Ut
most vigilance was employed day and
night. Men were kept constantly at the
rapid fire gums. A searchlight and
patrol boats watched the water after
aightfall. The risk was too great for
me to take any chances, and, although
she Brazilians acted all right aud were
sven generous in not holding us to the
- hour rule recognized under interna-
tional law, I could not be sure OF the
sitter absence of cranks or Spanish SYM
pathizers.
"several long cablegrams were o..
changed between the government and
myself. Nothing whatever in the way
Of instructions was issued that could
hamper me or in any way abridge my
responsibility for bringing the Oregon
home. We sailed from Rio on May 4.
decided when we had been at sea a
little while to leave the Buffalo (for-
nerly Nictheroy) and Marietta to shift
for themselves. They were SO slow that
! feared the Oregon might be late in
arriving where she was most needed. I
Isft these ships of Cape FREQ, 100
miles above Rio, after signaling them,
Come to Bahia, or run ashore if attack.
ID by overwhelming force Irsached
BAHIA on the sth, but we were told to
come on. We sailed next morning,
md this run to Barbados was the most
thrilling Of the entire voyage. We
steamed absolutely without q light.
Indeed the entire strip from Sandy
point to Jupiter inlet was lightless
voyage. In pitohlike darkness we drove
ahead at our highest seeing
lights many times, but always avoid
ing the ships that bore them.
We were out Of court, We had no
right Of way without light. Even il
we met vessel on our port we gave
way. r. gt. - i. %&S d = =
Might and day tho men stood at the
guns Not for q single moment was
vigilance relaxed. The. strain on the
men was terrible. For four days at q
time hammooks were never strung.
Watch and watch about the men lay
beside the guns sound asleep, while the
men on duty stood silently above them.
All the lookouts were doubled and
changed with unusual frequency.
Barbados was reached just before
daylight May Is, and after rushing $50
tons OF coal aboard we sailed the same
evening. Still the orders read, Come
en- From our consul I learned that
Cervera's fleet was at Martinique, just
to the north of us. This feet had been
extolled for speed and lighting quail
ties, am not q rash man. was not