The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-05-28
THE COERCION AT HONE
Thrilling Account of the Tria up
the Eastern Coast.
RACING THROUGH MAGELLAN STRAITS
DOdging an Enemy They Were Most Anx-
iOus to Find Would Have Made
Their Capture a Dear Expert
ment for Spain.

Z. Clark and other officers of the Ore
gon came ashore at ten o'clock and re.
ported all well on board and the ship
in good condition.
The Oregon left San Francisco on
March 10, arrived at Callao April 4, left
there on April Z, and passed
Sandy Point on April 81, arriving at
Rio Janeiro on April 30. The bat
tleship reached Bahia on May s,
and touched at Barbados on May IS.
At the latter place the war ship was
quarantined, but she was only detained
one day.
The battleship arrived off Jupiter
lighton May "a, and then communicated
with Washington.
The Oregon picked up the cruiser
Marietta and the dynamite cruiser
Nictheroy between Rio Janeiro and
Bahia, but she parted company with
them after q few hundred miles.
Capt. Clark said the crew of the Ore
gUE mad suffered from the heat in pass
ing twice through the tropics.
All the way along" he added, I'VE
were wondering where the S~paniards
were. and we never a~cccrtained that
fact until we reached here"
DO you know now?" Capt. Clark
w asked.
ell he replied, Il imagine we
d i2arle a very accurate guess"
The Oregon will remain here for or
Gcrs.
The Oregon coaled four times on her
TRIP, at Callao, Sandy Point, Rio Ja-
nero and Barbados. and reached here
wioa plenty of coal and water on board.
,,ae first news the officers and crew
OF the Oregon had of the Manila vie
toy was at Rio Janeiro. where Capt.
Clark received d telegram from WASH
iu-:Dn.
On leaving the Barbados the Ore
gon sailed almost directly north, go
ing to the north OF Porto Rico. about
150 miles. The nOrthcrly course vas
continued until the BcrmudaS were
sighted, when she sailed for the east
coast of Florida.
Capt. y. Clark explains that the rea-
son for going to Jupiter inlet. instead
o. putting in at Key West, WAS 10 en-
able the Oregon to be ready to 20
either to Key West or Hampton Roads
in short order after getting inforIna-
ton from Washington. Capt. Clark
had no official knowledge of the situa-
tion after leaving Rio JaneirO, April 70.
During the entire trip the crew ex-
pected mOmentarily to meet the Span
iards. Only once. however, was there
a call to arms. This wa shortly after
midnight on leaving Rio Janeiro. AS
the Oregon was blowing through the
black equatorial sea a dark object was
discovered ahead. The call to quarters
was sounded, the men rolled out of
their berths with the enthusiasm of
boys on a circus day, and almost in
stantly every gun was manned.
The Oregon left her course and cir
cled around he black pursuer, only to
find it Il harmless bark, instead of u
Spanish war ship.
iilck to their berths crept the men
with mutterings of disappointment
and disgust.
II Rio de Janeiro Capt. Clark was
told hat the Spanish torpedo boat
Temerario was following him. The
report gave new interest to the trip
for 4 day and night, but at the next port
of call he was informed that the Teme-
rario had gone into dry dock at Rio
Janeiro just after the departure OF the
Oregon.
I'ne cruise through the straits of
Magellan was most interesting. 1t
was at this far southern point of the
American hemisphere that the crew
expected to receive q visit from the
Spaniards. In many places the chan
mel is very narrow and crooked, with
hidden bays and coves. and back of
them mountains towering into the
clouds on either side. Moreover, they
were in the land of icy winter. For
more than a month they had been sail
ing under tropical skies, and now the
blasts of December whistled among the
crags above them, and ice at night Law
the decks.
But the Oregon did not lag. Capt.
Clark had no idea of giving the Span
iards, if they were there a chance to
catch him mapping. If the great bat
tleship were to be caught it should be
a catch on the wing. The engines
Were warmed up to their best work,
and wherever it was safe and possible
the Oregon bowled along at 10 knots
an hour. The machinery worked well
and on occasions the speed was in
three knots in a few minutes.
\ stop of three days was made at
Point, where coal was taken on
aud other supplies secured.
The Oregon's % officers and crew of
425 seamen were well and happy when
the battleship cast anchor off Sand
Key Lighthouse at $50 yesterday norm.
ing. The Oregon is in first-class shape
and ready for another cruise as long
AS the one just ended. The excellent
condition of the men after their &c
is perhaps even more remarkable.
the entire trip there were
no cases of serious illness on board,
and the men are as eager for imme-
date activity as if they had just come
from Il vacation in the mountains.
Spanish Vessels to BE Impressed as AuxiIi-
airy Cruisers.
MADRID, May EFT is currently re-
here that the Spanish govern
nent has ordered all the Spanish