Fort Wrangel news., 1898-09-28
Captain Symond's Splendid Lit- tie Ship Has a Record to be
 Proud Of.
TRAVELLED OVER I2,oOo
 MILES.
And at The End Was Ready to Fight. After Cnalng.
 tAlaskan)
lAIaskan

tAlaskan)
 When the Oregon reached Key West after her voyage of l3OOO miles from the Pacific coast naval men expressed wonder as she reported that she was ready to go into action as soon as she had taken on coal. The modern man of war is machine so delicate and easily put out of order that this battle ships performance attracted wide at. tention, and it oyershadowed almost completely the feat of her own com. rade, the Marietta on the voyage around South America Beside the splendid i Oregon the Marietta, dumpy and un. gainly, has been almost forgotten.
 Early in the morning of June 1 the little vessel dropped anchor in Key West harbor. She had completed her voyage of l2,GoO miles without accident, and in reply to a question as to how soon she would be ready to fight, her commander called from the bridge:
 "As soon as we get coal.n
 The New York Sun prints an account of the Marietta's long voyage. which will be of especial interest to Utica peo- pie by reason of the fact that her com mander, Captain F. M. Symonds is we'll known to many of them. The Sun says:
 The gunboat was built at the Union Iron works in San Francisco, and went into commission on Sept. 1, 1897. She had displacement of l000 tons and a speed of 1903 knots. Her armament consists of six finch rapid fire guns. four 6-pounders, two l-pounders and field gun. In appearance the vessel is short and fat, standing high out of Wa ter, with tall slender stack rising we'll forward
 The Marietta started on her first cruise on October 26, when she sailed for Sitka, Alaska, where she lay until December 9. She returned to San Fran sisco under hurry orders, and on the way down the coast had an opportuni- ty to prove herself splendid sea boat. Out lnO OI Vancouver Island, in one of which she lay too for Is hours, riding with d sea anchor out. During this time her great est heel was 1T degrees.
 The political disturbances in Cen tral America in the early part of the present year necessitated the presence of an American warship there, and the Marietta was ordered from San Fran cisco on this duty on January 16. She was at San Jose, Guatemala, when she received orders to proceed with all haste to Panama on March 2l, and re- ceived orders to start on the long voy- age around the southern continent. On March 24 the little gunboat steamed away from Panama and six days later anchored in the harbor of Callao Here Captain Symonds made arrangements for the coaling of the Oregon, so that when the battleship reached the Peru vian port few days later loaded light CTS were ready to run alongside of her
  ietta to hurry on to Valparaiso and take possession of two Chilian cruisers, for the pur chase of which the government had nearly completed arrangements and within 36 hours the little vessel was on her way. She made fine run, covering 1,55S miles in seven days, reached the Chilian port on April T.
 The officers of the Marietta had some apprehension of trouble in Valparaiso because of recent complications of the United States with Chilli and the pro Spanish sentiments of the people. They found a hostile feeling among the peo- pie, but the officials were studiously courteous. At some of the clubs re- - Yankee up." Precautions were accordingly taken to prevent any crank from making such an attempt. Owing to her trouble with Argentine, Chili had splendid squadron lying in the har- bor at the time. The Marietta was sur sounded by Chilian vessels. The har- Dor was constantly patroled, and at night no boats were allowed to ap- proach her.
 "You shall not be hurt" said the Chilian commander to the men on the | American gunboat. He kept his word.