The times., 1898-07-10
"FILL HELL WITH CHILEANS. 4"
A Message That SchIey Sent Ashore
ut Valparaiso.
From the Kansas City STAR


A Kansas man who saw Commodore
schley every day for several months, tells
some interesting things about the Amer
ican sailor At the time the Kansan met
him he was Captain SchIey. on light
house service at TOmpkinsville, Staten
Island. the anchorage for naval vessels
Said the Kansas man. in speaking of Mr..
Schley:
''Schley is one of the most companion
able men I ever met, and one of the most
picturesquely profane His profanity does
not impress one as being coarse or vul-
gar; it was dashing and unique. / had
the honor to report to him every morning
concerning some work I was then doing
on the coast. usually arrived at his office
about 9 O'Clock shortly after which Mr..
Schley would make his appearance. Then
We would sit down for a chat. We talked
of everything except politics, or rather he
did, and an hour and sometimes two
would slip by. I would be anxious to
to get to my work, but his conversation
was so generally agreeable that 1 did not
worry much. In the meantime his chief
clerk would appear with a big bunch of
correspondence for the captain to look
over. He would stand around and cough
and hum and haw, and make all sorts of
motions to attract Captain Schley's at
tention. but without avail. We might be
discussing bluefsh or high explosives or
electricity. anything. for Captain Schley
had the best fund of all-round infOrma-
ton of any man of my acquaintance. At
ter the clerk had fused around for some
time Schley would turn and look at him.
" Here's the letters, sir, the clerk
would say.
:" Get out of here. you lubber.' the cap
tain would roar. Damn 1t, sir, can't you
see I'm very busy? Then he would con-
tinue to tell me the proper way TO cook a
sea bass or how TO lay a submarine cable
"An officer who was with him in Chile
in 1891, when Schley commanded the Bal
timore, sent to Valparaiso TO settle the
dispute growing out of the shooting of
United States sailors told me of a char
acteristic Schley expression used at that
time. Several of his marines had been
arrested and thrown into prison. When
Schley heard of 1t he cleared for action
and sent word ashore: If those marines
are not on board my ship in two hours
I'll fill hell with Chileans.'
'Schley is of the type of old-time
dashing daredevil sea officers who made
the naval reputation of this country. He
is fiery and impetuous and capable of
doing brilliant things. II is my opinion.
based on some experience and first-rate
information, that this very dashing quail
ity has served to keep Schley from his
rightful place at the head of the fleets
in Cuban waters. The Administration
was afraid of him. The Navy Depart
! ment is extremely cautious. and set the
brave but very cautious Sampson over
Schley as a weight to hold him down.
If Schley had been at San Juan instead
of in Hampton Roads he wouldn't have
left the forts half battered; he would
have swept them off the face of the
earth and taken the chance of being rep
rimanded afterward. and he probably
would have gone into Santiago Bay and
got Cervera. He is the same sort of a
chap as Dewey, but fortunately for
| Dewey he was too far away to have his
every movement directed from a desk
| in Washington.
''You would take Schley to be sailor
| and a commander of men at first sight.
He is positive and strong in his language:
| he goes right to the point with quick de-
| cision when giving an order and he is
| a courteous gentleman in all his dealings.
| 1 hope he will have 1.-the opportunity, for
| I know he will distinguish himself as
brilliantly as did George Dewey"