New-York tribune., 1900-08-11
THE OREGON TO BE PATCHED
NAVY DEPARTMENT REVERSES ITS
FORMER ACTION.
sTRANDING OF THE BATTLEsHP MAY NOT
BE INVESTIGATED.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO rus tribune.


Washington. Aug. 1O.-The efforts to white
wash those responsible for the disaster TO the
battleship Oregon continue to excite comment
throughout the Navy, especially among officers
who can see nothing cOmmendabIe in conceaIins
the truth about the matter simply because 1t
is the ship that could be least spared in the
existing tempestuous condition Of international
affairs. 1t now appears that an investigation
into the responsibility for running the great
vessel ashore in a channel miles upon miles out
of her course is to be avoided. if possible. al
though demanded by the regulations. and no
effort is to be spared to hush up the matter.
When the Oregon reached the imperial dock
yard, at Kure. naval officers were amazed to
see her commander praised in a public mes
sage from the Department. which approved his
suggestion for patching" the ship and hurrying
back to TaIu. where she would have 70 lie four
miles outside OF gunshot range Of the shore on
account of her draught. The impression was
created that the Oregon had sustained scarcely
any injury, and that a little patching" would
make her as good new. No pains were spared
at the Navy Department to spread this an
nOuncement broadcast. few days later Ad-
miraI Remey reported that the ship had been
docked, and that four months work would be
needed to repair her permanently. He recon-
mended he did not expect to need her in
made. lntimatng strongly that nothing less
than four months work would make the vessel
serviceable the mainstay OF his fleet The
Oregon is purely a battIeship. not a cruiser or
a guardship, 10 be utilized In the shallow ports
of China, Hong Kong being the only harbor she
can enter, and 1t was therefore supposed that
the Admiral knew what he was talking about
in advising that the ship should be tied up for
four months. He thought either that no inter
national complication of the United States with
the Powers was likely in that time. that the
ship could not be made fit to fight in less time
The Navy Department promptly approved the
Admirars plan. satisfied that the vessel had
been hurt much worse the pinnacIes OF
Miau Tau Strait than had been represented. no
battleship in the new Navy ever having been
damaged TO extent which required four
months repairs TO her hull Evidently, instead
Of a few small holes. many plates had been
injured and her structure had been badly
strained. No sooner had this news reached
Kure than another plea was received from the
captain Of the Oregon protesting against the
AdmiraTs plan and begging that temporary
patching be authorized The Navy Department.
however. could not overrule the Admiral whose
recommendation had been approved without
ordering an inquiry, which it was reluctant TO
do, and Constructor Ruhm. who had just ar
rived at Nagasaki on his way to Cavite to I'LL
HObsons place. was diverted to Kure with tele-
graphic orders TO make the ship as good as new.
To-day the Department reversed its action. and
authorized the simple patching instead of thor
ough repairs, giving as it's reason a communica-
ton received through the State Department con-
veying information that Japan would be seri-
oUsly incommoded by the loss Of the use OF its
great naval dock for four months az this critical
period 1t is the only dock that will contain
some OF the larger Japanese vessels which must
all be kept in fighting trim while Eastern af-
fairs are so disturbed and the American au-
thorities. on receipt Of the polite intimation.
realized what a remarkable obligation would
have been incurred by using the Japanese dock
without pay for one-third of a year. So the
Oregon is 10 be temporarily patched" and II
II Is true that she needs four months repairs
she will soon have to be brought home. the Iowa
from san Francisco, or the Kearsarge or the
Kentucky, from the Atlantic Coast taking her
place on the Asiatic Station.