The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-01-17

approval OF Captain M-Aan, TIE recOghiz'
ed authority in naval strategy. No one
now doubts that the Oregon would have
whipped the Spanish squadron had this
coveted opportunity for glory been vouch-
safed the captain, his officers aud crew.
4. At Santiago the Versuvius always
went near the harbor entrance, to throw
her dynamite shells, during the time the
Oregon was doing search light duty. This
made the duty more dangerous for the
Oregon. When asked why he did this, the
commanding officer OF the Versuvius re-
piled, because the Oregon lights the en-
trance better and makes it easier for me to
get the position and range"
8. The chart of the positions of the differ
ent ships during the fight on July misrepre-
sents the position OF the Oregon The
board that drew up the chart was supposed
to be composed of the navigators of the
ships that were in the fight. The naviga-
tors of all except the Oregon were present
at the meetings Of this board. AT that time
the officer who was navigator of the Oregon
on July was in San Francisco. So, when
the board met, the Oregon was represented
by an officer, able and efficient in every
way, but whose duties on the day OF the
battle kept him below decks during the
fight, and he was, therefore, unable to OBJ
serve the movements of his own or the
other ships. Thus, at the meetings of the
board, the positions assigned the Oregon
were those the other officers willingly
granted. 1t was acknowledged that the
Oregon was the nearest to the enemy, but
each officer was anxious to get his ship as
near as possible, and more than once the
representative Of the Oregon was obliged to
say: at you keep on forcing your ships
ahead you will crowd the Oregon on
shore" Then they would have to go back
and start afresh
6. As 1t Is, the chart represents the Ore
aon ahead OF the Oquendo as she (the
Oquendo) is turning for the beach. This is
false. The Oregon left behind her no Span
ish ship that was able to continue the fight,
and passed none that had not turned
towards the shore. AS the Oregon drew
up on each OF the enemy's ships, that ship
gave up the fight and turned for the shore
and then the Oregon passed on to the next
ahead, leaving to her consorts only beaten
| and disabled foes to contend with, foes
whose ags were still flying but whose only
| idea was to beach their vessels. The fght
was over for them and they would have fol-
lowed the same course II no ships had beer
following the Oregon. The Cristobal Co
Ion continued her course until she found
that she was in the range Of the guns OF the
Oregon, and then she, too, sought the beach
and the Oregon was detailed to go to looh
for another Spanish ship that was reported
as steamipg up from astern, but which later
turned out to be an Austrian, or she also
would be now resting her bones on or neal
the Cuban coast.
1t is gratifying to know that Captain
Clark's case is before the House COM
mittee on naval affairs. In connection
with this general outline of his services
and achievements the judgment o.
disinterested observers is importan
and interesting. Captain Paget of the
British navy, who was with the Amer
lean fleet off Santiago, says: "Captair
Sldrk 10 NY Uedu iucdl VI uaNui Oui
Ger, and / consider his services ahea(
of any other living American officer.
At dinner in San Francisco, Lore
Beresford, an English naval office
we'll known in the United States anC
Of high competency to judge, said
"America should be proud of her ship
the Oregon, and Captain Clark. Blu
naval officers say, we could do the
same but 1 say, You never have don,
it,"
The unanswerable force of these con
siderations should apply in Captain
Clark's case, as they were applied il
that of Commodore Dewey after Ma
Mia, and, like Dewey, Clark SHOULD
have his full reward, and the republic
long withheld gratitude INDICATED b,
an official expression, and tender Of
promotion, that shall lack no element o.
generosity and righteousness.