The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-09-24
GETTING THE"0REGON"READY
The Splendid BattIeship Prepared for
Her Voyage Round South
America.

Before the battleship Maine was SEN
to the harbor of Havana, the more
prudent statesmen at Washington had
begun to make plans for a possible war
with Spain. They hadlooked over their
maps and books to determine where
the ships of war should be stationed,
and how they were to be brought where
needed.
The Oregon, a battleship of the best
type, like the Indiana, Iowa and Massa-
chusetts, was known to be in Puget
sound, at the extreme northwest cor
ner of the United States; and it was
believed that it might be wise to have
her Join the fleet in the Atlantic ocean.
The Oregon was the.frst battleship
built on the Pacific coast, and had
never been in the Atlantic. She was
launched at the Union iron works, a
Francisco, in October, 1898, and was
ready for service July Is, 1896. Though
the fastest of battleships, and a sea-
worthy boat, it had been found that
she rolled too much, and to correct this
fault she was sent to the dry-dock in
Puget sound to have extra keels
''bilge-keels"-ftted to prevent the
rolling motion.
When news came of the sinking of
the Maine during the night of Febru-
airy Is, it was at once decided to replace
her by an even stronger man-of-war;
and next morning, when the Oregon
left her dry-dock, she was met by a
lighthouse-tender, that brought Or
| ders to rush her coaling, and proceed
at once to San Francisco" In three
days after leaving Puget sound she
had covered the 100 miles, and arrived
in San Francisco on March 9.
The sailors worked day and night for
the next ten days, and loaded the Ore
gon with a years provisions and about
1900 IONS of coal. By this time the
captain knew of the great voyage he
was to make, and everything was done
to put the ship in perfect condition.
Saturday, March 10, at eight in the
morning, the Oregon steamed out of
the Golden Gate to begin the greatest
voyage ever made by a battleship. 1t
must be remembered that these YES
sells are built for coast defense, and
are not considered adapted for ocean
voyages. Indeed, one of our congress
men not long ago predicted that mo
battleship could ever cross the At
lantic ocean," Many believed that
these heavy iron monsters would turn
~turtle"-that is, capsize-when in a
heavy sea.
But if any men in this world know
their business, the American navy
know theirs, and every officer and en-
gineer and sailor and stoker on the
Oregon rejoiced at the long voyage be-
fore them.
When the president was sending
word TO congress that he could do no
more with the Spanish government by
peaceful means. and while the COM
mission of naval officers was learning
that the Maine was destroyed by a
mine placed below her keel, the Oregon
was steaming ever southwark through
the Pacific, with a V of glistening foam
parting at her white bow. For 10
DAYS her twin screws whirled her
along. while the III grew hotter,
and the heat in the fire-rooms, where
her men were feeding her furnaces full,
increased until the thermometer read
161 degrees! Only one man was pros
trated by the heat; and no sooner was
he revived than he begged to be allowed
to return to the scorching work. In
deed, Capt. Clark says that all the
men were eager to work overtime, and
would never admit they were overcome
by their duties.-Tudor jerks, in St
Nicholas.