Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1908 — JOHN O’CONNOR IS REMINISCENT [ARTICLE]

JOHN O’CONNOR IS REMINISCENT

County Sheriff, Who fol Many Years Was a Sailor Boy, Is Reminded of Incident of 1869. In Sunday's papers I read of the sinking of a British war ship by an American mail ship, the Saint Paul. This brings to my mind the sad rememberance of a like disasetr in the bay of Yokohoma, Japan, in the fall of 1869. The U. S. S. Oneida, had left the harbor of Yokohoma about 5 p. m., homeward bound, and while still in the bay with a little fog she was steaming ahead with lookouts stationed at their respective stations, a large iron British troop ship (the Bombay) came in full view and before any change could be made she rammed the Onedia on the starboard quarter. The Onedia went down in five, minutes with all hands on board, except 15, five of whom were in the sick bay or hospital and the British ship after c’earing the Oneida kept on her course until she arrived at anchorage. There was about 500 on the Oneida. I wish to call your attention to the differance in the conduct of the officers of the different ships. When the Oneida was rammed by the British ship and sinking, the British ship kept right on her course after being signaled to for to stand by. Now when an American steam ship, not even a war ship, rammed a British war ship, she not only stood by, but lowered all her boats and saved all hands except five. There is the difference between Americans and Englishmen. And it was by strict orders of Admiral Rowan, the American commander in chief of the Asiatic station, that the keys of the magazines be in the hands of the different captains. The feeling among the American sailors was so strong that the Admiral was afraid that the British ship would be fired on, and true enough he was right. Just think what a dastardly, cowardly act that whs, for the British and what a grand apd brave act this was for the Americans; still that Is not strange; that is always the way thee American sailors conduct themselves in all such cases. By the way, the Saint Paul is the same ship that brought over $1,000,000 worth of war material from where she was chased by a Spanish cruiser off the Irish coast and later she run a race with and destroyed the Spanish torpedo beat, terror of the coast of Cuba during the Blockade. She was then called the Harvard, commanded by Captain Sigsbee, late pf the Battleship Maine.

JOHN O’CONNOR.