Evening star., 1899-03-21
Commander Taussig Adds New Ter
ritory to Our Domain.
LANDING MADE ON JANUARY II
American Flag Run Up and SaIuted
by the Bennington.
NO ANCHO RAGE FOUND

The conditions under which Wake Island,
midway between Honolulu and the Philip
pines, was taken, in the name of the United
States, by the commander of the Benning-
ton, ON her voyage across the Pacific, are
set out in a report to the Navy Department
from Commander Taussig, dated at sea two
months ago.
The officer says he approached the island
with the navigator at the masthead, steam
ing slowly along the southern and eastern
sides to discover signs of habitation and
looking in vain for an anchorage. He Gid
not circumnavigate the island but, seeing
that the outlet on the north was barred rot
only by wall Of coral, but also by sand
spit, he returned to the lee of the island. A
landing was made at ! o'clock on the 18th
of January and flagpole was raised
Besides some pieces of wreckage no signs
of human occupation were visible. On the
eastern side of the island, imbedded in the
sand an anchor was seen and what ap-
peared to be the wreck of Il lower mast
was higher up the beach.
When the flagstaff was in place the sail
ors We're formed in two ranks. facing sea-
ward, and having called al to witness that
the island was not in the possession of any
other nation, Commander Taussig ordered
the American flag to be raised by Ensign
Wettengei. Upon reaching the truck the
nag was saluted by twenty-0na guns from
the Bennington. After the salute the flag
was nailed to the masthead with ha:tens
and brass plate with the following in
scrlpuon was screwed to the base OF the
flagstaff:
United States of America. William Ne
klnley, President; John u. Long Secretary
OF the Navy: Commander Edward u. Taus-
sig. I. S. navy, commanding the L. s. 5.
Bennington, this nth day of January. 1899,
took possession of the atol known as
Wakes Island for the United States Of
America"
description of ths. Island
Commander Taussig describes the island
thus:
The island was more heavily wooded
than was shown in the chart. Patches of
grass were growing on the lagoon side of
the western islet, and the shrubbery afford
ed nesting places for the many sea fowl
Fish were plentiful in the lagoon, and there
was swift current running out of the
southern passage. The lagoon on the south
side was shoal, but on the north side there
was long strip of deep blue water extend
t,g nearly its whole length. Outside of the
lagoon many sharks We're seen croWding
around our boats and around the ships.
Had L been able to have found an
anchorage, | would have remained in this
vicinity for two or three days to recon-
noiter more thoroughly the island and to
take astronomical and magnetic obServa-
tions; 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, l took my departure at
5:'5 p. m. for Guam. During the afternoon
the navigator Ensign Campbell, was en-
deavoring to find possible anchorage on
some light patches of water to the west
ward of the outlet. He found thirty faith
oms, coral bottom, and one patch about
800 yards from the reef wall. but II ICoked
too close to the breakers to be used. The
white bottom could be seen on patches,
where soundings of twenty fathoms were
obtained close in to the breakers"