The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-11-07
mot where the chase had begun.

buhu buo hmoIlChu DnthOohiPoS 'uOh
armament was known to be heavier
than that of the American cruisers.
The Spanish commander reckoned on
being able to sink the cruisers and to
run away from the battleships, or to
fight them on nearly equal terms.
Eliminate the Oregon, with her Won
derful speed and efficiency in fighting,
from the American side of the equa-
ton, and how nearly would Cevera
have come to the realization of his |
hopes and calculationsl when the |
history of that naval conflict" with all
the supplementary details and incl
dentals, is written, it will appear that
the claims made in Captain Clark's be-
half are fully sustained--as already
they are by the official records, by the
concurrent and generous testimony OF
his commanding officers and of his
brother captains in the battle.
The Transcript is respectfully re-
ferred to the report Of the chief OF the
Bureau of Navigation, 1898, and to the
chart on page 500 of that document.
The marvellous speed of the Oregon,
which the official reports do not show
surprising her trial record, over
taking and far outstripping every other
battleship, was not the sole result of
good machinery. Captain Clark had
kept himself and his crew on short
allowance of the fresh water supplied by
the evaporators that his boilers might
be filed with fresh instead of salt
water; all his boilers were constantly
under steam; when the Teresa was
sighted on the morning of July 3, the
o. egon started in pursuit under full
pressure, and the picked coal he had
saved for this emergency was blazing
under boiler sheets on which there was
no incrustation of salt to diminish their
steaming capacity. Thus was good
ship ready for instant duty. BY this
means was her trial speed exceeded in
the chase. In these important and
crucial particulars there were no 9TH
ers among the battleships at Santi
ago-and the Oregon had but recently
completed cruise, at forced speed, of
a. 900 miles. AT its termination, at
Jupiter Inlet, in opposition to the opin-
ion of the engineers, Captain Clark de-
cided, on his own responsibility, that
the Oregon was in good condition for
instant service; and it must be conceded
that his judgment was very signally
indicated at Santiago, in the pursuit
of the feet Spanish cruisers. The
fighting efficiency of the Oregon's crew
had been secured by ceaseless drill
while following the Southern Cross
down the Pacific and the North Star up
the Atlantic coast of the Americas,
running the gauntlet of constant perils
off the Brazilian shores.
There was one other, the Transcript
is reminded, who had been on blockade
duty but who has not yet been accounted
for-Captain Higginson, of the battle
ship Massachusetts, son of Massa-
chusetts, who with his ship was at
Guantanamo bay, forty miles away coal
ing on the eventful day of the battle. 1t
was no fault of Captain Higginson's
that he was not in the action. 1t was
his misfortune. But Captain Higgin-
son, who had performed no signal SER
vice in the Spanish war, or at any other
time, has been made rear admiral at
the instance of another Massachusetts
man, the secretary of the navy, while
Captain Clark has not only been prac-
tically unnoticed by the government he
has served 80 signally, but has actually
been punished by being placed, rela
lively, three numbers lower in the
order of precedence in his own rank
than he was when he sailed out of
San Francisco bay on his world famous
voyage, and fought in the battle off the
south coast of Cuba.
The obvious matter for criticism in
this connection is the notorious dis
elimination of the government against
Captain Clark and every officer Of
rank, except Captain Philip, who had
an immediate and active part in the
battle of Santiago, and who contributed
to its glorious issue.
"When the history of that conflict is
written" the foregoing facts and cir.
cumstances will silence such fiippant
remarks as this of the Transcript, and
will become the subject of wondering
comment, as already they are by men
eminent in foreign naval affairs, and,
indeed, by the great body of the Amer
lean people. The WATCHMAN's state
ments in respect of Captain Clark's
part in the battle OF Santiago de Cuba
are sustained by every important fact