Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-07-03
WRECKED ON CHINA COAST
U. S. Battleship Oregon Fast on
the Island of How XII.
WAS BOUND FOR TAKU.
Capt. Wilde Informs Secretary of the
Navy of the Disaster to
His Ship.

Shanghai, June 29.-It is reported here
that the United States battleship Oregon
IS ashore on the island of How HI in
the Mica Toa group, fifty miles north of
Chefoo. and that steamer of the India
China Steamship Navigation company
has gone to her assistance.
Pinnacle Rock, where the Oregon ran
aground, is about % feet high and lies
three and tWO-thirdS nIies south of How
III island and about a mile and a quar-
ter north northeast of the island of Siao
Iu Shan. The rock is encircled by Il
shoal and should not be approaches
nearer than three cables. According to
the photographic bureau officials, there
Is q strong current from three to five
knots speed always prevalent in this vi
entity, and this fact, together with the
dense fog. that prevailed at the time,
greatly enhanced the danger in nayigat-
ing the Oregon. The officials of the
naval photographers office say there is
a great rise and fall OF the tide at this
point labout ten feet) and it is possible
that the Oregon may be lifted off in this
way and set afoat without assistance
London, June Bottle Shanghai CORE
spOndent of the Times, telegraphing yes
terday, says: THE United States bat
tleship Oregon went ashore in fog off
How ri island, north of Chefoo.
Messrs. Jardlne. Mathieson Il Co. are
Washington, d. c., June 30.-The
navy department has received a ca BILE
gram from Capt. Wilde of the battleship
Oregon, dated Chefoo, yesterday, con-
hrmlng the report that his ship is
aground fifty miles from Taku. The
Iris and another relief ship are now
with the Oregon.
The following dispatches were received
at the navy department relative to the
grounding of the Oregon:
Chefoo, June ,29.-secretary of Navy:
fathoms, three miles south of How Ke
light, gulf of Pechili. Sent out two
boats and sounded. Least water SO
and struck pinnacle rock Much water in
forward compartment. Perfect smooth
Shall charter steamer if possible at ChefcO
and lighter the ship. Rock through side of
snip above double bottom, about frame 49,
Small holes also through bottom of ship
WILDE.
Chefoo, June 29.-Secretary of Navy.
Washington: Iris gone to the assistance of
the oregon. RAYMOND ROGERS,
Commanding Nashville.
Hong Kong June 29.-Secretary Navy.
Washington: Princeton arrived. Brooklyn
leaves for Nagasaki. The Zafiro at Chefoo
has been sent to assist Oregon, reported by
Rogers on a rock south How he light
Iris going to her assistance. REMEY.
Capt Wildes statement of the injuries
sustained by the Oregon is scarcely suf-
hcient to enable the naval constructors
here to form definite opinion as to the
prospects of saving the famous ship.
Ihey say, however the ship probably
can be saved, if the weather does not
become rough, but unfortunately this is
the season of storms in Chinese waters
Trial Trip in 1896.
The Oregon has had a short life and a
busy one, up to date. Her record break
ing journey around the Horn in the spring
of 1898, her splendid fighting service in
the sea battle of Santiago and her later
tip to the Philippines are still fresh in
the minds of all newspaper readers, and
the long rush from the Pacific to the At
lantic in particular-have been given to
the future in some of the most stirring
ballads ever evoked by the exploits of
American men-of-war.
Coming out of the yards of the Irving
NJ. Scott company at San Francisco in
May, 1896, she beat all existing records
for ships of her class On her trial trip,
showing a maximum speed Of 11.34 knots
per hour.
The Oregon went into active service
early in 1897, and was the chief vessel of
the Pacific coast squadron when early in
1898 the late Capt. Charles e. Clark of
the Monterey was given command of her
and ordered to sail around Cape Horn to
take part in the impending battle with
the approaching Spanish squadron under
Admiral Cervera.
That voyage was the most marvellous
exploit of its. kind in the history of sea-
going battleships. Aside from the fact
that the Oregon is the only battleship
that ever rounded the Horn, the voyage
was productive Of many unprecedented
achievements. For example. the Ore
CONS complete journey from Puget Sound
to Sand Key, Fla, done in eighty-one
cOrprn6 1Q 100 ctaf 1Ita roioc
10, al nautical miles, the longest voyage
ever made by battleship. She steamed
4126 miles without making a stop of any
kind, again creating a record. She
steamed 2S44 knots al q uniform speed of
thirteen knots an hour. The total num-
Der of days she spent at sea, out Of the
eighty-one required to make the voyage,
was ffty-nine.
Fought as She Cruised.
Starting in perfect order, the great ship
arrived on the Florida coast in exactly
the same condition, ready, and more
ready than most of the ships she found
there, to go into the battle, where she
outfooted the f1eetest Of the fast cruisers
and did more execution than any other
vessel engaged in the destruction of the
Spanish fleet that tried vainly to escape
from Santiago on the morning of July 4,
1895
Early last week Rear-Admiral Remey
was directed to send this vessel from
Hong Kong to Taku She left Hong
Kong last Saturday night, two days
ahead of her expected departure, and had
on board, in addition to her regular crew
164 sailors and marines brought to Hong
Kong from Manila by the Zafro.
Her Sixth Day Out.
The distance she had to travel was
about 1900 miles and the calculation of
the naval officials here was that if the
vessel made record time she would be at
Taku in six days. Today is the sixth
the Oregon has been on her voyage, so
that in all probability she must be in the
vicinity of Chefoo if she maintained her
reputation as a fast battleship
The Oregon weighs, roundly speaking.
10000 tons and cost $3,250,0OO. The
range of her four 13-inch guns is ten
miles and they hurl projectiles weighing
100 pounds, propelled by $50 pounds of
powder, which gives them power to pierre.
twenty-seven inches of steel at 1900
yards. Her eight S-inch breechloading
rifles and fOur H-iDch brao oh loo