Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-09
FROM KEHM
The Oregon on it's Second Trip to
Linguayan Gulf.
RELIEVED SISTER SHIP In DISTRESS

Wreck Of the IIl-Fated Charleston
Stranded In Hostile Territory
Aided by Crew Of the Bat.
tleship Oregon.
Mrs. S. E. Adler is in receipt of a
letter from her brother, Herman
Kehm, of the United States battleship
Oregon. The letter was written No.
vember H., 1899. while in Linguayan
Gulf. Philippine Islands, and gives the
following interesting narrative of the
cruise of that famous ship on this, its
second visit to the above named gulf:
Our second visit to this gudf, like
the first, enables us to aid sister ship
in distress. Last June we saved the
stranded Paragua and yesterday we
gave all the provisions we could posi-
bly, spare to the crew of the Inflated
Charleston. That vessel, while on
surveying cruise about the islands,
grounded on an unknown reef. near the
Guinapack rocks, about o'clock a. M,
November 2. She is total wreck. the
coral reef having pierced the double
bottoms and even into the fire rooms,
turning over one of the boilers. For
tunately all hands We're saved. 1t be-
came necessary to abandon the ship.
She was splendid cruiser of the sec
ond class protected type, of about
4,500 tons displacement, carrying.
a battery of two s-inch, six
finch, seven 6-pounders and
number of smaller rapid-fring guns.
She had a crew of $50 officers and men
! and was the first vessel built by the
Union Iron Works, of San Francisco,
CAL, for the United States government,
and had done good service during the
| time she was commissioned. As she
| was stranded in hostile territory, her
entire battery was disabled, by de-
stroying the breech mechanism, before
our men left her. The crew then went
off in small boats with what provisions
and arms they could take in their
hasty departure and made for the
Camiguan islands, twenty-eight miles
distant. The Charleston's crew out
numbered the inhabitants of the isl
and, consequently they We're amigos
(friends) They supplied the ship
| wrecked men with cocoanuts and ba-
nanas and two water buffalos. The ma
lives preferred clothes rather than
money, but the poor men only had
enough to cover themselves.
ION November s. Lieutenant Melon
aid, Boatswain Glen, and six men of
the Charleston's crew put TO sea in an
open boat in quest of relief They
were picked up by the United States
4 transport Aztec, bound from Lingua-
guanan gulf to San Francisco, Cal,
via Nagasaki, Japan. The Aztec left
4 the gulf at 8 a. M, on the 18th, and we
left at 10 o'clock the same morning for
Manila. At 1880 p. m. we sighted the
i Aztec in the otfing. She had small
boat in tow, which turned out to be
the Charleston's relief party. We took
them aboard, and as soon as We heard
of the disaster we shaped our course
4 toward Linguayan gulf again, in
search of the Helena. She being light
4 draugbt vessel requiring but nine fee,
of water was better suited TO go to
A the relief of the Charleston than was
A the Oregon, drawing twenty-seyen feet
i As. we neared the gulf it was quite
dark and while fifteen miles distant
|from the Helena, we succeeded in call
ing her up by seareh-lights. The fol.
s, lowing messages We're then sent to the
He4ena:
! Prepare for sea Immediately,
signed. Wilde. s
Charleston total wreck. You are
to go to her relief, Wilde.
when you have steam come within
hail, Wilde.
Commanding officer repair or
board when we anchor, Wilde
AS soon as we anchored, the Helena
!, came up and preparations We're begun
a for transferring stores for the Charles
tons men and before 1920 that nigh
{ the Helena got away on her errand o.
! relief.
) "The army had quite serious
5 brush with the insurgents yesterday
!, Our loss was Major Logan, Thirty thir(
! infantry, and four privates killed, ant
one captain anu eight men wounded.
i November 16-The army advanced
fourteen miles up the coast from Sal
/ Fabian and captured the city of Sal
\ Tomas. Loss, five wounded. Our frs
: steam cutter, armed with one one
. FOUNDER and several riflemen and tn
. second sailing launch with a three-incl
field piece and company of me-
$ moved along the shore in advance o
!. the army and kept up steady fire il
y the DfuSn just 10 SOrt OF break IN
! news to the Philippines. AS soon a
: our launches appeared on the scene o
= the action, the insurgents fired nun
q Der of shot at them but when our me-
\ in the boat got to work the Philippine
|, were off to the races.
: 1.-THE Samar came alongside thi
4 morning and reported that Genera
= Young's cavalry had taken San Fel
: nando. She had ten thousand rounds Q
!, ammunition for General Young's con
:, mand."
! A stock company of local capitals
a at Fort Madison has just been forme
i for the establishment of canning ia
; tory, with capital of 100000.