The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 3, 1898, Page 1

The Call § D Cdaper Not . to be taken from the Library, +ee e \()LU\IF LXXXIV.—NO 64. SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1898. PRICE FIVE CEN TS. STARS AND STRIPES UNFURLED HERE FLOATED THE FLAG OF SPAIN THE CHARLESTON FIRING ON FORT SANTA CRUZ IN. From a Photograph Taken for. The Call THE HARBOR - OF SAN by a Naval Officer. LUIS DE APRA. MOST UNIQUE OF -\EXPEDITIONS EVER UNDERTAKEN No Parallel Found in All the War, Records of History Past or Present. BY . SOL N. SHERIDAN. N. . BOARD- -UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP CHARLESTON, off .the island of Luzon, Philip- pines, June 20.—The long trip across the Pacific is al- most finished, and before the American army of inva- sion lies the'land they have come so far to conquer, in which some of them, it may. well chance, have come so far to lay their bones. The California boys know . now that going to war is not going to a summer.encampment. It has been a cruise in sum- mer seas, this cruise‘of the Charleston and her consorts. Per- haps the summer ard the seas have been too tropical for the perfect comfort of men bred in lands even so little frigid as the Pacific Coast: of ‘North America. These are: the smadller ‘discomforts. fered by the soldier -boys on the transports who, despite the utmost care of their officers and of the ships’ officers, find themselves imiproperly clad for cruising in the tropics, and con- sequently, as we get glimpses of them now and again from the Charleston’s. deck, in Jarge measure go clad not at all; and im- properly fed by:reason of the prodigality of the Government in supplies of a quality. calculated to enrich the blood in cold climates and to make men ill in tropic lands. Salt pork and beans make. a good. basis for men to fight upon in northern countries. - Men-in:the tropics do not feed so highly. This has been, altogether, a most remarkable expedition. Never before in‘the world’s history has an army been sent over 8000 miles.of ‘sea to- invade the territory of a foe. One- third of the distance around the world we have sailed. Genghis Khan marched his fierce warriors for thousands of miles across the wilds of Central Asia; Alexander thought he had reached the end of the world when his Greeks halted be- side the banks of the Ganges; Hannibal was credited with breaking all records when he crossed the Alps and went down upon ‘the plains: of Italy to find Capua; in more modern days our British cousins have conquered and held an empire in In- dia. Tt has remained for the youngest and strongest of the powers. to reach out across the broad Pacific to strike at one of the oldest and the most decrepit. It is an expedition which will go down into history as unique. Even the humblest indi- vidual making up. its components will achieve, by that partici- pation, immortality. So ‘much the soldier boys from California and Oregon re- alize of the main purpose of their long trip. They have, en passant, made history by the way. They have 'seen since leaving Honolulu an American warship steam ‘baldly into a Spanish port, whose dangers were an unknown quantity, throwing out her gaze of defiance ahead of her in the hooming of her guns. They have seen the Spanish Governor .and’ the Spanish garrison of the island of Guam surrender to ‘an American show of force. They have seen Captain: Glass: of the Charleston take his place in history also by running upthe stars and stripes on the Spanish fort of Santa Cruz, salutinig it with twenty-one guns. Finally, they have seen the Spanish Governor of Guam and his garrison car- ried away- as. prisoners of war, and the fine harbor of San Luis de Apra left for the American Government to establish a coal- ing station upon‘if it should be concluded, in the wisdom of the powers that be, that the time has come for the great re- public to throw aside the outgrown -swaddling clothes and take its place as a power among the nations of the world. The greater are suf- CRUISER CHARLESTON FIRES HER MAIDEN HOSTILE SHELLS Governor of the Ladrones Forced to Surrender and Munitions of War Ccptured af : BY SOL N. SHERIDAN. N BOARD THE U. S. S. CHARLESTON, HARBOROF SAN LUIS DE APRA, Island of Guam, June 22.