The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-07
HELPED FIRE THE OREGON
GEO. w. GOOD, OF THIS CITY, ON THE
FAMOUS TRIP AROUND THE HORN.
He Returns to His Home ON Davidson
Street--A Test of the Great
Ships Speed.

George w. Good, a broad-shouldered
young man of twenty-five who has spent
the last six months shoveling coal into the
lcapacious furnaces of the governments
prize battle ship, the Oregon. is visiting lis
parents, at their home on Davidson street.
this city. The young man has been home
four days and has had a lively time of it
eating meals with his relatives and telling
them how the Oregon missed the fierce
Spanish torpedo boat Temerario, and took
part in the fight that put an end to the
Spanish navy.
Good went to California four or five years
ago to take position with a railroad COM
pany and when the Oregon sailed from San
Francisco on March 49, he gave up his job
of firing locomotive to take service in the
engine-room of the battleship. I'VE all
knew there was going to be war; he said,
land wanted to get into it. l feared if 1
Joined the army, 1 wouldn't get into the
fight, so when L learned the Oregon wanted
some fremen I enlisted
Good says the Oregon had about $50 peo-
pie aboard when she left San Francisco and
did not increase the number until Key West
was reached. 1t required sixty firemen to
handle the furnaces. When the oregon left
San Francisco she carried 800 tons of coal
United States were losing sleep for fear the
Oregon would fall into the hands of the
Spanish torpedo boat her crew was sailing
peacefully along unaware of the uneasiness
of the public and ignorant of the declara-
ton of war However, Captain Clark, COM
mander of the Oregon, was cautious navi-
gator and took no chances of a surprise. At
Callao Peru. the ships crew first learned
1at he oil he
Oregon. The consul at that point cautioned
Captain Clark to be on the alert for the
Temerario. At Rio Gle Janeiro the men of
the Oregon first learned of the Dewey VIC
tory.
I'VE had wild time that night" said
Good, land the boys cheered themselves
hoarse. The first lieutenant made speech
to the men and all that he said about what
the Oregon would do if we got a chance,
has happened. AS far as I am concerned,
was never in the least alarmed about the
ship after we left San Francisco From
what / know of Captain Clark l think he
could have taken the battle ship and
whipped anything in the Spanish navy
alone. Clark is a fine man and everybody
on the boat loved him. He always had
smile for the humblest Jackie and the boys
would have fought hard for him. After we
left Rio de Janeiro. every man of the crew
ewent to work to help the ship make the
fastest possible speed, for we knew that
the sooner we reached Key West the sooner
we would get into real b. siEess. Those fire.
men worked like Turks. Some of them who
had 'Soldiered' on the others went to work
in earnest, and there was more playing"
GooG is enthusiastic in his praise of the
Oregon's conduct dI ring the naval battle at
Santiago. He says it was the Oregon that
fired the first shot of warning when the
Cervera fleet made dash to get out of the
harbor. During the fight one fireman would
work a half hour, and would then be re-
lieved. Good says ne saw good deal of the
fighting from the deck of the Oregon. At
times the engine room thermometers regis
tered 100 degrees, and the men could not
stand 1t there long at a time
Good says the Oregon is the only battle
ship that ever exceeded the speed made on
her trial trip. This was done in a race with
newspaper dispatch boat during the block
ade of Santiago harbor. The Oregon mis-
took the dispatch boat for a Spaniard and
chased the little craft for sixty miles until
1t was brought to with a shot from the big
boat. On this chase the oregon made
fraction over seventeen knots an hour.
Good asserts that in the opinion of the Ore
CONS crew, Admiral Sampson is responsible
for the race. 1t is thought that Sampson
played it, on the Oregon for the purpose
of determining her speed.
During the Santiago blockade Good had
a glimpse or two of Fighting Bob Evans.
ing few of Captain EVans's violent and
warlike declarations. Il shouldn't like to
talk about the captain" said Good. land
the only thing I can say is that I believe
he would put up an awful stiff bluff in
poker game" Good does not expect to re-
turn to the navy. and is expecting his dis
charge every day. When it comes he will
take service in the yards of one of the rail-
ways here. He bI ought with him from San
tiago bagful of Spanish coin and numer-
GUS articles of interest from the destroyed
distributed among admring relatives and
friends.