The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-12-21
A Commander Who was With Dewey
at Manila Passes Away.
MASON'S BRILLIANT SPEECH
Special Washington Correspondence to Signal.

Special Washington Correspondence to Signal.
There died in Washington on Dec.
IL q naval officer whose claim to
honor at the hands of the American
people will always be respected wher-
ever courage and daring are recog-
nized as commendable traits, The
commander was Il. p Wood, one of
the war captains who followed Ad-
miral Dewey into the harbor Of Manila
on that memorable May morning in
1898 and participated in the fight
which swept Spain's Asiatic feet
from the seas and added an entire
archipelago to the possessions OF the
United States 1t will be remembered
that the Petrol was one of the smaller
vessels in Admiral Dewey's feet, and
that number Of Spanish gunboats
took refuge under the guns Of the
forts of Cavite, where the larger draft
vessels of Admiral Dewey's feet
could not get at them 1t was here
that Commander Wood distinguished
himself. The little Petrol steamed
boldly into the harbor entrance, sank
the remaining Spanish ships and
then 80 effectually pounded the forts
that their guns were silenced. The
exploit called for the utmost daring
and skill on the part OF the COM
mander, and, in performing this
notable, service, Commander Wood
wrote himself in the annals of the
American navy. The board of naval
awards recommended that for "his
eminent and conspicuous conduct
. in battle" he should be advanced ten
numbers, and, despite the fact that
this was higher reward than bestowed
upon any other commanding officer,
congress sanctioned the advancement.
Since his return from the Orient,
Commander Woods health has been
e greatly broken and his system was in
@ no condition to withstand the ravages
IT Of typhoid fever which sezed him
}. short time ago. At the time of his
n death he was in charge Of the fifth
1t light house district, with headquar-
e ters at Baltimore. OF the six COM
N manders with Admiral Dewey at
it Manila, two have already passed
7. away, Captain Gridley having died a
re year ago.
Senator Mason's brilliant speech of
Monday is on everybody's lips The
- Illinois senator has long been noted
10 for saying something whenever he
!, takes the floor, and it was expected
~ that when he took up the resolution
of sympathy for the Beers, which he
had introduced week ago, there
would be an eloquent speech and the
re audience was not disappointed. The
IN senator bitterly attacked Great Britain
g. and declared that it was the duty oi
J. this republic to uphold liberty wher
ever it may be sought He cited
many precedents showing that ex
or tending moral support to sister re-
public is true to the policy of Wash
ington and Monroe, and he instancet
g Webster's famous attitude in 1922
when the Greeks were contending fol
liberty, who declared that when th'
ur colors of a country are struck ant
as the United States remains silent, i
would seem as if we were ashamed o
J. tired of our institutions, and by ou
silence give consent to the destruc
)r ton of elf-government. There i
lie small likelihood that the resolution
'es will be adopted, but the speech 0
20 Mr.. Mason will long remain in th
minds of the senators and spectato
who heard it.
make suits to order-HOllmann