The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-19
Historic Old Monitor,
Once Pride of Nation,
Soon Goes to Junk Pile

clfic, 5000 miles away. The Monte
rey had no fuel capacity for such a
voyage. She had no high sides TO
help her baltic road TO the scene
of danger Her decks stood less
than two feet above the water with
her ballast tanks empty. She would
be a plnythlng 60 any storm, for
small waves would bury her to the
turrot tops 40 hatch could be
opened.
Tho situation was doseprate. It
called for desperate remedies and
the wires carried to San Francisco
order that set the men ana officers
OF the Monterey wild with Joy.
Against all odds they were to take
her over. Lashed down on hor wide
decks would go the coal she needed
carried IN sack and 90 laden, the
study ship finally wallowed out into
the eve OF tho westernR sun, going
5000 miles To rescue comrades in
danger.
bay by day, with life and perhaps
the lives OF hundreds OF men down
there with Dewey at stake, the men
OF the Monterey worked the ship
across tho ocean. They endured
| terrible dlscomforts ~ she rolled
and bucked her way, half sub
u
into troplc waters she plowed and
| tho heat In her fire rooms was ter.
rifle. her crews quarters and war6
room almost unhcarablo under
/ closed matches, Death might lurk
| behind any gathering OF clouds. She
was not designed TO meet the sudden
storms OF the Pacific. But She
| plowed on. out OF touch for weeks
on end for there was no wireless
then To tell her what lay before, un-
| m finally the entrance 10 Manila
harbor loomed ahead OF the sea
stained. rust reddeGed bow and In
side lay Dewey's fleet.
THAT ended all fear OF the Paleyo.
with the batteries OF the Monterey
to back him up, Dewey was eager for
tho battleship to come, but she had
turned back nj the canal. There re-
mained only tho last scene of tho
war to he staged, the capture of the
city OF Manila. In that scene. tho
Monterey was TO take a picturesque
part.
Moves Into "Action."
Just a few days after her arrival.
the monitor. her turrets overhauled
and big Betsy glaring ominously
shoreward, moved into action. Be-
} hind her Dewey on the olympia led
: tho cruisers fleet down 10 hammer
E at tho Spanish fort and break the
= back OF the Spanish trench line for
] tho troops. Close in under tho an
? Client walls OF tho old city, however.
stood the Lunetta, massive earth
works that housed KrupP guns OF
: greater power than anything abroad
tho cruisers. II was on these tho
! Monterey trained "Blg Betsy" The
ship steamed down inside the bonn
harding line, ignoring every other
object. She planted her bulk. grey
now In war paint but still with ths
rust and seastain of her long voyage
upon her. squarcly opposite those
menacing Krupps. Broadslde on
and just a fow hundred yards from
their muzzles. she stopped. crouched
like bulldog In leash, her own
pondorous rifles loaded and swung
outboard, ready to answer the fret
squirt of flame from the shore bat
terles
II never came. The roar OF
Dewcy's guns died away, succeeded
by tho mutter and cracklo OF rifle
fire ashore as the troops pressed
home the attack. Tho dust kicked
up by tho shells settled over the
wrecked fort where the cruisers fire
had centOred. Struggling groups OF
spanish troops passed suueHiy pAck-
ward over the Lunetta into tho
walled city. White flags appeared
everywhere, on the walls, the battery
earth works. tho clustering houses
and then tho blue-shirted, bare
armed men OF the army swarmed
out across the open 10 gather under
tho old walls and complete occu-
patton OF tho city. Tho war was
over.
For years the Monterey and the
Monadannock, also a monitor, re-
mainod as guardians OF Manila
harbor Their day had passed, how
ever and finally the Monterey's flag
came down and she passed out or
commission as fighting ship. she
stili was useful 10 the navy, however.
and as n station ship. humble
server OF tho newer. finer fighting
Z craft that came and went. she served
/ In many ports. IN Chinese waters,
! finally In Hawaii where she floats
! today, awaiting the wrecking ere"
Z that will tuTu her into Junk.