The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-27
CAPTAIN CLARK AND OREGON.
Battieship is at Key West Awaiting Or
ders.

| Key West, May 26.-Capt Char les E,
CLARK and other officers of the Oregon,
came ashore at 10 o'clock and reported
all we'll on board and the ship in good
condition.
| The Oregon left San Francisco on
March 10, arrived at Callao, April 8,
left there April z, arriving at Rio Jane
rio on April 80.
The battleship reached Bahia on May
Is, and touched at Barbados on May IS.
At the latter place the warship was
quarantined but she was only detained
one day.
| The battleship arrived off Jupiter on
| May "a, and thence communicated with
| Washington.
The Oregon picked up the cruiser Mari
eta and the dynamite cruiser Nictheroy
| between Rio Janerio and bahia, but they
parted company with them after few
| hundred miles.
Capt Clark said the crew of the Ore
| gon had suffered much from the heat in
| passing twice through the topics.
GAN the way along" he added, I'VE
| were wondering where the Spaniards
were and we never ascertained until we
reached here"
"Do you know now?'' Capt. Clark was
asked
"Well," he replied. 81 imagine we can
make very accurate guess.
| The Oregon will remain here for Or
ders. She coaled four times on her trip,
at Callao, Sandy Point, Rio Janeiro and
Ban BADGES, and reached here with plenty
| Of coal and water aboard.
| The first news the officers and crew of
the Oregon had of the Manila victory was
at Rio Janerio, where: Capt. Clark re-
On leaving the Barabdoes, the Oregon
sailed almost directly north, going to
the north of Porto Rico. about $50 miles,
The northerly course WAS continued until
the Bermudas was sighted, when she
sailed northwest for the east coast of
Florida. Capt Clark explains that tho
reason for going to Jupiter instead of
| Oregon to be ready to go either to Key
West or Hampton Roads In short order
after getting official information from
Washington. Capt. Clark had no official
Knowledge of the situation after leaving
Rio Janeiro on April 80. During the
entire trip the crew expected momen-
tarily to meet the Spanish. Only once.
however, was there a call to arms.
This was shortly after midnight on
| leaving Rio Janeiro. As the Oregon was
ploughing the black equatorial sea, a
| dark object was discovered ahead, ap-
parently giving chase. Inc call to gen
eral quarters was sounded; the mon
rolled out of their berths with the enthu.
siasm, of boys on circus day morning
| and almost instantly every gun was
manned. The Oregon left her course and
circled around her black pursuer, only to
Ind it harmless bark instead of a
Spanish warship.
Back to their berths crept the men
| With mutterings of disappointment and
At Rio Janeiro Capt. Clark was told
that the Spanish torpedo gunboat Teme-
rarlo was following him. This gave
new interest to the trip for the day,
ah1 me night; but at the next port of
car ne was Informed that the Temerario
h iast gone one into into dry dock at Rio Janeiro
Ju ~ aiVer the departure of the Oregon.
me cruise through the straits Of Magel'
Ian was most interesting. 1t was at this
lar iah soushe er point of the American hem
a visit from the Spaniards In many
places the channel was very narrow and
crooked with hidden bays and covers and