The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 16, 1899, Page 24

FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, JULY 16, 15899 SAN NOW THE AMERICAN BOY HAS A CHANCE Senator Perkins’ Valuable Words of Advice. »”, o i £ ", o T T TTI 1 0p, Vi William R. Brown of the Oregon Now Gun Captain. ILLIAM RANSFORD WN of Oakiand f r a vacatio mmissio perience and just as 1 battleship famous an Wi ADT this lad enterec romotion. His che behavior says 1 here last night (May 8) f Janiero to coal up and cle e put- t sh 1 c ie a Spanish fleet about 200 mile of r us to come along 1t all they are look ir reach sor 1 or tw United Sta 1 be very luc d in to-d se behind fourth port oung Brown continues his tters from the Ore- gor hich s n at Santiago de eled over 15,000 with the Span- did not i ne until to- r coaling up at Key West d the blockading fleet off Ha- There were about ten American w. from all of them our successful trip around the H As we passed the Indlana the band played ‘There’s a New Bully Come to Town,’ and I guess the band was right. ‘With the New York and other ships we at once proceeded to Santiago, leav- ing the rest of the ships to blockade Havana. We arrived early in the morning off Santiago and found eight or ten American ships there, all of which gave us more cheers. The ‘great’ Spanish Cape Verde fleet s inside the harbor and is afraid to come out. They 8 to get at the Yankees r, but since then they f Uncle Sam’'s war- have changed their hips there and we got three cheers for en some nd they the letter goes on to tell about the sinking of the Merrimac and the bombardment of the Spanish forts by the American fleet. “We are still keeping up the blockade and as soon as the troops come we will . the Spaniarde some more of Mc- s peace-makers. You ought to » seen the dust fly and the Span- , too, while we were firing.” ol an story now, the battle of the Nile, But a brave age.” And the same Is true of the story ld by young Brown in the following r written while all this nation was the great victory of which ted language he tells: “OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, story can never die of “July 4, 1898. Mother: This is the 4th of are taking a day off to > have done a good deal in the last three days and we On the and 2d our royed some of the Spanish and yesterday we completely the Spanish fleet off San- looks as though the Spanish ad- had been waiting for a chance to for late Saturday night there nine of our ships on blockade duty off the entrance to Santiago. bout daylight Sunday (3d) four of our est ships left for coal and ammuni- fards considered it a good opportun- ity to escape. “The Oregon was lying in front of the entrance, and the other four ships (In- diana, Iowa, Brooklyn anc Texas) were lined up on either side of us. Just at 9:25 as first call went to quar- ters the lookout reported the Spanish fleet coming out of the harbor. We cleared for action at once and signaled to the rest of the ships to look out for what was coming. There was great ex- citement for a few minutes. “As soon as the first Spaniard poked her nose outside she commenced firing at the Indiana, and we answered her with a broadside of six, eight and thirteen inch shells. Soon her four big cruisers and the torpedo boats were outside. They headed up the west coast of the island, closg to shore, and the Oregon and Brooklyn kept along- slde of them about three thousand yards off. “The torpedo boats were blown sky- high in short order. I saw one go up. When she exploded a volume of black and white smoke shot up a hundred feet into the air. That was the last seen of her and her sisters soon fol- lowed her fate. Before we went two s two of the Spanish cruisers were seen on fire heading for the beach. They went ashore within half a mile of each other. Shells were fiying over us like hail, but luckily none hit us and not a man was scratched. There were two more ships ahead of us still, and flew after at the rate of ng our heavy guns and we could fire The third one was struck We kept them fast. and she headed for the beach. firing as we passed her until she went high and ¢ on the beach and there was an explosion aboard of her. That was the Viscaya, the one that could destroy New York City so quickly. I . mother, that ship will never York harbor again. yw about 12 o’clock and there one sh , the Christobal the fastest the fleet. The and Brooklyn chased her for hours, and when we saw we RS PARRRSS: R R Colon, Oregon about two were gaining on her we let a few of our thirteen-inch bow-chasers drive at her. « > went right in front of her. It struck a little too near to suit her, so e headed in for the shore and after little more shooting hauled down her colors and surrendered. “When our prize crew went aboard of her they found four dead and about twenty wounded. She was hit a great many times. About 500 efficers and men were put aboard the Resolute and made priscmers of war., We staved there all night to watch her. She was leaking on some thirty or forty miles to the his place. It was a fine and as we were r quarters and es for Sunday in- t the least idea that nutes to be in one battles of modern ly five ships left s Sunday the Span- g’G‘O*OQDO D+ 04 0+040404040+0+0+0+ O+ T+ 0+ O +0+T+0+0+0 Senator Perkins Says That All American Lads May Profit by Young Brown’s Experience in the Navy. f the hott times. The on the blockade, and and about time for quarters, AVE 1 the story of Gunner Willlam R. Brown and I would like if ry American boy would pr perience. It is just s chances of promotion und much greater than those which fell the purpose of bringing forward d is being built. It was only af having the number of apprentices ), and out of this number California has al- 1 ke out 63 per cent of our navy were of for- g Brown it is hoped that in be American born. This re- be tice system, which will always insure rial upon w our greater navy. There are hundreds of yuths who seem to have no place on shore and who are just the duate through the naval trai station into seamen and war- nly by ng the fz before the people that vy can be understood and appreciated. 