The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-08-05
0REGON'S STRENGTH.
SPLENDID SPECTACLE SHE MADE IN
THE GREAT FIGHT.

on Santiago-Undes Forced Draught for
Nearly Four Honrs, and All Her Guns
Working Except One 10 IHch weapon,
She Gave Stirring Exhibition.
Naval officers with the feet now OF
Santiago are writing to their friends
of the great fight between the Spanish
vessels and those of the American fleet,
and everyone gives credit 20 the Ore
gon for having done more to prevent
a single ship escaping than any vessel
In the chase. The work of this ship Is
described as magnificent, and had 1t
not been for the fine condition of her
engines, one officer says, the CTdstobal
Colon and perhaps another Spanish
cruiser would have got away. The
Oregon is supposed to be capable of q
speed of about Is knots under forced
draught, but when she pointed for the
nearest Spaniard and went ploughing
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 displayed
by a battleship. With every gun, ex-
cept one 13-inch in the after turret,
blazing forth, the Oregon Is represent
ed in letter received here as rushing
forward out of the bunch Of ships and,
In ten 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 in the race the big vessel is be-
lieved te have been going, according to
her engineers, over 16 knots, which tall
lies with Captain Eulates statements
that no battleship making only 10
knots could possibly have kept up with
the fast Colon with her high powered
engines. An officer writing from the Or
egon, speaks thus of the vessel:
1.-The Oregon was the only battleship
keeping up with the pace set by the
Brooklyn, and kept neck and neck with
her during the early part of the race,
and by her fast running got on the in
side of the Brooklyn and next to the
Colon. From $50 in the morning, when
the Colon first poked her nose out and
the race was on. until LIZ in the af-
fernoon, when the last ship surrender
ed, the Oregon was pushed for all she
was worth under forced draught and
the fact that she had high pressure of
steam at the beginning gave her a
good start, which she kept up. When
the Colon surrendered no other vessel
except the Brooklyn was in sight, and
the capture was made by the Brooklyn
because the commodore was on board
and We gave way to her The Colon's
officers said after the fight that the
Oregon was the furthest east of all at
the start except the Indiana. Captain
Philip of the Texas wondered how we
could make such speed and was amaz-
ed at the way the Oregon pushed ahead
and kept along with the Brooklyn. In
fifteen minutes she passed all the fleet
to the Westward, and bearing down
close inshore. engaged with all her
guns at once everything in sight
Raymond Rodgers. the executive of
the Indiana writes that when the Ore
gon came racing across his bow it was
the grandest sight he ever witnessed.
She charged right down, he says, on the
Spanish fleet, letting go first at one
vessel and then at another. and all the
time carving a great white bone in
her teeth that told of her engine power
and great burst of speed All the time
she was running men were working on
one of the after 13-inch guns, while the
other was being fired right along side
In the turret.