Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-08-27
GaISTOBAL C0L0N'S
CAPTAIN INTERVIEWED
He Says That the Vessel Is in Such
Shape That She Cannot
Be Saved.
HER SIDE IS CRUSHED IN
Claims That 1t Was Neither the
Brooklyn or Oregon That Pre-
vented His Escape.
HER SIDE IS CRUSHED IN
OUTRUN BOTH OF THOSE VESSELS
Says He VIII Explain 10 the Cortes
when Much That Is Dark aud
Mysterious viii BE
Explained.

New York, Aug. 22.-The Press
says: Captain Emilio Diaz Moreu of
the Spanish ship Cristobal Colon in an
interview discusses the events of the
last few weeks without bitterness.
There was even n playful suggestive
ness i'm his tone when he replied TO
the inquiry whether he would say
goodby TO the American feet as he
passed down the bay on the Norman
die.
yes" he went on. "Why shouldn't
| have friends on board your ships?
We did not fight MS personal foes. Cap
tain Cook Of the Brooklyn, you don't
know him? Ali, a fine man. Half an
hour after the battle / had given him
my photograph and he had given me
his. On mine | wrote: we have just
fought two hours and Il half and each
did his duty; we were not personal
foes. Now that it's all over, we are
comrades and friends That is the
way | feel toward the Americans. /
believe they have a different opinion
of the Spaniards from what they had
before the war"
captain, do you think Hobsos will
raise the Colon?"
mo, he will not. She is tipped on
her side and her 1000 tons have
smashed her. Any vessels saved there
will cost twice their value"
Whnt stopped the Colon.
"The Colon was n beautiful vessel"
ventured the reporter.
Beautiful and every inch a fighting
ship. | would have got away; none
of them could have stopped me.
but" The captain paused and
said: "Got away, | said; you under
stand. | mean il. Schley knows it,,
Sampson knows il, and so does Cook.
! told them il was not the Brooklyn
nor the Oregon that kept me from es-
Gaping. They say ! went only sixty
four miles. | tell you it was seventy
two. Divide that by the time and you
will see my average was II l-2 knots
nm hour and at times Is. The Oregon
could only go l6, and ! was steadily
dropping the Brooklyn behind. Oh,
no; neither Of those two kept me from
escaping, but ! cannot tell you now
why | was not able TO save my ship
my splendid ship and his voice trem-
bled. you won't have long 10 wait,
though. o won't have long 10 watt
he replied.
when | tell why il vas il will be
on the floor of the cOrtCS, am n
member Of the Spanish parliament.
represent the MONTH"; district, in
Granada province. | have been per-
mittcd by the president to go home
now, that | may he present at the
opening of the cortcs, which will take
place in Il few days. Then | will eX.
plain, and many things dark now will
Seem clear. | know to many
Americans ii don't seem quite
clear from their own accounts
why | did not escape, when
was i'm the lead and gaining. They
will know soon. ! am not saying this
to detract at all from the achieve.
mcnts of the American fleet. The men
did all they could, but there is an un-
written chapter yet To be known be-
fore history is written. No one will
say the Colon was materially damaged
by the American fire." he went on.
"Shc was hit only six times. by your
own ports ! made twcnty-siX holes
in the Brooklyn, and there were forty
two traces of hits on her sides. Does
that not speak well for Spanish gum
merry? They say IN gunners could
not shoot. Well, the %Brooklyn's sides
tell Il different story"
His Guns TOO Small.
"yNhy did you not sink her, thcn?'
"Our guns were too small. The yes
sells with heavy guns, the Nizcaya, Ma
ria Teresa and Oquendo were ON fire,
and was left alone with only the
rapid fire guns Of comparatively small
caliber. If | had had 13-inch guns, or
II or II, well, there might have been
a different story. Those holes in the
Brooklyn would have meant more.
Your naval men learned n great deal
their fight with the Colon. They
will not give up their heavy guns for
the light rapid fire. Sampson told me
as much. | told them they could not
and smiled when | asked them where
they would be if | had had heavy
guns? 1t was the fortune Of war that
our vessels that had heavy guns on
board also had woodwork that would
fire. The first shell that struck
Of our ships started a fire. There