The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-27
THE OREGON,s TRIP

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THE OREGON'S, TRIP
or Over 10 900 nIiiea-Csp,. Clark Ex.
psctod to Meet tho spsnisrds In the
Straits OF Mag elinn- -BattleshIp In Good
Trim and Crew Well and Anxious for q
Fight.
KEY WEST, Fla. May t2s.-captain
Chase Clark and other officers Of the
Oregon. came ashore at 10 o'clock and
reported all well on board and the ship
in good condition. & .ii
The Oregon left San Francisco on
March 10. arrived at Callao on April
4.left there on April and passed Sandy
Point on April q, arriving at Rio ia
neiro on April 80. The battleship reach
ed Bahia on May and touched at
Barbados on May 1s. At the latter
place the warship was quarantined. but
she was only detained one day. The bat
tleship arrived of Jupiter light on May
"a and then communicated with Wash
ington. IS
The Oregon picked up the cruiser Ma
rietta and the dynamite cruiser. Meth
eroy between Rio Janeiro and Bahia,
but She parted company with them az
ter few hundred miles.
Captain Clark said the crew kof the
Oregon had suffered much from the
heat in passing twice through the trop-
les. ~
a9"All the way along" he added, 1--WE
were wondering where the Spaniards
were. and we never ascertained that
fact until we reached here"
DO you know now?"t Captain Clark
was asked. 81 "a - &
5S.ewell." he replied. 81 imagine we can
make avery accurate guess. The Ore
gon will remain here for ORDERS
The Oregon ;coaled four times on her
trip, at Callao, Sandy Point, Rio janet
70, and Barbados, and reached here
with plenty. OF coal and water on board.
The first news the officers and crew Of
the Oregon had of the Manila victory
was at Rio Janelro, where Captain Clark
received telegram from Washington.
A On leaving the Barbadoes, the Oregon
sailed almost directly north, going to
the north OF Porto Rico about one hun
dred and fifty miles. The northerly,
course was continued until the Berml-
das were sighted, when she sailed for;
the east coast oe Florida. Captain
Clark explains that the reason for go-
ing to Jupiter inlet Instead OF putting In
at Key West was to enable the Oregon
to be ready to so either to Key West or
Hampton Roads in short order after
getting information from Washington.
Captain Clark had no official knowl-
edge Of the: situation after leaving Rio
JaQeiro on April 30. During the entire
trip the crew expected momentarily to
meet the Spaniards. Only once. how
ever. was there call TO arms. This
was shortly after midnight on leaving
Rio Janeiro. AS the Oregon was
ploughing through the black equatorial
sea, dark object was discovered
ahead. Tho call to quarters was
sounded, the men rolled out OF their
berths with the enthusiasm OF boys on
n circus day and almost Instantly ey-
cry gun was manned. The Oregon left
her course, and circled around her black
pursuer, only to find II a harmless bark
instead Of d Spanish warship., s@E
Back to their bcrths crept the men
with mutterings OF disappointment and
disgust.
At Rio Janeiro Captain Clark was told
that the Spanish torpedo boat Temer-
arlo was following him. This report
gave new interest to the trip for, day
and night, but at the next port OF call
ne was informed that the Temerario
had gone into dry dock ut Rio Janeiro
Just after the departure of the Oregon.
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The cruise through the Straits OF Ma
gellan was most interesting. It was at
this far southern point OF the hcmls-
phere that the crew expected to receive
visit from the Spaniards. In many
places the channel Is very narrow and
crooked, with hidden bays and coves,
and back OF them mountains towering
into the clouds on either side. More
over they were In the land OF Icy win
ter. For more than O month they had
been sailing under tropical skies and
now the blasts OF December whistled
among the crags above them and Ice at
night lay on> the decks. s,5f ~
But the Oregon did not lag. Captain
Clark had no Idea ohgiving the Span
Iards, II they were there. a chance 10
catch him mapping. II the great bat
tleshlp were to be caught, 1t should be
a catch on the wing. The engines were
warmed up TO their best work and
wherever 1t was sare and possible, the
Oregon bowled along at fifteen knots
an hour. The machinery worked we'll,
and on occasions the speed was In
creased three knots In a few minutes.
A stop OF three days was made nj
Sandy Point, where coal was taken on
and other supplies secured.
The oregon's Twenty-Five officers and
her crew. OF d25 seamen were. well and,
happy when the hatteshIp east anchor
Oft Sand Key Lighthouse at hnlf-past
six this morning. The. Oregon Is p In /
flcsti class shape and ready for another
cruise MS long as the one lust ended.
The excellent condition OF the men ar
ter their slxty-siS4 days voyage 10 per-
hpps even. moro remarkable. Through
out the entire trlpltherei were no cnscs
OF serious illncssion board and the men
n on for IN, n 10 Ia al