The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-04
GIRLS INTERVIEW CAPT. CLARK.
Commander of the Oregon Waylnid
by Two Chicago Young Women.
u,ror, III, CbioaoO Ranord

EIOiu Nllt NlllNcaO AN+1cANa
Two bright young Chicago women COM
ing home from the seashore TO get ready
for another term at the seminary sat in
a Wagner sleeper and felt almost like
hugging the conductor when he told them
Capt. Charles T. Clark of the battleship
Oregon was a few feet away. This top
notch hero of the war was travelling to-
ward st. Joseph, Mich, to rest with his
wife and daughters. He arrived there Sat
urday night, and there was no fuss about
his coming, either. He wanted to be
quiet, and Ii was So
These south side girls in the car saw
sun-browned man, with curly hair tinged
with gray and after luncheon he offered
them a newspaper, remarkiug: Il am sor-
ry II Is not a Chicago paper" He had
overheard their conversation in the morn
ing and concluded they were from this
city. In return the women offered The cap
tain a seat in their section. which was
more desirable than the one he occupied
He took the seat, or rather bit at the bait
held out He had scarcely sat down when
he learned that he was discovered. In
few minutes he was once more telling how
the American sailors made holes in the
Spanish feet off Santiago.
Said one of the fair inquisitors yester-
day:
Il asked him after awhile If he really
did telegraph the navy department not 10
hamper him with instructions. He laughed
and said: No, I did not send any such
message l had perfect understanding
with the department and l was allowed to
use my own judgment in everything.
When l found my progress impeded by
the Nictheroy and the Marietta l tele-
graphed the department that fact aud
was instructed to leave them behind He
said that the greatest strain his men en-
dured was when his vessel alternated in
the watch over the entrance to Santiago
harbOr. The heat was so great that he
allowed his men to sleep on the decks,
which fairly glistened under the search
lights of Moro Castle The big guns of
the fort could have Slaughtered The men in
their sleep. Then the captain said:
We all had on our Sunday clothes the
morning Cervera nosed out of the harbor,
and when general quarters sounded 1
| couldn't imagine what the matter was.
| When l was told that the Spanish fleet
was coming out l scarcely believed it al
| first. At once our captains went after
! the vessels of the enemy upon orders to
| destroy or capture the fleet. No one look
! ed for signals from the Brooklyn. l saw
| one to close up, but no notice was paid
| to it by the captains and every snip went
! after the Spaniards
Z" In the chase after the Colon there was
more than an hour that not shot was
| fired My officers asked to be allowed to
/ fire. but the fire would have been at such
| an elevation that l feared my guns might
! he injured. We all thought that the Co
/ lon had her big guns, and We wanted
/ TO save ours so as to be ready 10 return
/ ON ala1fr1 aof ha To- alt
/ officers kept on asking permission TO fire.
so / told them to send one shot after the
vessel. Just after the report of the shot
the chief engineer, who had joined IN
shoveling coal in the engine rooms. came
up to me as black as anything could be
and begged that another shot be fired at
something. He said his men were faint
/ ing down below under the heat and ter
/ rifle strain, but If they could hear a few
! shots he was sure they would keep their
strength.
we could not tell whether we were
| gaining on the Colon or MOI, aud at one
| time my heart began to sink, for / feared
that the vessel would get away. Up TO
| the time she headed for the shore we
/ had fired only three shots after her.
/ capt. Clark said that the Oregon was
a splendid vessel, but in regard to her be
/ ing able to battle with the whole Spanish
/ fleet alone said that he was satisfied to
have picked the Spaniards up as they were
with the assistance of the other ships
When South Bend Ind, was reached
/ Capt Clark left the train. after having
given each of the young women his auto
! graph, ana went by another road to St
/ Joseph. A cornwall New York travelling
/ man who had learned of Capt. Clark's
/ presence on the train thought that South
/ Bend was his home He loudly expressed
himself as thoroughly disappointed with
The towns appreciation of a real hero He
/ had expected TO see a brass band at the
station. Just as the captain left the train
the travelling man gave a lusty whoop
| however