The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-08-04

ner's mate in the crew of the starboard
eight-inch turret. He was only eighteen
when the Oregon earned her title of "buIt-
dos"-a lad fresh from q California gram
mar school-but he had the Joyous privilege
that day of working a 6-pounder in the star.
board waist, and. glad though he is to get
hack to his country home with q bag fan
OF dollars and five years OF hard experience.
he will no. soon cease to think about hi,
privilege and how he used IL. Leaning
against the forward hatch he forgot to be
shy and his voice lost its ~softness While be
told of the fight. claiming for the OREGON
the honors Of the day.
The battleship had done her full share
Of blockade work and bombardment. ran the
tale Of the gunner's mate. when there befer
the best OF her great good luck.
1T was q blazing hot Sunday morning
and We were just about to go to quarters
for inspection" said the young man Of the
tlrret. when Chief Quartermaster John
son. who had been p~uzzling over the smoke
that rose from inside the harbor mouth.
cried. They're coming OUT We had en-
our best whites for inspection. but We were
good and ready for the spaniards. Joe
o'shea. a marine corps private, got in the
first shot from No. II S~pounder Just as the
Maria Teresa showed her nose in the OPEN
The shot went Just ahead Of her. flying
high
After that the Oregon was at il hammer
and tongs, with the 13-inch rifles leading the
DEVILS chorus"
And then he told of the srimly beautiful
hattra pi.ftrr. tha hltro calm q : n mill
pond. the green hills. the cioudiess sky. the
tropical sunlight streaming down on the red
and yellow bravery Of SPANS doomed 40
tilla. the clouds OF dense black smoke pour
ing from the tunnels Of the five ships that
played hares to the hounds that ran that
Gay. the red flames that trimmed turret. top
and battery as the Spaniards fought and
fed.
Aboard the Oregon the clamor was IT,
tanic. Naked men toiled frantically at gun
and ammunition hoist. while the conclusion
OF the great rifles Jared the massive ship
in every fiber. II is the claim Of the Ore
CONS men that her fortunate position and
her speed enabled her to get the lions
share OF the fighting. They point out that
she was closer in than any other OF the
fleet and declare. with charts and diagrams
for corroborative proof. that 1t was shs
who drove the Maria Teresa a flaming ruin
TO the beach.
Thea the bulldog sripped the Oquendos
flank and soon had her crippled and heading
for the beach. Then the starboard battery
was turned on the Vizcsya at such range
that two 13-inch guns found the mark with
their half-ton shells. piercing through and
through. setting her on fire in many places
and killing at one shot four score Of her
men. Meanwhile h Colon. last Of the
Spanish fleet to leave the harbor and finest
and fastest of them all. was drawing ahead
of the chase.
escaped. The big battleship. running under
forced draught and already at high speed.
settled down to the sixty-mile chase. High
er and higher crept the speed, touching at
one time 16 knots. At about four ami one
half miles range. with the Oregon tearinu
through the water on a course almost par
aliei to the Colon's. Lieutenant Eberie in
the forward turret sent a l3-inch shell
screeching after Cervera's flagship. II fell
a little short, but the range was excellent.
Another dropped ahead Of the quarry.
The Colon swung her bow seward A. II
she meant 10 turn and fight. A moment
later. in token of defeat. she headed shore
ward. The Oregon's work Of war was
done
For the three years since Santiago ard
Cervera. the Oregon has been on a cruise
that was longer II less exciting than thu,
Of ISIS. From New York to Manila and
back again to San Francisco IL a long and
hazardous Journey. No careful observer
believes that 1t was undertaken because
OF the Filipino insurerction- When the
Oregon started to the Orient 1t was because
Washington anticipated something much
more serious than even the blockade and
the battle OF Santiago, and such q thing
could have been nothing less than Euro
pean Interference. The men Of the Oregon
are regretful that the anticipated trouble
did not come. They ara sure that the Ore
gon would have distinguished herself once
more. even In the select gathering Of war
ships guarding the interests Of the Powers
In the Far East
Not . man that evef served on her but
sings the Oregon's praises. She's Q grey
hound when she runs and . bulldog when
she fights IL the verdict Of the man be-
hind tho gun.