The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-28
GUTHRIE BOY ON The OREGON

GUTHRIE BOY ON The OREGON
Guthrie. o. T.. July 2-oscar Upham,
one OF the early day Guthrie boys. and 9
| gunner on the battleshlp Oregon was in
the fight with Cervera's feet. His father.
Mr.. F. Upham. living ons-half mile south
west Of Guthrie, yesterday received the
| following interesting letter from him:
| On board the battleship Oregon. of San
| tiago de Cuba, July (. 1898. Dear father
and mother-The Spanish fleet came out
Of The harbor yesterday morning and We
/ put them on the bum" The first call
for Sunday quansrdeck mad gone. and we
were on the quarterback waiting for as
| sembiy when the alarm went for general
quarters. One OF the Spanish ships was
seen in the mouth OF she har5or. We
quickly went 10 our stations. The gun
| l am stationed al fired the first shot and it
struck right in front OF the Spaniards
bow. She turned about and ran in again.
We thought IL was only a bluff, but We
sent in an alarm to the balance OF the
feet. Soon another Spanish ship came out
with the rest of the Spanish feet in her
wake. They opened fire on US with their
rapid fire five inch guns. We replied with
an eight inch gun The Brooklyn and Iowa
law off our port bow and the Texas lay
astern of US. The flagship New York.
with Admiral Sampson aboard. had gone
off 10 the army headquarters, where they
were holding d consultation with General
halter. The Massachusetts had gone 20
Guantanamo for coal. and that left the
Oregon, Brooklyn, Iowa and Texas TO do
the fighting. We ran the Oregon right
in close as we could get and gave them
hell.
After the battle had got under good |
Roadway the men az the secondary bat
terry were ordered undr covr Finally |
someone passed the word that the tor |
pedo boats were coming out, and the crew
were at their guns almost before the order |
left the captains lips. The first shot our
guns took at the torpedo boats, tsruck one
amidship. and the next instan; SIX inch |
steel she'll hit her and she went to pieces. |
The otherone was struck forward OF her |
smokstack and sunk as she reached the |
beach. Then we went for The Dons war
ships in earnest We put two out of COM
mission and then run them on the beach |
within sight of Moro Castle, and about |
five miles up the coast we beached an
other; then we took after the Colon, |
whose speed is rated at % knots The |
Oregon and Brooklyn chased her about /
sixty-five miles up the coast, leaving the |
balance of the fleet hull down in the dis
lance. We tried one of our thirteen inch /
guns on her at $500 yards. The first
shot went a little to the right, and the
next also, but the next dropped right I'M
der her stern and she hauled her colors
l-.xz- l.
her crew and officers off and put them
aboard the Resolute. having run in after
it was all over. We dragon her off the
beach, but she was leaking so badly we
could do nothing with her. She turned
over on her side and We left her there.
w were struck once. I'll shot doing no
damag except to knock off a little paint
on our after eight inch turret on the star
board side.
The Spanish commander of the Colon
said they would not have ventured out
if they had known the Oregon was with
the feet. They saw the New York and
Massa chusetts leave, and thought tn lat
ter was the Oregon; but when they saw
the Orgon making eighteen knots an hour
right behind them they lost all hope. They
xpectd to draw the Brooklyn away and
sink her and get away with at least three
of the ships. Captain c. E. Clark got most
of the credit, which he generously shared
with his crew. We were all dressed in
white mastering clothes. We did not have
the least idea of their coming out, but in
one minute after the alarm was given we
were at our stations and fred a shot at
them, and in three minutes We were en-
gagged in one of the biggest naval battles
ever fought.
Commodore Schley when he reported to
the admiral, slapped Captain Clark on the
shoulder and said: This is the man TO
whom the most honor is due. II It hadn't
been for him three of the enemy's Ships
would have gotten away" Captain Clark
stopped him and said: ITO my crew the
honor is due instead of me. They fought
like heroes and were cool and collected
the engagement"
We will possibly get some prize money
out o fthis. The paymaster made rough
estimate and fixed 1t at $500 man.