The record-union., 1899-03-22
THE TAKING OF WAKE ISLAND.
TAUSSIG REPORTS TO NAVY
DEPARTMENT
The Conditions Under Which He
Took Formal Possession in the
Name Of United States.

WASHINGTON, March 21-The con-
ditions under which Wake Island, mid
way between Honolulu and the Philip
pines, was taken possession of in the
name of the United States by the COM
mander of the Bennington on her voy-
age across the Pacific are given in a
report to the Navy Department from
Commander Taussig, dated at sea two
months ago. The officer says he ap-
preached the island with the navigator
at the masthead, steaming slowly along
the southern and eastern sides to dis
cover signs of habitation and looking
in vain for an anchorage He did not
circumnavigate the island but seeing
that the outlook on the northwest was
barred, not only by a wall of coral, but
also by a sandpit, he returned to the lee
of the island. A landing was made at
/ o'clock on the 17th of January, and
a fiagpole was raised.
Besides some piles Of wreckage, no
signs of human occupation were visi-
ble On the eastern side of the island
embedded in the sand, was seen what
appeared to be the wreck of a lower
mast of vessel.
When the Flagstaff was in place the
sailors were formed in two ranks fac
ing seaward, and Commander Taussig
ordered the American flag raised by
Ensign Wettengel. On reaching the
truck, the flag was saluted by twenty
one guns from the Bennington. After
the salute the flag was nailed to the
masthead, and a brass plate with the
following inscription was screwed to
the base of the flagstaff:
United States of America; William
Mckinley, President; John D. Long,
Secretary of the Navy: Commander
Edward T. Taussig, United States
navy, commanding the United States
steamship Bennington, this 18th day of
January 1899, took possession of the
Atoll, known as Wakes Island, for the
United States of America
Commander Taussig describes the ISL
and thus:
THE island was more heavily wooded
than was shown on the chart. Patches
of grass were growing on the lagoon
side of the western inlet, and the
shrubbery afforded nesting places for
the many sea fowl. Fish were plentiful
in the lagoon and there was a swift cur
rent running out of the southern pass
age The lagoon on the south side was
short. but on the north side there was
long strip of deep blue water, ex-
tending nearly its entire length. Out
side of the lagoon many sharks were
seen crowding around our boats and
around the ships.
Had I been able to have found an
anchorage, I would have remained in
this vicinity for two or three days, to
reconnoiter more thoroughly the island
and take astronomical and magnetic
observations. but having carried out
the orders of the department in regard
to the island, and deeming it necessary
to save as much coal as possible, took
my departure at 5:35 p. m. for Guam.
During the afternoon the navigator,
Ensign Campbell, was endeavoring to
find a possible anchorage on some light
patches of water to the westward of
the outlet. He found thirty fathoms.
coral bottom, and one patch about 300
yards from the reef wall. but it looked
too close to the breakers to be used.
The white bottom could be seen in
white patchings. where soundings of
twenty fathoms were obtained close in
to the breakers"