Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-20
FAMOUS VOYAGE IS RECALLED
BY VETERAN OF WOODEN NAVY
Capt. Colhoun Participated
in 0regon's 68-Day Dash
to Atlantic.
Remembers Maneuvers to
0utWit Spanish Fleet
Near Barbados.

A veteran of the old wooden Navy"
of the United States, Capt. Is. CO
Samuel r. Colhoun of Washington, at
81, Is one of the few surviving officers
who made the famous voyage aboard
the battleship Oregon in its 68-day
dash around South America to join the
Atlantic Fleet at the outbreak of the
war with Spain.
Looking back over a service of nearly
40 years, during which he saw wooden
fighting ships transformed into floating
fortreSSeS of iron and steel, Capt. Col
houn recalls the 14,000-mile race of the
oregon in the face of uncertain dangers
as one of the most thrilling episodes
in the history of the Navy.
Hale and hearty after a quarter of
century in retirement, Capt. Colhoun
has been spending the later years of his
life in Washington enjoying the peace
and quiet of his suburban home at 100
West Underwood street, Chevy Chase
Md. There is something about this
rudy conpleXioned, white haired
civilian gentleman that still smacks of
the tang of the sea. 1t is evident in
his speech, his bearing and general
appearance. For upward of 100 years
the ColhounS have been in the Navy,
for the captains father, Admiral E. r.
Colhoun, was a veteran of the Mexican
and Civil Wars and served with dis
tinction in the Navy during those early
days of almost continuous expeditions.
Follows Treaty Debate Closely.
Naturally, Capt. Colhoun still believes
in the Navy as the first arm of de-
tense and as closely as many younger
officer he is following the course of
he t. H. a. Y IT,
most veterans who have been engaged
in battle, he deprecateS war. But he
hopes never to see the day when the
American Navy will boone inadequate
to protect American shores or maintain
itself against any other feet on the
high seas.
Apropos Of national defense, Capt.
Colhoun remarked: Teddy Roosevelt
was right when he said, Walk gently,
speak softly, but bear a big stick "
Americas big stick he claims, is its
Navy.
It was in the old days of the Navy
when wooden ships were still numer-
GUS, four years after the Civil War, that
Capt. Colhoun, at the age of %, was
given commission as assistant pay
master in the Navy. The years follow
ing the Civil War were peaceful ones
for the Navy, but its fine traditions,
nevertheless, were undimmsd.
One of the best known of the wooden
ships on which Capt. Colhoun served as
young man was the OSSippe, which
had served in the battle of Mobile Bay.
BY coincidence, Capt. Charles Edgar
Clark, who commanded the Oregon on
its Disappointing voyage, was aboard
the OSSippee during the conflict at Mo-
bile and was the first officer to exchange
words with Capt. johnson when the
Confederate commander appeared above
the easement of the ironclad Tennessee
before its surrender. Other old ships
OF the Navy on which Capt. Colhoun
served he recalled as the Marion, the
SauguS, the Canonicus, and the Monon-
gahela. The latter, an old Civil War
vessel, was wrecked off the Isle of st.
Croix in 1857, tossed by a great tidal
wave on a coral reef, and was later
pulled of to continue a long and adj
venturesome career in the Navy. When
Capt. Colhoun served aboard 1t, the old
ship was being used as q training YES
sci in the early COS.
Oregon Cruise Recollection Vivid.
Capt. Colhoun twice made the voy-
age around South America through the
Straits of Magellen. The first time was
aboard the Oregon and the second time
was during his final years of service on
the Iowa in the early part of 1900, when
his career in the Navy terminated. But
it is the cruise of the Oregon which still
remains vivid recollection after more
than 80 years.
With war brewing with Spain, the
Oregon was brought from Puget Sound
to San Francisco in March, 1898. This
magnificent white hound of the sea had
been built as a coastline battleship. On
March II, Capt. Clark assumed COM
mand and two days later sailed frem
the Golden Gate to join the Atlantic
Fleet on cruise that riveted to 1t the
attention of the world. 'It was the
toughest voyage had ever undertaken, -
said Capt. Colhoun. I'VE were reported
lost once or twice, which added to the
anxiety every one felt about our fate
| Then there was the Spanish torpedo
boat, Temerario, which was reported
lying in wait, ready to blow up the Ore
gon at the first opportunity. We didn't
| pass around Cape Horn, as most people
think, but went through the Straits and
eluded the torpedo boat. We didn't know
war had been declared until we reached
Rio de Janeiro. Then the Oregan had
to pass around Spanish squadron be-
fore it finally reached our feet in the
West Indies"
Conveyed by Gunboat.
Conveyed most of the way by the lit
tie gunboat Marietta, which in the end
was left behind by the powerful engines
of the Oregon, the two ships passed
through terrific gales and upon reach
ing Rio de Janeiro learned that the
United States had declared war with
Spain. Meantime the Spanish torpedo
boat was reported about to enter the
harbor. Fearing Spanish treachery
Capt. Clark took every precaution. He
dispatched the tender of the MARKETS.
to the torpedo boat to warn the Span.
iards that if they approached within 6
half mile of the oregon their vesse
would be destroyed.
But the Brazilian authorities, deter.
mined to protect the oregon in the
neutral port, stationed a warship at the
entrance Of the harbor to keep thu
Temerario at distance. Despite THU