The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-03
THE OREGON'S DEVOTED GRE w
Men Asked to Work Day and Night to
Coal er-A Hero of the StorehoIe.

Coal Her-A Hero of the Storehole.
Especial Cable Dispatch to The World,
Key West. Fla. May 27.-When his
tories of the United States navy are
written in the days to come, the story
OF the voyage Of the great battlesnip
Oregon from Puget Sound to Key
West, shall be told as one of the great
achievements of this county's fighting
ships.
The ship travelled Il, 4s2 miles with
out break CT accident, showing that as
fine vessels can be built on the Pacific
as on the Atlantic coast. She steam
ed 1000 miles, from San Francisco to
Callao, in sixteen days, without once
stopping her engines.
No other battleship ever steamed so
far continuously. A few years ago 4
British ironclad voyaged from Eng
land to China without a stop, and il
was heralded far and wide as an ex-
traordinary performance.
When the ship left Puget Sound on
March 9Th no one on board knew her
The ten days at San
Francisco, when vast quantities of
stores were taken aboard, gave officers
ard men an inkling. After she left
port it was minated hat the voyage
would be a long me, and it would be
appreciated If she was kept moving.
The men in the Stokehole remarked
that they would keep the boilers work.
ing, and saying nothing about their eff
forts. SO the ship sailed along at
eleven knots an hour.
1t was fair-weather work, and the
tackles had time for play. They
didn't know war was on. Maybe they
WODld have bod thot ~or- +i-.o rL0-
the Oregon crossed the equator for the
first time anyway.
AT noon old Father Neptune climbed
over The bow and began to initiate the
200 land-lubbers on board. They were
shaved with a wooden razor and a
lather Of eggs and molasses. After
ward they were hurled down a can
vass chute into a pool of salt water.
The officers purchased immunity
with beer. Father Neptune, who is
Lieutenant Nichols in the navy regis
ter, issued to each land-lubber a type
written certificate proving him a good
sailor, whom all mermaids, sharks,
whales, sea serpents and other faithful
subjects Of his royal nibs must abstain
from molesting. There was nothing
about keeping S~paniards away.
The officers and men were nearer
each other after the firm footing of
the line crossing. There was news at
Callao, news of war. The Oregon
must hurry. Do you think these sail
Ormen sat about and talked of the
good time the ship would make when
asked permission to work night and
day until the bunkers were bursting.
For thirty hours there was not a
break. Not a sailorman slept.
And then they made the floating
fortress walk. She damned through
heavy seas at thirteen knots an hour.
Captain Clark was told to look out
for the Temario, the t~orpedOboat sup
posed to have an ambition to blow the
Oregon to flinders. The gun crews
were ordered to stand by for hours in
raging gale. There was murmuring,
not because they had to stay by their
| guns, but because the torpedoboat
wouldn't come out and give the Ore
gon unners a chance for a little tar
get practice.
Cape Horn has some reputation.
When the Oregon reached there Cap
tain Clark found the worst storm in
his experience. He anchored, not be-
cause he was afraid Of his ship, but
he didn't want to fall in with the lit
tie scorpion Of a t~OrpedObOat at night
When he started again the Oregon
showed her real mettle. She was
built to make fifteen knots for four
hours. In the teeth of a bowling Cape
Horn hurricane she made 15.5 knots
for ten hours.
Coming ~northward the Oregon con-
tinued her wonderful speed, and ii
grew terribly hot. John McGarigle, a
stoker, was PROSTATE in the stockhole
He was carried On deck. When he
opened his eyes he saw the officer OF
the deck bending over him. .
"I1l be all right in a minute, SIR
said McGarigle. "Take me back to the
boilers. She's making a record run.
want to help her along" He is n OF
the bravest of those unnamed heroes
who know 10 glory, the heroes of the
stokehole.
At Rio Janeiro the American consu
came on board with a telegram an,
nouncing hat war had been declared
Captain Clark mustered his crew for
ward and read them the secretary
message.
Was it the officers or men who lee
the shouting? No one knows. Sword:
and caps were waved in the air anC
they cheered in h maddest enthusi
asm. They Rugged and kissed eacl
other. They knew the delirium Of joy
Quarterback and fo'sle cried "Remem
Der the Maine"
It meant extra work, the ship con
stantly ready for action, the gunner:
at their posts. But there was not ever
grumbling.
It was at Bahia that Captain Clarl
received a cable saying h "a the Span
ish fleet vas strung across the ocear
looking for the Oregon. and to avoic
the enemy. He read h dispatch t.
the officers in his cabin. Then b.
went on the bridge and summoned tn
crew.
"It is our duty in time of war t.
try and avoid a superior force" h
said. But if we do meet them W.
shall try to impair the fighting eff
cheney of their machinery. I know
can depend on you all. I'm pround o
my crew. It's the best that ever sail
ed under me-"
Then there was great cheering TO
the commander and his officers "We'r
with you, captain!" they cried. "Giv'
us a chance at the ~Spaniards!"
The ship sailed on, ready for actor
at a moments notice, taking ever.
precaution to escap the Spanish YES
sells, and every man On board. from
captain to apprentice, hoping the!
would fail.
At B~ridgetown the American consu
violated the neutrality treaty by ca
hing the news of the oregon arrival