—Events fol- lowed each other in quick se- quence once the Charleston had headed up for the channel through the coral reef which makes San Luis de Apra the best harbor for all purposes in the Middle Pacific. The Charleston steamed in up the harbor, until, 3000 yards ahead, loomed the walls of the old fort of Santa Cruz, built in 1808. It was impossible to- tell from the ship whether the place had guns or garrison, although some people, evidently native Chimorros; could be seen on a point, off the starboard bow, Jutting out in front of the town of Su- maje. It was behind this point - the chart located the fort of San Luis, though no trace of it remains now. Thirteen shells from her forward 3- pounders the Charleston sent shrieking across the calm water, shortening the range with each shot, but getting no returd. Fort Santa Cruz, as afterward appeared, must have been deserted by its garrison and its armament removed at least ten years before. The Charleston ceased firing and En- sign Evans, with a boat’s crew. which had been ordered to visit the Japanese vessel to make sure of its identity, had just started from the ship when two boats were seen coming off through the reefs at the northern -side of the bay, the foremost carrying the Spanish flag and evidently containing several offi- cials. It was 9:30 when the Charleston opened fire on the fort. It was 10:30 ‘when the Spanish officials came on board, ignorant of the fact that war was waging between Spafn and the United States and profuse in their apol- ogies that, their saluting battery being at Agana, they had been unable to re- turn the Charleston’s salute. The visitors were the captain of the port, Lieutenant Commander Jose Gar- cia y Gutierrez of the Spanish navy and Dr. Jose Romero of the Spanish navy, port surgeon. They were taken below Guam. - to the captain’s eabin, promptly told that they were prisoners of war and ordered to convey to the Governor of the Ladrones, Don Juan Marina, a. de- mand from Captain Glass on behalf of the United States Government that he should come on board. The gentle- men retuzned to -shore considerably more crestfallén than they had comeé, promising, however, that the Governor, who was at his country house nine miies away, would be on hand to meet the captain. The Governor's secretary, 'Captain Duarte, and the Governor’s interpreter came back to the Charleston in the afternoon with a letter from the Gov- ernor. This epistle forms a part of the official correspondence, but it was clear from what took place later that its language was not at all satisfac- tory. The Spaniard was playing for delay. Captain Glass was in a hurry to proceed to Manila. He was not, thérefore, in a humor to .accede to a request that he come on shore to ne- gotiate, Don Juan Marina’s envoy hav- ing represented that the Spanish law would not permit that official to come on board a foreign man-of-war. The captain of the port, under pamle, ‘went back to the landing at Piti through the coral reefs protecting the low island of Apapa, and the interpreter was in- structed to return to the Charleston early on Tuesday morning, June 22. Early on Tuesday morning, in a small boat, Lieutenant Braunersreuther, En- sign Evans, the Spanish Interpreter, myself and half a dozen stalwart Jack- ies, all well armed, pulled away from the ship for the landing at Piti.. Mr. Braunersreuther bore. a letter from Captain Glass to Governor Marina, de- manding the surrender of the Ladrones without condition. He had been in- structed to allow not more than. thirty minutes for the consideration of the de- mand. In the meantime, out on the fleet there was the greatest possible activity. Captain Glass had not sent his navi- gator ashore without support, and we saw later how completely we would have been avenged had Don Juan Ma- rina played us false at Piti. Even be- fore we left the ship all preparations had been made- for a landing party. On the landing stage at Piti—which is really the port of Agana, that place affording no protection to shipping—we walited with what patience we might for the Spanish officials to end their con- sultation. Precisely twenty-flve minutes had elapsed when the Spanish ‘Gover- nor and ‘the three gentlemen who had taken part in his .déliberations—the captain of .the port, the doctor and Captaln Duarte of the Spanish infan- try, the Governor’s - ‘secretary—came down the landing with a sealed létter addressed to Captain Glass. Here a second surprise awaitéd the dons, ‘for Lieuténant Braunersreuther promptly broke the.seal and handed the communication to an interpreter; It was a surrender, in due form, without condition, of everything in the way of troops and ' military supplles on the island of Guam. Lieutenant Braunersreuther complet-. ed at 4 oclock the work which he had so well begun in the morning. Tak- ing the company of marines from. the Charleston, under command of ‘Lieu- tenant Myers, in four boats, he pro- ceeded once more to Pitl.’ The Spanish garrison,-its two officers, Lieutenant Ramos and Lieutenant Ber-- ruezo, of the Spanish naval infantry, with guns not’loaded, lounged about the landing stage, and behind them the Chimorro militia was lined up. Lieutenant Myers, carrying the flag, led his marines. ashore, drawing them up at present at the head of the little wharf, covering the Spaniards. The work of disarmament, although pa- thetie, was set about . in businessiike, fashion and was soon accomplished. Fifty-four Mauser rifles, all in gosd condition, and four Spanish flags were taken from the regulars and loaded into the boats. Fifty-four Remington rifles, also well kept, were taken from the mi- litia. There were also 7000 rounds of ammunition. Then the militiamén were set at liberty, the Spanish regulars, lit- tle more than boys, were loaded upon.| a sampan with their officers and the Governor and all transferred on board the Sydney,” which vessel had been called inside the bay to receive the prisoners. C. The guns and ammunition and flags were of course brought aboard the Charleston. Tt was, all in all, as neat a bit of work as was ever done in war. | 3 after we left the island of Guam. CHIEF STREET IN SAN- LUlS 'DE APRA GUAM LADRONE lSLANDS s From a Photograph Taken- £or mcnu “by-a- N;nl omcer‘ | at one of the Carolines, TARGET PRACTICE PREVIOUS TO THE TAKING OF GUAM First Expeditionary. Force Ex- pected to Fight for the Ladrones. BY SOL N. SHERIDAN. ‘N . BOARD -THE UNITED OSTATES STEAMSHIP CHARLESTON, in the Harbor of San Luis de Apra, island of Guam ' (or Gaujan), June.-20.—The ex- pedition for the occupation of Manila and the relief of Admiral Dewey be- gan . making history very soon after leaving Honolulu. We had done some- thing of thiat, possibly, at the chief sea- port -of the Hawalian® Islands, but. it had been in a small way and entirely among friends. The whole character of the play changed when we had-left our cheering friends, the Hawaiians, behind us and breasted the long swell of the blue Pacific, really en route at last for the enemy’s country. It was the enemy’s country, moreover, in grim lament. .The boys fn. blue nor: the Jackies ‘of the Charleston ‘weré out to do spectacular politics.- It was on -Saturday, June 4, the Charleston, with the -City of Peking, the’ Australia and the City of Sydney under -convoy, salled out-of the harbor- of Honolulu bound for Manila. The. ships, per samng orders issued by Cap- | tain Glass, feéll into the positions they were to keep.'on the long 5000-mile cruigse to Manila. The. ‘Peking took position on our port quarter, 800 yards from the cruiser, and there she has hung -with marvelous persistence ever since. The Australla was- the same distance away on the starboard -quar- ter, keeping her.position well -at all times, and the Sydney was, or should have -been, 800 yards off the.starboard quarter of the Australia., Sometimes. she was In position, 4t other times she was almost hull -down .astern, and- at still other times she would ‘be miles ‘away to starboard, and -seemingly headed to cross the bows of the Aus- tralia. The Sydney’'s erratic -sailing, in fact, was the bne constant source of entertainment for the squadron. She behaved alike in no two days in suc- cession, and speculation was always in order as to what she would do on the next day. Her erratic sailing ended Captain Glass did ‘not know whether a Spanish gunboat might have been left and did .not propose to take chances. of losing one of his transports. The Sydney was given orders accordingly, and kept her place for the balance of the cruise. On Sunday, June 5, it bégan to be whispered about the ‘ship that there would' be something of more than usual interest when the crew was called to general muster at 9:30-a. m. It was one of those whispers Btartlng nobody knows how, but the air of éxpectancy about the ship when the crew assem- bled was visible in the faces of officers and men alike. The rumor had basis, moreover, The skipper had the officers. grouped about hint on the quarterdeck, and in the presence of the whole crew stated that he had received from Wash- ington per the Peking sealed orders which he had ‘not opened wuntil out of sight of land. By these orders he ‘was directed. .to proceed to the island ef Guam, or Guajan, in the Ladrone.group, .