Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-06

added many heroic pages to the naval
history of the United States, are
doomed to be sold as junk or turned
into practice targets for their sue
cessors in the Navy as result of
decision reached by the Navy De-
partment.
Oregon Among Doomed.
The historic Oregon. which once
held the foremost place of any ship
in the heart of America will be one
of the doomed ships. Her sister ships
in the famous old SpaniSh-American
war squadron. the Iowa, Indiana and
massachusetts,, once the pride of the
american Navy. now appearing pitiful
beside the superdreadnausht Mis-
stssippi or Pennsylvania. Will have
tneir commission remnants stripped
1rcr the maStheads with the oregon.
''ha more modern. but hardly less
famous kentucky, KearsarSe, Ala
hama. Illinois. Wisconsin. Ohio. Mis-
scuri and Maine Will pass out of the
United States Navy with the older
four battleShipS.
Foremost among the acf .eNements
of the oregon and her three sister
ships is the part they played in the
Spanish American war.
Part in Spanish-American War.
The Oregon. which had been COM
1896. was at Mare Island navy yard
in 1898 when the message was flashed
10 her commander that the United
states was at war with Spain. On
March 6, 1898. the famous old ship
cleared the Golden Gate. bound for
the West Indies. on what proved to
he the most epoch making batueship
voyage ever undertaken. With decks
stripped for action and gun crews at
their stations. the Oregon plowed
around Cape Horn, up the coast OF
South America and arrived at Key
West on May 20. ready for action.
having made the fourteen-thouSand-
mile voyage in sixty eight cruising
days. Capt. c. E. Clark, the Oregon's
commanding officer, was ordered to
take his ship to Santiago and there
Join the blockading squadron when
was awaiting battle with the Spanish
fleet.
In the meantime the Iowa, Massa-
chusetts and Indiana We're attached
to the north Atlantic fleet and had
already arrived off Cuba. the Massa-
causetts being part of the famous
dying squadron" under command OF
Commodore Schley.
The Oregon. already famous
throughout the world for her glori-
Gus and successful voyage to join the
American fleet in time for the i'm
pending battle, gained greater glory
in the action off Santiago de Cuba
on Sunday, July 8, 1898, when Spanish
sea power was forever humbled and
the liberation of the Philippines and
Cuba assured In that now historic
sea fight the Oregon ran the Vizcaya.
pride of the Spanish fleet, ashore
after Kidding the craft with hits from
her eight and thirteen inch guns, and
then engaged in running fight with
the Colon, which surrendered after
having been cut off from the open
sea by the Oregon and forced to head
for the beach. A shot at the Colon
from one of the Oregon's thirteen
inch guns was the last shot fired dur
ing the battle.
Both the Indiana and the Iowa par
1icipated in the battle at Santiago,
s the Massachusetts having gone to
Guantanamo to coal on the day of the
engagement. The crew of the Ma ssa-
Chusetts. much disappointed at hav-
ing missed the fight, gained revenge
the next night when that vessel and
the old battleship Texas engaged and
sank the Spanish cruiser Reina Mer-
cedes as that vessel attempted to
escape from the harbor at Santiago.
The Massachusetts, was the flagship
of the naval vessels in charge of con-
voying American troops from Cuba
to Porto Rico for the Porto Rican
Texas. later renamed the San Marcos.
was used as a target for later bat
tleships at Tangier sound. in Chesa-
peake Bay.
After the Spanish-American 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
Pacaf1c fleet until. a decade ago. her
usefulness gone, she was placed in
reserve commission.
Later Class of Ships.
In the meantime a later class of
ships had been launched to add to
the might OF American naval power.
The kearsarge, Kentucky, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Maine. Missouri and Ohio
launched between 1898 and 1901,
formed the nucleus of the new steel
navy that was winning the United
states an assured place among the
great naval powers.
They participated with remarkable
fortitude and steadiness in the globe
encircling tour of the Navy in 1907
~hen later and speedier ships had
been added to the battle forces This
was destined to be their last journey
with the fleet until the coming of the
world war. In the interim they were
consigned to back channels with the
Iowa. Massachusetts and Indiana.
The entrance of the United States
into the world war brought a demand
Tor every ton of sea power the United
states could command, and again the
old Navy was called upon to defend
the flag. All Of the twelve old vessels
were outhtted, modern fire control ap-
pliances were installed, new coats of
war paint" were applied to their
time-scarred sides and they were
called out to join the fleet. The Ore
gon saw service on the west coast
throughout the war as a coast defense
vessel and training ship for enlisted
personnel The Massachusetts Iowa
and Indiana were used for a time al
station ships at Newport, r. l.: Nor
folk. Va, and New York, respectively.
and later were ordered south to Join
the main fighting force, which al
ready >included the kearsarge Ken
lucky and the other vessels of ancient
fame For the remainder of the war
the historic old ships took part in the
operations OF the Atlantic fleet along
the coast and rendered valuable serv-
ice as training ships.
After the armistice the Iowa, Massa-
chusetts and Indiana were sent to the
navy yard at Philadelphia, where
their colors were hauled down for the
last time and they were consigned to
1he graveyard of ships. The Oregon
suffered a similar fate on the Pacific
coast. The other ships of the old Navy
Temained temporarily on duty, most of
them for use as troop transports, but
they too will soon be relegated to
the scrap heap.
offered to State of Oregon.
The Oregon has been offered to the
safe of Oregon for such use as the
state may see fit to make of il as a
raining ship and naval historical mu-
s-um. the only condition being that
1h> commonwealth keep the old sea