The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-07-22
The oregon's area, Work.

Naval officers with the fleet now off
Santiago are writing to their friends
Of the great fight between the Spanish
vessels and those of the American
fleet, and every one gives credit to
the Oregon for having done more to
prevent single ship escaping than
any vessel in the chase. The work
of this ship is described as magnif-
cent, and had it not been for the fine
condition OF her engines, one officer
says, the Cristobal Colon, and per-
haps another Spanish cruiser would
have got away. The Oregon is sup
posed to be capable Of speed OF
about Is knots under forced draught,
but when she pointed for the nearest
Spaniard and went blowing through
the water across the bows of the big
Iowa the scene is described by her
executive officers as being the finest
show of power and speed ever dis
played by battleship. With every
gun, except one Is inch in the after
turret, blazing forth the Oregon is
represented in letter received here
as rushing forward out of the bunch
of ships and in 10 minutes after the
start taking the next place to the
Brooklyn in the big race. From that
time on she was under forced draught
all the time and making higher speed
than she had ever recorded while in
the service. At some periods of the
race the big vessel is believed to
have been going, according to her en-
giueers, over l6 knots, which tallies
with Capt. Eulate's statements that
no battleship making only 10 knots
could possibly have kept up with the
fast Colon with her high-powereo
engines. An officer writing from
the Oregon speaks thus of the yes
, sell:
"The Oregon was the only battle
ship keeping up with the pace set b.
, the Brooklyn, and kept neck ant
. neck with her during the early par
. of the race, and by her fast runnin!
= got on the inside Of the Brookly1
and next to the Colon. From 80
. in the morning, when the Colon frs
poked her nose out and the race wa
on, until LIS in the afternoon, whe
3, the last ship surrendered, the Ore
TO gon was pushed for all she was wort
II under forced draught, and the fac
at that she had high pressure of steai
n at the beginning gave her goo
start, which she kept up. When tn
: Colon surrendered no other vessel e1
: cept the Brooklyn was in sight, an
r. the capture was made by tt
Ia Brooklyn because the commodol
h was on board and we ga,
way to her. The Colon's of
GERS said after the fight that I'll
IS Oregon caused them to haul down IL
IS flag, as they could not stand the tie
p rife fire from her guns, and if the
Il could have outdistanced her thu
n were confident of disabling the Broo
So lyn and getting away. The Gregg
was the furtherest east OF all at Il
start, except the Indiana. Cap
IN Philip of the Texas wondered he
S. we could make such speed, and W
nd amazed at the way the Oregon pus
We ed ahead and kept along with t
Brooklyn. In Is minutes she pass
all the fleet to the westward, an
:" bearing down close in shore, engag
- with all her guns at once eyerythi
- in sight"
- Raymond Rodgers, the executi
Of the Indiana, writes that when t
ful Oregon came racing across his bow
ms was the grandest sight he ever W
The messed. She charged right down,
The says, on the Spanish fleet, letting
Y first at one vessel and then the 9th
and all the time carrying a or
fh white bone IN her teeth that told
al her engine power and great burst
to speed. All the time she was rum
to men were working on one of the at
l3-inch guns, while the other was
-. ing fired right alongside in the turf
Ia