4040404 O+ O+ O+ THIHTHITHOH O 404040+ O+ 0+ O+ O +0+0+040+ SHOT UP HURDREDS 2F FEET INTO THE ArRM a query from his mother he says: “You 1 me in your letter if my knees d together when the fi shot was fired. T was not so badly scared as all that, but I will admit that it all felt a little queer at first. We are used to it now. We have smelt quite a good deal of gunpowder in the last month.” ast September there was great joy badly ard before morning we could hardly see her, and that was the end of the great Cape Verde fleet. We are now ready for their reserve fleet if it comes over. “I will have a tho nd_dollars or more when I get paid off. Yesterday's work amounted to many millions, to be divided among the navy. Do not worry. L 1 will come out all O. K. Your son, aboard the Oregon, for it was then sup- “WILLTAM R. BROWN.” posed that she was to be sent around In another paragraph of the same let- the Horn to San Francisco. expect ter young Brown undoubtedly tells we will be there by Christmas,” says some very plain truths. In answer to Brown. “Then you can see the ship When t only b our D4Q +O4040404 040+ Q4D+ O+O40+ BO4+T44T4040ICHO IO+ D4Q 40404040 (2% (AN WA 3 \\\\S\‘\\ e MAKING @ FOOL OF LOVE. Drawn for The Sunday Call by E. Frederick, the Noted lllustrator of Summer Scenes. What Gunner Brown Has Done on the Oregon. ., TO DISTINGUISH HIMSELF IN THE NAV FTRHERY ONE GO uP. G/HEN SHE EXPLODER A‘VO\.OME“’F BLACK O W - w . *® = that opened the eves of the whole world. Thousands of people come here (New York navy yard) every day, and although there are six other ships all they want to see is the Oregon.” Then comes what at this time seemed like a great disappointment to the young gunner, but which was really the stepping-stone to his future suc- cess. October 1, writing from the TUnited States ship Amphitrite, then at Bosten, he says: ‘““We are not going to Frisco. Sudden orders came from Washington to send eight young sea- MITE SMOIKE | ® | s | 8 9 men from the Oregon to this ship to take instructions for gun captains. I was one of the eight, and it nearly broke my heart to hear that I could not go back to Frisco with the Oregon. It is probably for the best, but I don't like it a bit. If we pass the examinations we will get from $35 to $50 a month. We are now taking daily studies at the gunnery school, working up for ex- aminations.” After a month’s studying and prac- ticing young Brown realized that the change ordered in his career was for his own benefit. “The first lieutenant of the Oregon,” he says, “has explained the matter to me and has convinced me that this is the best thing for me to do if T want to get up in the mnavy. I am one of fifty sent here from the Qifferent ships in the navy. It will take about five months to recelve our instructions and qualify, and 1f we pass we will be given our rates right away. Chief gun captain gets $60 a month, first-class gun captain $50 and second- class captain $40. I am confident now that I will get second-class, but I shall try for first. We are sent here, I learn, because we have all got good records, and they will shove us along. When we get through I can go to the Oregon if I want to, and I want to bad enough. We expeot to get our prize money about Christmas, and as soon as our examin- ations are over the Government will send me overland to Mare Island, where I shall be paid off, as I have only eight months now to serve.” The progress made by the Oakland gunner was evidently very satisfactory, for after the end of the first prelim- inary examination he only made one error out of fifteen questions, which all related to deck battery guns, ‘“and,” says he, “it was a corker. The next examination will be on the Lee rifle, and I think it will be easier than the first. We will leave here some time in the latter part of this month for Port Royal, S. C., for our target practice, which will last at least two months. It will soon be over now, and I shall be at liberty to come home. “In the target practice I fired sixteen shots to-day with a three-pounder and made t -clve bullseyes at about 1500 yards. To-morrow we will fire six- pounders and four-inch guns, and last of all the big ten-inch guns. The ten- inch shells weigh 500 pounds and will carry ten miles. We have to fire with them at a target 3000 yards away. Our course will finish in a few days and we shall know where we stand.” Recently the young Oakland gunmner passed the final examinations, and qualified for gun captain of the first class. “If I had got four per cent more,” he says, “I would have got chief. We have not our appoint- ments yet as the recommendations ave been gent to Washington to be approved. I might leave for California any day and I hope the next letter will be a verbal one. I will send you a tele- gram as I pass through Los Angeles on my way to Oakland.” A SOPORIFIC PLANT. Mr. Gillesple of Bdinburgh has called attention to the curfous soporific action of certain plants found in Russia and in America. These plants are known to botanists under the name of stipa. On the Mediter- ranean coast, where the stipa grows in profusion, it is called virgin's flax, and because of its beautiful blossoms is used extensively for bouquets. In Texas and New Mexico a specles of this plant, called stipa viridula, possesses soporific qualities. The cowboys and herders of the West, where the plant grows luxuriantly, often find to their astonishment that their cows and horses are suddenly overcome with sleepiness, accompanied with great weak- ness. They are rendered incapable of traveling and cannot exert themselves without great effort. Horses and cows are affected alike. The head falls low, the body trembles, the breath comes with difficulty and the heart beats tumultuously. Accompanying this there ds profuse sweating exhaustion. The poor animal seems violently sick. How- ever, in a few days his state becomes normal again. Strangely enough, sheep are not affect- ed by the plant. As an experiment Mr. Gillesple inocu- lated frogs and rabbits with an extract from the stipa viridula. After the injec- tlons the animals were apparently se?zed with hallucinations and suffered the anx- {ety and paralysis of a strong narcotic.