| and destroy the Spanish ships and for- tifications he might find theére. -It had been reported at Homolulu ‘that there was one Spanish gunboat, pouslbly two, at the port of Aganz, or Guam. In the meantime Captain Glass changed the’course of -the squadron, eading down for Guam. The island;about to begin. . ¥ |1s:in 13- degrees north latitude, a little | south- of Manila. The run down was not. without grim preparation for what every man ‘on the fleet believed might beé a sharp battle. Executive Officer Blocklinger, his-hand upon every part of ‘the ship, doubled the drill of the | erew .without seeming to inflict any | hardship upon the men. They jumped to.their work in a way that told of a realization that the time for business had come. .On Monday, June 13, there was more. wigwagging to the fleet, and presently the Peking steamed ahead of the - Charleston and began dropping boxes.overboard for targets. The crews sprang to ‘their guns in.a way that would have done your heart good to see, and on the Peking the soldier bhoys, crowded into the rigging, cheered the Jackies on .as --the . subcaliber bullets from the big guns went skipping across the blue waves. - There was more of this target practice on the 15th, and on the 17th -of June-T heard on board, for the first. time, the boom of big guns. ‘The ships had been hove to in mid- ocean, and Captain Glass, calling away his gig, was rowed across to the Austra- lia for a consultation with General An- derson and.the fleet commander prior to the attack on Guam, - There he was presently joined by Captain Gilson and Captain Smith from the Peking and Captain - Pillsbury from the Sydney. Then the transports ran ahead a mile or. moré while the €harleston dropped a_target -overboard and proceeded to demolish it with her main battery. It was wonderful shooting. - Sixteen shots in-all were fired, two from each gun, and. if a’ Spanish ship had been lying where the target was not one single shell of the lot would have failed to de- stroy her. It would have been wonder- ful work for any. crew in the navy. When it is considered that many of the Charleston’s crew ‘were listening to the roar of these-guns for the first time the matter goes beyond mere wonder. They were green boys & month &go, and they were behaving now lke veterans. Captain Glass came back to the ship after a couple-of hours, the several commanders returned-to their ships, and the fleet was.put in maotion again. The island ‘of Guam was not far to seeK now. Two days more of sailing would_ fetch it, -and- whatever chanced theré the line of action had been agreed upan. On Sunday afternoon, June 19, the ships were Hhove . -to once more, and Piot Hallett was tdken on. board.the Charleston from the Australia, -and Father McKinnon from the Peking. Naval. Engineer Leopold was also taken from the Peking, to-act on the cruiser in case.of emergency. - Then the ships ‘'were.squared. away again. Navigator Braunersreuther had figured that he-would get the landfall in the .island of .Guam at daylight on June 20. It was precisely 5 o’clock on the morning of that day when the cliffs of the, island ‘came into view.through 4 tropical shower. . The-whole squadron approached the coast rapidly to a point where the .houses of Agana were plainly visible about thiree miles off on the port: bow. ' Here -the. transports dropped behind, while the. Charleston ran -close in shire to leok for a gun- beat, finding no sign of one. It was seen_ by .the nature of the place that if any -Spaniard -lurked about the island, e would be found in'the har- bor of Sar Luis ‘de Apra, six miles to the southward: To San Luis de Apra, therefore, the Charleston took her way, the transports following at a safe dis- tance. The day's entertainment was