Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-09-11
WARSH|PS FOR JUNK PILE
Navy Departments Decision Re.
calls Their Notable Service
oregon Played Mig Role in spanish War
-kenrsarse, Kentucky md Ala
bnna Were Active In Conflict
Just Ended

achievements In the new American navy.
Theywrote many bright pages into this
countrys naval history during their years
of service. and four of them have par
ticipated actively In two wars. The DOOM
ed ships, including the famous old Span
ish american war squadron consisting of
the Oregon. Iowa, Indiana and Massa-
chusetts and the more modern but hard
ly less famous Kentucky. Kearsarge, Ala
bama, Illinois, Wisconsin. Ohio, Missouri
and Maine, composed one Of the most. II
not the most powerful battleship fleet in
the world more than is years ago.
Foremost among the achievements of
these famous old fighting craft is the
part they played in the Spanish American
war The oregon. which had been COM
missioned at San Francisco in July 1895.
was at Mare Island navy yard In 1898
when the message was flashed to her
commander that the United States was
at war with Spain. The famous old ship
cleared the Golden Gate. bound for the
West Indies, on what proved to he the
most epocn-maKing battleship voyage ever
undertaken. With decks stripped for ac-
ton and et,n crews at their stations. the
Oregon ploughed around Cape Horn, up
the coast of South America and arrived
at Key West on May 90. ready for action,
having made the 14O0O-mile voyage in
cruising 6S days. Capt. G. f. Clark. the
Oregon's commanding officer. was order
ed to take his ship to Santiago and there
join the bockading squadron which was
awaiting battle with the Spanish fleet.
FAMOUS BATTLE RECORDS
In the meantime the Iowa, Massachu-
sets and Indiana. sister ships OF the Or
egon. were attached to the North Allan
tic fleet and had already arrived OFF Cuba,
the Massachusetts being part Of the fla
nous flying squadron" under command
/ Of Commodore Schley.
The Oregon. already famous through
out the world for her glorious and sue
cessful voyage to join the American fleet
in time for the impending battle, gained
greater glory in the action OFF Santiago.
de Cuba Sunday. July 3. 1898 when Span
ish sea power was forever hum bled and
the liberation of the Philippines and
Cuba assured. IN that now historic sea
fight the oregon ran the Vizcaya, the
pride of the Spanish feet, ashore after
Kidding the craft with hits from her eight
and l3-inch guns and then engaged in a
running fight with the Colon. which sur
rendered after having been cut of from
the open sea by the Oregon and forced
to head for the beach. A shot at the
Colon from one of the Oregons 13-inch
guns was the last shot fired during the
battle.
! Both the Indiana and the Iowa partic-
| ipated in the battle at Santiago the Mass
achusetts having gone to Guantanamo to
coal on the day OF the engagement. The
crew of the Massachusetts, much disap-
pointed at missing the fight. gained re-
ha oh u,ha NaaGa
and. the old hattleship Texas engaged and
as that vessel attempted to escape from
the harbor at Santiago.
| The Massachusetts was the flagship of
the naval vessels in charge of conveying
American troops from Cuba to Porto Rico
for the Porto Rican campaign. A few
years ago the Texas. later renamed the
San Marcos. was used as target for
later battleships at Tangier Sound in
Chesapeake 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 tremen-
dous demonstrations. She remained there
on duty with the Pacific fleet until a de-
cade ago. Her usefulness gone, she was
placed in reserve commission.
The Iowa. Massachusetts and Indiana
participated In the homecoming of the
victorious Atlantic fleet 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 for several
years used as training vessels and con-
veyed the midshipmen from the naval
academy abroad each summer for prac-
tice cruise. Finally they too were moor
ed to the docks in navy yards. apparently
to rust away.
In the meantime a later class OF ships
had been launched to add to the might
of American naval power. The Kear-
sarge. Kentucky, Illinois. Wisconsin,
Maine Missouri and Ohio launched be-
tween 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. These ships. then
unsurpassed. carried the American flag
into the ports of the world for many
years. and in 1907, when the mighty Uni
ted States fleet left New York for the
historic cruise around the world to dem
onstrate in all lands the might and power
of the American navy. they held their
places with their modern sisters through
out that memorable voyage. Greeted with
America, the west coast Of the United
States, Australia, New Zealand, the is
lands of the Pacific, far eastern ports and
points in the Mediterranean. the great
fleet completed the most comprehensive
cruise ever undertaken by so large "a body
of ships of war.
On the return of the fleet to this coun-
try the older ships were forced into the
background by the new" navy and were
sent to the back channels of the navy
yards to join the Oregon. Iowa. Massa-
chusctts and Indiana,
The entrance of the United States into
the World war brought demand for
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 ~ old vessels were QUILTED, mod
ern fire control appliances were installed,
new coats of war paint" were applied
to their time-scarred sides and they were
called out to join the fleet.
The oregon saw serbice on the west
coast throughout the war as a coast de-
Tense vessel and training ship for enlist
ed personnel. The Massac husetts, Iowa
and Indiana were ued for time as sta
ton ships at Newport. r. L.; Norfolk, Va
and New York respectively and later
were ordered south to join the main
fighting force, which already included the
Kearsarge. Kentucky and the other YES
sells 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 SER
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