The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-27

harbor. How did know 1t? BY intui-
ton. I had studied the situation care
fully and was certain that Cervera must
move within forty-eight hours.
Watching Cervera's Fleet
s'Now let me tell you that / watched
every vessel in that feet for three days
before the dash was made. 1 not only
watched them. but I knew every move
they made / could tell every time a
shovelful of coal was thrown under a
boiler.
You see we discovered that by watch
ing a certain space away across the hills;
we could see columns of smoke rise up
into the air at certain periods. Ii was not
hard to connect this smoke with the fun
nels of the vessels of the squadron, and
thus / was kept Informed as TO their
whereabouts. Every time one of the YES
sells moved the telItale smoke followed her
course. and so did 1.
so all the night before the dash was
made a thousand pairs of sleepiess eyes
on board our vessels watched the mouth
of the harbor as eat watches a mouse.
Not for one second did we lose track of
the Spanish squadron and We were fully
prepared for the dash.
Story of the Fight
zone hour before the Spaniards ap-
peared nay quartermaster on the Brook
syn reported to me that Cervera's feet
was coaling up. This was just what /
expected and we prepared everything for
q hot reception.
Away over the hills great clouds of
smoke could be family seen rising up TO
the sky. A little later and the smoke be-
gan to move towards the mouth of the
harbor. The black cloud wound in and
out along the narrow channel and every
eye on board the vessels in our fleet
strained with expectation. The boys were
silent for a full hour and the grim old
vessels lay back like tigers waiting to
pounce upon their prey.
Suddenly the whole Spanish acet shot
out Of the mouth of the channel Ii was
the grandest spectacle I ever witnessed.
The flames were pouring out of the fun
neIs and as IL left the channel the fleet
opened fire with every gun on board.
Their guns were worked as rapidly as
possible and shells were raining around
like hail.
Fight Like Mnddened Bulls.
1T was a grand charge. My first in
preston was that of lot of maddened
bulls. goaded to desperation. dashiag at
their tormentors. The storm of proiec-
tiles and shells was the hottest imagina-
ble. / wondered where they all came
from.
"JuSt as the vessels swung around the
Brooklyn opened up with three shells and
almost simultaneously tie rest of the
feet fired. Our volley was a terrible
shock TO the Spaniards and so surprised
them that they must have been badly
ratified.
when our fleet swung around and gave
chase. we not only lad to face the fire
from the vessels, but We're bothered by
a cross-ire from the forts on either side.
which opened up on our feet as soon as
the Spaniards sho. out of the harbor
The engagement must have lasted
three hours. but / hardly knew what
time was. / remember crashing holes
through the Maria Theresa and giving
chase 70 the Colon
Standing on the Bridge
Il was on the bridge Of the Brooklyn
during the whole engagement. and at
times the smoke was so dense that |
could not see three yards ahead of me.
The shells from the enemy's fleet were
whis-ilng around and bursting every
where. except where they could do some
damage.
How did / feel? To be truthful. l was
scared almost 10 death 1 seemed To he
the only thing on the vessel not protected
by heavy armor. and OH bu. l would
nave liked TO ge5 behind some of thai
aTnor! don't know how ! kent nv
head, but / do know that | surprised nv
self by seeing and knowing ali iaat was
going on. and I could hear my voice
giving orders to do just what nv head
thought Was right while my heart was
trying to get beneath the shelter of the
armored deck
How do 1 account for such a victory
without losing man? That would mean
how do | account for the rain of Span
ish shells not doing more execution. Sim
ply because they couldn't hit green ap-
pies They fought nobly and desperately.
put they had had no target practice ana
did not know what to do with tbeir
guns.
Proud of the Bows
tell you was proud of the BOYS in
our fleet during that engagement. They
knew Just what their guns could do and
not one shot was wasted Their conduct
was wonderful 1t was inspiring. II was
magnificent.
Lei me tell you that men who can
Seai's btillhu Dig guns and face 4 black
storm Of shells and projectiles as eooIfv
as though nothing was occurring: men
who could laugh because a shell had
missed hitting them; men who could bet
one another on shots and lay odds in the
midst Of the horrible crashing; men who
could not realize that they were in dam
Ger-such men are wonders and we have
d whole navy of wonders
Il am proud to command such a gal
liant lot Of fellows. They are the grandest
set of fighters in the world The men
under my command at Santiago were fel-
lows who couldn't be whipped. You could
shoot away the decks from beneath their
feet but you could not whip them. Our
gunners are equaled by those of few ma
Yies and surpassed by none. / could take
q navy of such men and whip anything.
Navy Won the Campaign
About the surrender of Santiago? l
think that that was directly the result Of
the bombardment of the city by our fleet.
/ have not yet seen the real facts pub
lished about the grand work of the fleet
IN this bombardment. We did not list
vessel to fire over the hills.
''Out of log shells fired by the feet, Ia2
landed in the city. Now that is cunning,
and the city was forced to surrender or
be blown to dust. Yes, l am certain that
the surrender was wholly due TO the
bombardment by the fleet
We'll, / don't know that / can discuss
the respective merits of the eight-inch
and thirteen-inch guns, because ! really
d0n'f know which Is the more effective