The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-07-13
Sea Fighters Boston, Con
cord, WinslOw, and Detroit
10 Be AuctiOned.
PROTEST IS RISING
AGAINST THE PLAN
Cry Going Forth 10 Save Vessels
Distinguished in War
With Spain.

-Four v5-Shjns Of Spanish war fame
doomed To Junk
Such is the fate Of the Boston. the
Concord. the WInsIow and the Detroit.
as fOTeseeD in an announcement 10y the
Nav Department that The four viii
be sold 10 the highest bidder No long
e. fit 10 cone with modern armament on
tie waters. they are 10 lie cast aside
rUthlessly bv an unfeeIinc Government
-sartcred or TO whomsoever VIII pay
the most mone- for so much junk
Bot not without protest viH occur the
passing Of these Warships from the field
Of service on the seas 10 such an iSuO-
bic doom. Patriotic people viii rebel
against the thought Of such On IN
worthy end OF these monuments 10
Ar. erican raIOr-thcse fighting factors
in Cuha's freedom.
AlrCady. the storm of protest IS arising
IN Washington and the wave seems
likely TO sweep over the nation All
over the land. where now are scattered
in the enjoyment Of Dcaceful pursuits
the heroes Of those trying times, when
mems blood ran hot with patriotism
q dozen wears ago probably VIII &c uU
& CITY for the salvation Of the ships
Remember she Maine" was the bat
tie CRY Of EesteryCsr- but the plea IN
pzace viii be TO remember the sister
Sims that avenged her so valiantlr
within few weeks after she had gore
down in the harbor Of Havana Not
less mighty than the appeal to save the
Constitution VIII be this effort 10 rob
the luukunan OF these four SHIPS Uncle
sam would sell 20 the highest bidder
Shared In Spanish War.
All fo.rr of the vrarshiDs that the
Nav Department has condemned took
conspicuous part IN the naval en-
fragments during the Spanish war
The Boston and the Concord the for
rlzr a protected cruiser and che latter
q gUub0aJ. belonged to Admiral
Dewey's fleet at Manila. while the
NinsIow ana the Detroit were with
the Atlantic feet
II was on the deck Of the Wiusfo7-.
during the hottest cannon fire OF the
war, that Ensign Worth Bagley was
killed tv an exploding shell
One Of the achievements OF the De
troit was her capture of the Catalina,
20 the ives tvard Of Havana Also she
took active part in the bCmbarumeut
OF san Juan
Heroes who manned these ships. and
r. fat all the men VINO fought on
land and sea for CUba's freedom. VIII
doubtless Join the movement TO pre-
serve in maUeriaE way the Tour
boats II is doubtful if there Is Iiv-
tE2 man who experienced those stir
ring scenes who viii not view with
sadness the passing Of the ships from
service
Before these men viii vividIv rise
the past with all It's horrors OF war
5nd JheE VIII see aEa1n those doomed
ships IN action They viii see the
proud 1eet cruising toward Manila
H.
tan They VIII see men in the fear
Ill expectancy or the possible doom
before them They VIII see the Bos-
tor a1u the Concord go ahead al fun
speed along tie coast of I1-zo- 10 =V-
anime SGbiE bay
They viii hear again resouudinE
roar rom Fl FraiIe- as the advance
o. the feet is discovered. and they
VIII see the Boston return the Gre
ne nrst shells OF the war from the
Portsmouth Going, Too.
They viii see The winston SCATTERED
with blood and Spanish steel in
verit3ble storm Of shell before Ma
tanzls- They viii see Ensign BaeIev
fail as a murderous Spanish shell bursts
near BY
Coincident with the condemnation Of
these four Spanish war boats Is the
passing OF the old sI0op-of-war Ports
mouth, forming the Izst chapter in the
history Of what IS believed 10 be one
81 the most interesting ships OF the
Old navy
launched before the beginning Of rhe
Mexican war. the Portsmouth took an
active part In that struggle uartfcfuat-d
IN the suppression OF me African slave
trade fought in Chinese waters and
had a large share in the operations in
the Gulf Of Mexico during the civil war
The Portsmouth was built IN 1913. and
atteT a voyage Of one year and q half
arrived n san Francisco 10 protect the
American citizens War was declared
soon sfrerward- and her men took Dos
session OF san Francisco and hOiSred
the stars and Stripes there for the first
time
At present she IS with the New jersey
% naval militia, but in a few days viii
be tOwed from Hobolzen to the navy
yard IN Brooklyn to end one Of the most
varied and interesting careers Of the
United States navy