The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-07-20
TALK WITH M'CALLA.
The Captain of the. Newark Discusses
Affairs in China and the Philip
pines.


Capt. Bowman H. McCalla, command
ing the United States cruiser Newark.
which dropped anchor in the North
River off Fiftieth street on Saturday
afternoon after making New York from
Hong Kong in the fast time of 46 days,
was al home yesterday aboard his ship
and spun tales of his experiences in Chi
nese and Philippine waters for the many
old friends who called upon him. Ever
since the early days of the Spanish
American war; when Admiral Sampson
sent Captain McCalla and little COM
pany of jackies and marines from the
Marblehead ashore at Guantanamo to
clear the place of Snaniards and blaze
the way for the army. McCalla has been
enshrined in the popular heart as one
of the rough -and-ready fighting men of
the navy.
His record shows. that he is all that his
cOuntrymen insist he is, and yet in the
cabin of his ship on summer afternoon
CAPTAIN McCalla seems to be anything
but a fighting man. He might be taken
for a college professor or doctor or a
lawyer but hardly for a sailor Still
he's big enough to fight well, for he
stands feet in his shoes. is broad
shouldered and looks hard as nails. He
has a broad, reflective brow and his
gray blue eyes look out through big spec
tacles. He talks like an educated son of
New England, who has lived much in old
England. But one might be pardoned if
he mistook the Yankee sailor for born
and bred Britisher.
Captain McCalla is a poor sort to tell
about himself. He'll tell you all about
his ship and his men and the exploits Of
other fellows, but it is like drawing teeth
to get him to admit even that he was
ever in the vicinity Of where men We're
killing one another for national prestige.
A Sun man kept firing questions at him
yesterday afternoon until finally the
captain had to put some action into his
answers.
''Oh, yes" he said mildl", we've had
some rather stirring experiences since
VIC sailed from San Francisco on October
u.s. 1900. We had a fine ships company
and they behaved splendidly, as Ameri
can sailors always do when strenuous
work. as our vice president would say. is
to be DONE. We got to Manila on Nov
% stayed there five days and were then
ordered to cruise off the north and west
coasts of Luzon. rendering such assist
ance as we might to General Young, who
was in command of the land forces in
that district. Splendid fighter is General
Young and a splendid man. When he
natures a plan of campaign you may
depend upon it that it will be executed.
took with me from Manila the gunboats
Princeton, Helena. Wheeling. Samur and
Coleo and the supply ship Zafiro.
"Youngs operations up there, the
rescue of Gilmore and his men by Colonel
Hare and Lieutenant Colonel Howe are
old stories and the Press has told them
all. In my opinion, however, the rescue
Of Gilmore has never been adequately
tald anywhere. The privatiOns of that
little expedition of 800 men under Hare
and Howe as they pushed their way
With wonderful speed through an UNI
broken and. mountainous country to
where Gilmore and his men were held
prisoners, was a marvellous piece of
work. We We're able to assist them a
little in keeping the mountain passes
open, but that was all. General Young
was good enough to say that he couldn't
have done much without us. but General
Young is a. very appreciative-, person
Northern Luzon was at one time entirely