The times., 1898-08-09

Porter, which occurred some time ago
when Sampson was hunting the seas
for Ceryera, and before the latter was
located at Martinique. Study Of
summary of that report, prepared by
a naval expert, fills US with unbounded
admiration for the alert agility OF the
commander-in-chief. who was then
captain, signing himself. however.
Rear Admiral, u. S. N" The COM
plete document is, or until today was.
properly on file If it should remain in
that condition 1t will be open to in
spection by the Congressional joint
committee on the conduct of the war.
which unouestionably- will be created
early in the next session of Congress.
The facts of the case. as they are
shown in our summary, and we fancy
are as they appear in the report, are
stated as fellows:
One very dark night the TORPEDO boat
Porter mistook SIMPSONS flagship for
a Spaniard. 1t was at an hour when
strategists in command are presumed
to be in bed and saving logs. Their
physical absence from deck is not in
consistent with their professional and
intellectual presence there. This must
be remembered lest the officer of the
watch should attempt to steal the
laurels of the occasion from the brow
of his ultimate superior. Like young
Casa Blanca, it was not for him to
know that ''the chieftain lay uncon-
scious of the fun
The Porter gave chase and the New
York, suspecting her of being a fierce
destroying hidalgo. clapped on steam
| and got away as fast as she could.
The Porter made the countersign tslg-
nab for that night and received no
answer. Then the Porter fred gun
and the escaping flagship replied with
/ a gun. The Porter repeated the coun-
tersign and again failed to secure a
response, so she closed in on the chase
| and prepared to fire three torpadoes.
| Just as the torpedoes were about TO be
discharged the Porter discovered signs
! of an answering signal on the New
| York and waited for its completion. 1t
| proved to be wrong and all doubt that
the flagship was an enemy, vanished
| The order was started, 'Ready-f'-,
| when the chase, running under forced
| stacks, Just as the F. sound was out
of the officers mouth. No Span'ard
had three enthusiastically two. Sc
the order was completed: Hold fast!
| and the New York with Sampson on
board was saved.
Whatever others may affect to think
we are convinced that naval history
| cannot show grander evidence OF stia-
| tegic ability than was displayed on the
occasion in question. As we have
said, the r-in-ch;ef" prob
ably was not personally present. but
il must have been due TO his fore
thought exercised months before thai
the officer of the deck was wise enough
to run when he was chased. That no.
body appeared to know how to answe'
| the Porter's signals, or what the ccun-
tersign of the night was, is not a re
fection on Sampson in our opinion. w.
| learn from his own report on the Ger
vera defeat-not the original, but th'
| one done over and published-that HI
has small respect for signals; and Capt
Mahan in his Sampson defense and de
fiance seems to share that sentiment
But that is a small matter The open
ing out of three smokestacks all a
once, thus disclosing his natienalit'
and saving his ship. was the rea
stroke of genius. AS Capt. Mahan re
marks of the lamps off Santiago: Il
was the great decisive feature of TIT
campaign from start to finish" HI
| also observes: Few naval authorities
/ imagine, will dispute this statement