The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-07-29
The OregOn's Mighty Rush.

" HohANN1ON, ouIy -O.-NaNdl OIL
GERS with the fleet now off Santiago
are writing to their friends here of the
great fight between the Spanish vessels
and those of the American feet, and
everyone 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 de-
scribed as magnificent, and had it not
been for the fine condition of her en-
glnes, one officer says the Cristobal
Colon and perhaps another Spanish
cruiser would have got away. The
Oregon is supposed to be capable of a
speed of l5 knots an hour under forced
draft, but when she pointed tor the
nearest Spaniard and went ploughing
through the water across the bows of
the big Iowa, the scene is described bv
her executive as being the finest show
of power and speed ever displayed by
a battleship. With every gun except
one l3-inch in the after turret blazing
forth, the Oregon is represented in a
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 un-
der forced draft all the time and MAX
ing higher speed than she ever had re-
corded while in the service. At some
periods of the race the big vessel is be-
lleved to have been going, according
to her engineers, over 16 knots an
hour, 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
power engines. An officer from the
Oregon speaks thus of the vessel
"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 inside of the Brooklyn and next
to the Colon. From 9 80 in the morn
ing, when the Colon first poked her
nose out and the race was on, until
l is in the afternoon, when the last
ship surrendered, the Oregon was
pushed for all she was worth under
forced draft and the fact that she had
high pressure of steam at the begin
ming gave her good start, which she
kept up. When the Colon surrender
ed 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
alter the fight that the Oregon caused
them to haul down the flag, as they
could not stand the terrific fire from
her guns, and if they could have out
distanced her they were confident of
disabling the Brooklyn and getting
away. The Oregon was furtherest
east of all at the start except the In
diana. Capt. Philip, of the Texas,
wondered how we could make such
speed, and was amazed at the way the
Oregon pushed ahead and kept along
with the Brooklyn. In fifteen min
utes she passed all the fleet to the
westward, and, bearing down inshore,
engaged with all her guns at once ev-
erything in sight"
Raymond Rogers, the executive of the
Indiana, writes that when the Oregon
came racing across her 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 the other, and all the
time carrying 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 work
ing on one of the after 13-inch guns.
While the other was being fired right
alongside in the turret.