The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-09-15
The Voyage of the Oregon.
Of hero. Every coal HEAVIER deserves
Continued from page Q.

1
grapple with the foe in mid-ocean be-
came imminent. l want to say, as
sJl2mHly as know how, without dis
examination, that l believe every Off
Ger and man on that ship would have
died at his post to insure the safe ar
rival of the Oregon.
'If we couldn't beat Spanish fleet
we would have tried, even IL we lost
our ship. TO be sure, l would have
striven to save the crew by Bleaching
the Oregon. Saving life is always to
be thought of, and it would not have
been overlooked when the contest be
came OPEN"
do you believe the Spaniards would
have fought fair if you had been at
tackled in mid-ocean; would they have
honored the white flag If you had been
compelled to raise itr was asked,
with some hesitation.
II am not so sure that they would"
gravely replied Captain Clark, with a
slowness that argued his strong views
l on the subject. "The Hobson Incl
dent had not occurred. Cervera him
self would not have countenanced any
| injustice, but l shudder ut the hope
lessness of cur brave jackies, marines
and others in mid-ocean had we been
compelled to swim for our lives. There
is no telling our fate had we by acci-
| dent steamed into the middle of that
l fleet. The torpedo boats might have
surrounded us, and we might have
gone quickly to the bottom in half a
mile of brine"
| "Apropos of this, what is your opin-
lon of the future of the torpedo boat?"
was the next inquiry.
/ Nobody knows any more about the
efficiency of a torpedo boat than 1 do,
| and l know nothing. l do not think
that single moving torpedo could
sink the Oregon. If one compartment
were torpedoed she would still float.
| The rapid fire gun, with its accuracy
of aim, has, in MY judgment, greatly
reduced the danger Of the torpedo
craft"
Now, captain, tell me your ideas of
TIE great naval victory Off Santiago
harbor on July g."
II hope it will not be taken as vain
glorious If l say that 1t was lucky
that n battleship with cruiser speed
was there that day." replied Captain
Clark, with some hesitation. 'The
Spanish hearts were broken by the big
! guns of the battleships. Their men
lost zeal when the 13-inch shells be-
gan to skip about them"
II never saw more sublime sight"
said Captain Clark. "Out came the
Spanish ships, with their great ensigns
| flying to the breeze that their own mo-
mentum created. The sea was like n
pond; hardly ripple appeared In any
direction. Those great ships, looked
handsome and-defiant. AffI want
| to say, iu all candor, that it looked for
a time as If some of them would get
away-I mean through our lines. We
didn't know how badly we were pun
ishing them. The Indiana, Iowa, Ore
| gon, Texas and Brooklyn were all
hammering them at the same time.
Five of US were jumping at them like
furious wolves, If the simile be good
| one."
II believe the Spaniards set their
range for five thousand yards and
| never lowered 1t for any of their guns.
A steady stream of projectiles was
| going over our heads all the time.
They fired shot and shell enough to
| have done us the greatest kind of
harm, but we weren't hurt to any
extent. The Spaniards were utterly
demoralized at the way we went at
them. 1t certainly was a revelation
| to most of us. The scores the Span
| iards made were stray shots. Hardly
any roll was on the sea that morning
1t was like pond. never saw the
| ocean smoother"
"What is your opinion about the
scuttling of the Spanish ship after
their surrender"
| "It was wrong, and in violation of
every principle of good faith on the
part of a conquered foe" replied the
Captain. "The men who did those
acts forfeited their right to be pro-
tected, and ought to have been shot
then and there. Scuttling n ship after
surrender is treachery. The moment
the white flag goes up everything in
the possession of the surrendered
force, on sea or on land, becomes the
property Of the victor. The vandal
who violates this well-recognized rule
puts himself outside all laws of mercy.
He is to be likened to the miscreant
who comes into camp as a friend
and then destroys the provisions or
other property of the men from whom
he asks and receives protection. He
deserves death and always gets 1t.
do not believe that Admiral Cervera
gave orders for anything of the kind.
No, no. He is a gentleman. Irrespon-
sible men committed the outrage. The
fact that the ships filed with water
is not positive proof that the sluice-
ways were opened. I believe the
Spaniagds did these things, but l can
not say so and prove the fact Many
of the Spaniards were crazy. A crush