The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-07-27
BACK FROM SAMOA.
JOSEPH O'BRIEN TELLS OF NEW
POSSESSIONS OF UNITED STATES.
FOUGHT AGAINST THE REBELS
The Kenosha Sailor saw a. Great Deal OF
Service While in Samoa and Was
Member of One of the Parties Which
Fought the Followers of Mataaffa

Kenosha man who sailed year ago on
the cruiser Philadelphia, has returned
to this city for an extended visit.
During his year in the navy the Keno
sha boy has seen a great deal of the
world and incidentally some of the
hardest fights in which vessel bear
ing the stars and stripes has ever taken
part in. Vincent left this city on July
9th, 1898, and went at once with the
Philadelphia to Honolulu to take part
in the annexing OF the Islands to the
United States. The scene at the first
raising of the flag over the government
buildings is described by O'Brien as
one which will never be forgotten, and
the report of the incident, as given by
O'Brien, is quite different from the re-
ports which have been published in the
papers. He was one of the party
which was detailed to the city to pre-
pare for the raising of the flag and he
states that the advance of the party
bearing the stars and stripes was one
triumphal procession. All the people
of the Island with the exception of a
few natives were in favor of the annex
alton of the Islands, and on the day
when the flag was first raised the ma
tives turned out and all cheered as
heartily as the little colony OF Ameri-
cans which had marched out from the
PHILADELPHIA. Mr.. O'Brien was a
member of the crew of petty officers on
the Philadelphia, and as his work was
not exacting he had a great deal Of
time which he spent in examining the
Islands. He says that they will prove
to be a great storehouse for the United
States, for besides the tact that Homo
lulu is the best coaling station in the
Pacific, the islands are rich in mineral
deposits. There great wealth lies in
the ability of the land to produce great
amounts of sugar and coffee, and with
the assistance of American capital and
push the islands will become great
place for investment. Mr.. O'Brien
says that the natives have no apprecia-
ton of the value of the land which has
so recently passed under the control of
this country.
After the formal ceremonies of the
annexation of the islands the cruiser
sailed to the Samoan islands, dropping
anchor in the Apia harbor on March
10th. When the Philadelphia steamed
into the harbor at Apia the trouble
between the natives was at It's height
and all were awaiting expectedly the
arrival of Admiral Kautz and the
American warship. AS soon as the
decision had been made which placed
Maletoa on the throne the trouble be
gan, and as the American Admiral had
been very influential in making the de
cision which had taken the reins of
government from the hands of Mataaffa
the Americans were at once the most
hated people in the Apian harbor. The
struggle began the day following the
rendering of the decision by Admiral
Kautz, and while there were no shots
fred at the American vessel, the
American sailors we're in the thickest Of
every fight. AS soon as the followers
of Mataffa began to wage bitter war
upon their opponents the American
sailors began to fit up land parties to
fight the natives. Machinist O'Blien
enlisted in one of these parties with a
crew of six English sailors under Ensign
Pettingill. The party went all around
the Island in a little steam launch and
several times they were under fire.
After few days of this sort of fighting
the trouble was finally settled, but not
until six of the American sailors had
been killed by the shots of the native
followers of Mataaffa. In the few days
the little steam launch took an import
ant part in the conflict and many of the
little villages held by the natives were
captured by the little launch with its
one pound gun.
O'Brien says that the burial of the
braYe American sailors who lost their
lives in the conflict was exceedingly
touching and pathetic. Every sailor
on the boat took part in the simple
obsequies with which the bodies of the
heroes we're consigned 70 the earth in a
foreign land. The bodies were buried
just after sunset and after the last
honors of war had been paid them they
we're carried to their last resting place
by the entire crew of the Philadelphia.
Since the sailors of the cruiser have
been discharged fund of ST. 800 has
been raised among them for the pur-
pose of raising a suitable monument
over the graves in Samoa. O'Briep
says that the islanders in Samoa are
the worst race of people that he has
ever come in contact with. He is not
of the opinion that the Island would be
of any use to this country except as a
coaling station.
A Little Known Fact
That most serious diseases originate