The times., 1899-10-01

tinguished company in her class of the
5000 0-and-upward-ton cruising ships.
Among them are the British second-class
Aurora, Galatea. Immortalite, Nareissus,
and Undaunted and the French Cecille
and Pothuau. The formidable appearing
Jean Bart (FrenchB is over LOCO tons less
displacement than the American cruiser
The Russian Dimitri Donskoi and the
Admiral Kornilof are Of about the same
tonnage as the Olympia. This is true also
of the German FTeya, Hansa, and Victoria
Luise.
The German cruiser Irene. which made
history in Eastern waters during recent
years. is short a thousand ions OF the
OiymFia's class, but is a faster boat than
any OF the foreign cruisers texcept the
German shipsl, showing 20 knots as against
the 0lympias 2LsS. In building, the Ad-
miral's flagship had good yard company
for the concern on the coast that con-
structed her also built the stanch fighter
Oregon, the battleships Ohio and Wis
consin. the monitor Monterey. and the
cruisers San Francisco and Charleston.
The cost of the Olympia was $2,o4a,4 ,425,
This did not include the cost Of arma-
ment.
PIEciSy Captain.
The Olympia was commanded at the bat
! tie Of Manila, as she had been since the
previous July, by Capt. Charles Vernon
/ Gridley Admiral Ramsay said Of him;
''Gridley is one of the brainiest and pluck
/ lest officers in the service"
When Commodore Dewey deemed the
I time ripe to begin the battle, he turned
to the Olympia's captain and quietly gave
his famous order:
You may fire when you are ready,
Gridley.".
And Gridley, like the rest. was ready to
begin the rapid and complete destruction
Of the Spanish fleet The dispatches from
Manila at that time show that Dewey had
the utmost confidence IN Captain Gridlsy;
that he never in the slightest degree inter-
fered with his management and handling
/ of the Olympia.
/ Prior to the battle Captain Gridley had
/ been ailing, and went into the engagement
with the knowledge that he ran a double
risk of death On one side lay the ever
! present risk from the hazards of war, and
on the other that in his enfeebled physical
condition, the strain of the combat would
! be likely 10 bring about his end, and so ii
proved. For while the commander-in-chief
directed the movements of his squadron
from the bridge Of the Olympia. Captain
! Gridley's duties required that he should
fight his ship inside the coming tower,
where there can be little doubt that the
concussion Of the shells and of the S-ineh
guns. so near 10 the steel enclosure about
/ him. either caused or aggravated the trou-
bic from which he was shortly afterward
to die.
Grialey Starts for Home.
TIE battle ended, Captain Gridley was
discovered 10 be i'll. board of medical
survey finding his ease to be so serious
that he was at once invalidated home. His
arrival in company with Paymaster Gait
at Bongkong on May 81, OF board the
transport Zafiro was the first knowledge
received in this country of how serious his
illness really was. His disease was not
/ then supposed TO be fatal, and in conse-
+ quence the news of his death at Kobe, ia
/ pan, on June 5, was q shock to the public
and TO his friends.
Thousands of miles to the eastward lay
! his country, and within its borders his wife
/ and children and all that he held dear.
/ Could he reach home before death overlook
him? He doubted it, but, with a grim de-
I termination TO die as he had lived, he start
I ed on his last journey And so he sailed
/ out Of Manila Bay, and
/ In his heart mad desire.
In his eyes forehnowledge of death.
+ he set his face steadily toward home, and
( began that pathetic race with the grim de-
stroyer across the vast Western Ocean that
was so ahruptly 10 end in Japan.
/ While Admiral Dewey is nearing home
I the feeling grows that there should be due
] recognition of the memory of the man who
I stood at his side and was in his confidence
Captain Gridley was advanced six num-
+ bers in the list Of captains in recognition
Of his services. but did not live to reap
/ the benefit OF this reward, and his son was
! later appointed a cadet at Annapolis by the
1 special bill passed for this purpose.