The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-28
ON BOARD THE OREGON
A Former Butte Man in the Fight
With Cervera.
is PROUD OF HIS SHIP
Marine Dewan Tells the Story of the Bat
tie In Which the Flower of The
Spanish Navy Was Sent
to the Bottom.

A letter nom q man on BOARD the
Oregon, who too part in the destruc-
ten of Cervera feet, ought to be well
come reading In Butte just now. fol-
lowing the oficial reports OF Sampson.
'Schley and Clark. Such a letter was
received yesterday by Mrs. f. ID. Eye
of No. SOC East Galena street, from
her brother, who is a marine on board
the Oregon. The Oregon marine is en-
thusiastic over the part his ship tool
IT. the great fight, and everybody will
admit IN the men of the oregon have
a right to b. proud, and everybody Will
be glad to know that there is a former
resident OF Suite who took part in the
greatest of ava battles.
The letter IS written OF note pa per.
captured rs a souvenir from the cap
tain's cabin OF the Cristobol Colon. In
the upper lcft-hand corner of the first
page Of the cote paper is neatly printed
the following:
"Acorazado Cristobol Colon, Ser Co
mandante Particular"
The letter - as follows:
Santiago de Cuba. July Friend
and Sister: received YOU welcome
letter, forwarded from Key West to
Santiago. Well. have had some live
ly experiences since then. which, / sup
DffSt. lou IfaNt a ~ dto q y
all the world knows what the Oregon
Las done with the Spanish feet. i viii
try TO des tribe our nava battle the
best / can. on the morning of July
3. at $3.50 4. m, the Spanish fleet came
steaming out OF the harbor. We were
lying at the entrance. at our station,
when we Jaw them. At once we ran
to our stations i'm the ship. The cap
tain waited until they all came out
and then ne started In with force draft,
making II knots an hour, a lighting
run, for the Spanish were all swifter
ships than the Oregon. but not swift
enough TO escape our guns We let go
broadside after broadside. We struck
a torpedo BOAT on the bow and sunk
her, and also a torpedo destroyer at
The same time. We beached two cruis-
ers two minutes later and tore them
oren. and ext was the Nizcaya. We
more than Slaughtered her. We fired
a 13-inch In her stern n one on her
deck, tore her deck clean from stern TO
stern and SET her IN fire; and the next
was the Cr!stobal Colon. We chased
her three hours. the Oregon and the
Brooklyn. At 2:30 y. m. she hauled
Down her Tag after we had fired three
or more shells at her. When we came
III, to her she was sinking. We hit
her somewhere on her side. She was
a lulu of a ship. That's our prize, and
also the Vizcaya. The two ships are
valued at 81. 000. 900 or $4,000, 900. That
will be divided among us and the
Brooklyn. We get half. That would
be at least 50. 200 a man. so you see |
probably viii come out a rich man yet.
Then we get 800 for every man we kill
or capture. | have seen Spaniards
floating around In the sea without
clothes on them. We killed N
drowned 800 and captured 800. 1t vas
something lerce. There was a priest
on the last boa we caught, and he
had an altar in the ship. One Of our
fellows picked up his stole and gave IT
(, him and he kissed IL with tears i'm
his eyes. " was something affecting to
see the Spaniards crying.
This sheet of paper IL a relic or
memento from the Cristobal Colon.
Keep II and treasure II until / see you
again. You can see IL oil the letter
lIsding. Il belongs to the captain Of
the Colon. Our ship alone sunk six
ships. The name OF four of them /
know, but the rest we don't. They are
the two I Just mentioned and the In
fanta Maria Teresa and the Almirante
Cuuendo. Get on to that name for a
corker. Thu remainder are torpedo
boats. I could tell you more. but ]
have no more paper nor stamps. !
send my regard to all. hoping you all
have enjoyed as good a Fourth of July
IA we did. flushed with victory n
spells from cur enemies. Not one was
hurt on the Oregon. We did IL all.
The others were too slow for us. From
your loving brother,
-. DEwAN."
Enclosed is another letter. written the
next day. as follows:
Guantanamo, July swell, we left
on the night of the 9TH from Santiago
and came iere in this harbor for 10
days for repairs and four months pro-
N-iStanq No are aynprtpd IN 10 TO
Spain. but are not sure. Well. all
Simpsons feet give us all the credit
for the destruction of the Spanish feet.
We sunk six, the four cruisers and two
torpedo boats. There were seven In
all that came out. The officers OF our
fleet said they never saw as fine a sight
as the Oregon in action. We fired a
broadside over the bow of the Iowa at
the ~SpaniaTds and we were going full
spt I'd. 1t MAS a running fight from
start TO finish. The New York, Iowa,
Indiana and Texas were not in II with
10. We fire the first and last shot. The
New York and Massachusetts Ia been
gone 20 minutes when the fight started.
The -four spanish cruisers were set on
fire by our shells bursting on the decks.
The Vizcsya rot the worst of the fight.
She was TORN from stern to stern and
Ter decks were ripped open Inc set
ahre. Those Cubans were looking from
III ptdih NV "tAt a - Wv
SI 1niards when they would jump over
beard until they were stopped. The
| officers from the Iowa and Brooklyn
ssid the Oregon could hardly be dis
tireuished On o OF the smoke
and fire that came from us. We had
a steady stream of fire on them. and
cur decks were under water. They say
she was like a mad bull. The rest OF
the ships Kept out OF our way and
shouted for the Oregon and crew.
Give Il to them The others came
after us picking up the wreck. The
government iii saise the Cristobal Co
Ion. the last We sunk. They are all
armored rtuisers. 12-inch, the best
Spain had, and the pride of the for
oign nations. am healthy as ever and
WISER than ever. Regards TO all. You
VIII probably hear from me next Of the
coast Of Spain"