New-York tribune., 1919-07-06
American Guns
TOEndCareers
OF Noted Ships
Warships Iowa and Others
That Humbled Spain To
Be Used as Targets for
observation-disclosures
The Oregon Given to State
Kearsarge and Illinois, Once
Most Powerful Afloat, To
Be Scrapped With Others

WASHINGTON. July 5.-Decision Of
the Navy Department to break up and
sell -or junk or use for targets twelve
obsolete battleships marks the passing
Of feet of vessels long identified with
many Of the most glorious achieve
nents Of the new American navy. They
wrote many bright pages into this
country's naval history during their
years Of service. and four Of them have
participated actively in two wars. The
doomed ships, including the famous old
Spsnish-Americar war squadron con-
sisting Of the Oregon, Iowa, Indiana
and Massachusetts, and the more mod
ern but hardly less famous Kentucky,
Kearsarge, Alabama, Illinois. Wiscon-
sin, Ohio, Missouri and Maine, COM
,osed one Of the most, if not the most.
powerful bsttleship fleets in the world
more than fifteen years ago.
Foremost among the achievements OF
these famous old fighting craft is the
part they played in the Spanish-Amer-
lean war. The Oregon. which had been
commissioned at San Francisco In July,
1896. was at Mare Island navy yard
in 1898 when the message was flashed
TO her commander that the United
States was az war with Spain. On
March S, 1898. the famous old ship
cleared the Golden Gate, bound for the
West Indies on what proved to be the
most epoch making battleship voyage
ever undertaken. With decks stripped
for action and gun crews at their sta
tions the Oregon ploughed around Cape
Horn. up the east coast of South Amer
ica and arrived at Key West on May
20, ready for action, having made the
$4,000 mile voyage in sixty-eight cruis-
ing days. Captain c. f. Clark, the
Oregons commanding officer, was or
dered TO take his ship 10 Santiago and
there join the blockading squadron
which was awaiting battle with the
Spanish feet.
With Schley's Squadron
In the mean time the Iowa. the Mas
sachusetts and the Indiana, sister ships
cf the Oregon, were attached 10 the
North Atlantic feet and had already
arrived off Cuba. the Massachusetts
teing part of the famous flying squad
ron under command Of Commodore
Schley.
The Oregon, already famous through
oEt the world for her glorious and sue
oessful voyage TO ioin the American
feet in time for the impending battle,
ga;ned greater glory in the action off
Santiago de Cuba Sunday, July 3, 1898,
when Spanish sea power was forever
humbled and the liberation of the Phil
ippines and Cuba assured. In that now
historic sea fight the Oregon ran the
~r 10 fcb
ashore after riddling the craft with
hits from her 8 and 13 inch guns, and
then engaged in a running fight with
Ike Colon. which surrendered after
having been cut of from the opcn sea
BY the Oregon and forced 10 head for
the beach. A shot at the Colon from
one Of the Oregon's l3-inch guns was
the last shot fired during the battle.
Both the Indiana and the Iowa par
t.cipated in the battle at Santiago, the
Massachusetts, having gone to Guanta-
namo 70 coal on the day of the en-
rayement. The crew Of the Massa-
chusetts. much disappointed at having
missed the fight. gained revenge the
next night. when that vessel and the
cl1 ba,tleship Texas engaged and sank
the Spanish cruiser Reina Mercedes as
that vessel attempted 70 escape from
;ne harbor at Santiago.
Texas First to Go
The Massachusetts, was the flagship
OF the naval vessels in charge OF con-
voying American troops from Cuba 10
Porto Rico for the Porto Rican cam
ra:gn. few years ago the Texas.
.ster renamed the San Marcos, was
used as q target for later ttleships
q, Tangier S&nd, in Chesapeake Bay
After the Scandinavian war the
Oregon returned to the west coast,
where the glorious old ship, then in
the height Of her fame, was received
With tremendous demonstrations. She
remained there on duty with the Pa
oifc feet until decade ago, her use
fulness gone, she was placed In reserve
commission.
The Iowa, Massachusete and Indiana
participated in the homecoming OF the
victorious Atlantic feet after the Span
ish-American war and remained on
duty in home waters for many years
After the Oregon had been placed IN
reserve the three sister ships were FOL
several years used as training vessels
and conveyed the midshipmen from the
Naval Academy abroad each summer
for a practice cruise. Finally they, too
were nooTed 20 the COCKS IN navy
yards, apparently 20 rust away.
In the meantime, a later class OF
ships had been launched TO add 20 the
might OF American naval power. The
Kearsarge, Kentucky. Illinois, Wiscon.
sin. Maine, Missouri and Ohio, launched
between 1893 and 1901, formed the neu-
clus of the new steel" navy that wa:
winning the United States an assured
place among the great naval powers
These ships. then unsurpassed in ths
world, carried the American flag into
the ports of the world for many years
and in 1907. when the mighty United
States feet left New York for the his
toric cruise around the world 70 dem
onEtrate in all. lands the might anC
power Of the American navy. they helC
their places with their more moderi
sisters throughout that memorable
voyage. Greeted with remarkably dem
onstrations in South America, the ives
coast Of the United States, Australia
New Zealand, the islands Of the Pacific
Par Eastern ports and points IN th'
Aediterrsnesp, the great feet com
pleted the most comprehensive cruis'
ever undertaken By 50 large body o
ships OF war.
Forced Into Background
On the return/of the feet TO thii
ssss.ry' the older ships were force'
- Al - l.. .srsl