The Seward gateway daily edition, and the Alaska weekly post., 1919-07-15

WASHINGTON. July l5- Decision of the Navy Department to break up and sell for junk or use for targets twelve obsolete battleSh;ps marks the passing of fleet of vessels long iden- tfied with many of the most glorious achievements of the new American navy. They wrote many bright pages into this country'S naval history dur ing their years of service and four of them have participated actively in two wars. The doomed ships including the famous old SpaniSh-Amclican wa" squadron consisting of the Oregon To- wa. Indiana and Massachusetts and the more modern but hardy less fam ous Kentucky. KcarSargc' Alabama Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio Missouri ana Maine, composed one of the most II not the most powerful battleship flee; is the world more than l5 years ago.
 Foremost among the achievements of these famous old fighting craft 'N the part they played in the Spanish American war. The Oregon which ha ! been commissioned at san Francisco in July. 1896 was at Mare Island navy ward in 1898 when the message wa Flashed to her commander that the USitcd States was at war with Spain. On March 6, 1898. the famous oIi ship cleared the Golden Gate bound for the West Indies. on what proved to be the most epoch making battle ship voyage ever undertaken. With decks stripped for action and gun crews at their stations the Oregon plowed arCfnd Cape Horn, up the east coast of South America and arrived at Key West on May 26' ready for ac- ton. having made the 14'000 mile voy- age in 6S cruising days. Captain C. F.. Clark. the Oregon's commanding Of ficer. was ordered to take his ship to Santiago and there join the blockad- ing squadron which was awaiting bat tie with the Spanish fleet.
 Tn the meantime the Iowa MaSSa- chusetts and Indiana' sister ships or the Oregon. were attached to the north Atlantic fleet and had already arrived off Cuba, the Massachusetts being part of the famous flying squadron under command of Commodore Schley.
 The Oregon. already famous through out the world for her glorious and sue ccSsful voyage to join the American fleet in time for the impending battle gained greater glory in the action off Santiago de Cuba on Sunday July "' 1908 when Spanish sea power was forever humbled and the liberation Of the Philippines and Cuba assured. Tn that now historic sea fight the Oregon ran the Vizcaya. pride of the Spanish fleet. ashore after riddling the crart with hits from her eight and thirtcon inch guns and then engaged in a run oinp fight with the Colon which sur rendered after having been cut off from the open sea by the Oregon and forced to head for the beach. A shot ot the Colon from one of the Oregons thirteen inch guns was the last shos fired during the battle.
 Both the Indiana and the Iowa par ticipated in the battle at. Santiago; the Massachusetts having gone to Guant- anamo to coal on the day Of the en- exponent. The crew of the MaSsachr- ,etts. much disappointed at having missed the fight. gained revenge the next night when that vessel and the id battleShip. Texas engaged he Spanish cruiser Reina Mercedes as that vessel attempted to escape from he harbor at Santiago.
 The Massachusetts was the flag ship of the naval vessels in charge of .onvoying American troops from Cuba 10 Porto Rico for the Porto Rican cam oaign. A few years ago the Texas lat rr renamed the San Marcos was used as targot for later battleships ar Tanpier Sound in Chesapeake Bay.
 After the Spanish American war tho 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. Paci- fife fleet until decade ago, her use- fitness gone. she was placed in re- serve commission.
 The Iowa. Massachusetts and lndi- ana participated in the homecoming of the victorious Atlantic fleet after the
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