The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-05-31
THE OREGON HERE

A S THE sun rose on Decoration
~ Day the famous United States
first-rate battleship Oregon,
Capt. Charles NJ. Thomas. command
ingiwanr sighted off port. 'Earlyin the
morning she dropped her anchor off
the harbor and saluted Uncle Sans
new Territory, her guns booming
across the harbor and echoing in the
hills.
Great and powerful, wicked looking
and impressive, bristling with great
guns and swarm of little guns, point
ing in all directions, with her long
homeward- bound pennant floating
gracefully from her mast of steel, she
indeed presented IA spectacle to swell
the hearts of all who call the Stars and
Stripes their flag.
If there be an American who needs
his patriotism revived, let him go
aboard the floating guardian of Am
erican shores which lies at the gate
way of the Paradise of the Pacific and
be shown over the wonderful battle
ship by some OF the gallant and oblg-
ing officers whose every word concern
ing the Oregon is word of praise and
Affection Let him explore the mighty
ship OF war from her fighting top to
her double bottom, from her stern to
her prow,T inspecting the turrets where
the big guns are protected; her en-
Eines, powerful affairs, which work
like watch; her every part and all
her intrieate mechanism, listening the
while toatase stories told by her officers
and MEEK He will be saturated with
strone-rappreciation of the greatness
of the immense machine, and will real
ize something, almost unconsciously
of what it all stands for. He viii
thank Ged that he is an American. and
at the same time feel something OF the
fascination of war.
To listen to the talk of the gunnner's
mate, for example, II would seem al
most a privilege to die on one of the
cruel steel monsters which can belch
forth death and destruction at the dell
cate touch of the captain of the gun
The Oregon, which performed the re-
markable feat of steamfng from Cali
fornia to the West Indies in fifty-sev-
en- days. is sister ship of the Indiana
and Massachusetts, and a ship whose
superior in battery power and armor
protection does not float today. She
Is justly termed bulldog OF the sea.
Pursuant to the traditional American
policy of having ships better armed
class for class than corresponding for
eign vessels, the Oregon. like her two
sisters, was given a battery of terrific
force. It comprises four huge 13-inch
breechloading rifles, eight S-inch and
four 6-inch. besides a swarm of small
rapid-fire guns, These guns are. ar.
ranged. too. so that they command a
wide range, and can be concentrated
on more points than the guns OF any
other baftleshIp, ,r"3i :.
A single discharge from all her
weapons hurls more than three tons
or metal. Speed had to b. sacrificed
In order to SECURE this enormous bat
terry power and also the heavy armor
proteetion. bun in spite OF this the Ore
son managed TO maintain the very re-
spectacle gait OF thirteen knots dur
Ing her ls,0o0-mile jaunt around South
America, few years ago
She Was the first United States bat
ueshfp OF modern build to cross the
equator. Her performance at san
tiago on July / 1898. was one Of the
most remarkable events of which the
war was productive.
The Oregon sailed from Yokohama
for this port on the 10Th instant Cap
tain Thomas aid not hurry her on ac-
count OF yery rough weather For a
s"uple Of days the Oregon poked along
~ only -four ~ ave knots an hour.