The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-07-16
GIVES sCHLEY ALL THE cRRn,1

Inc correspondent of the Associated
Press in Cuba, who was an eve witness
OF the naval battle on the Sd of Julv in
! winch Cervera's fleet was DESTROYED bas
given detailed story of the Ame-:;o, !.
victory and says that Cc.mmodoro
schley won it when acting Rear Admiral
sampson was twelve niles away And
yet 1t was Sampson who announced Tho
result OF the fight, and to him and not
10 ochley the administration is desirors
u giving credit. According to the cor
respondent the hrunt of the fighting was
Dornc by the Brooklyn, Schey's fac.
snip, and by the Oregon and Texas. The
Gloucester, commanded by Wainwright
rendered valiant service. The New
york. which is Admiral SIMPSONS flag
ship. the Massachusetts,, the Iowa. and
the Indiana were absent, and came in al
the heel Of the hunt" The corresnond-
ent was at the elbow of Commodore
Schley on board the Brooklyn when Cant.
COOK, Of that armored cruiser went in
! a small boat to the Cristobal Colon, and
! took her commander and crew prisoners
While Captain Cook was returning
to the Brooklyn" he says, 1.-THE New
York, with Admiral Sampson, came
along, ran in between the Brooklyn and
the prize, and ordered Captain Cook to
send the prisoners on board the New
York. Commodore Schley, seeing this,
megaphoned over. 4 request the honor
of receiving the surrender of the officers
of the Cristobal Colon No answer was
vouchsafed him from the New York,
and the ship that had not fired a shot
took the honor. Commodore Schley
then raised the pennant A glorious vic
/ tory has been won; details later. The
answer from the New York was, Re
port your casualties"
Sampson hurriedly announced the vic
tory to the authorities at Washington,
and left the American people under the
impression that ho was present at the
fight from the beginning and Had been
entitled to the credit of the whole trans
action. He made no mention Of Commo-
dore Schley. though that gallant COM
mander had managed the affair and was
in the thick of the fray, his flagship be
ing hit 26 times with the only casualties
occurring on board of it, H. G.. Ellis be-
ing killed and J. H. Burns wounded In
stead of complimenting Schley upon the
result of the battle and reporting his
grand achievement to Secretary Long,
the Jealous Sampson who has been push
ed to the front through favoritism,
snubbed the vigilant and skilful commo-
dore, and unjustly claimed for himself
the glorious victory won in his alb
sence. Such conduct is not calculated
to elevate Sampson in the esteem of the
American people. Commodore Schley
deserves better treatment, and, in spite
Of the naval clique and their protege,
he shall and must have it as matter Of
right and justice. Commodore Schley
has been handicapped from the begin
! ming of the war. Sampson, though
lower in rank, was promoted over Schley,
not for meritorious conduct, but through
political and social influence with the
powers that be.
The following pathetic story of Com
modore Schley's interview with Admiral
Cervera, is related by the same cor
respondent: "The Spanish admiral was
much cast down by his defeat, but pre-
served dignified and courteous de-
meanor, Notwithstanding. He said he
deeply appreciated the fact that
the men on the Brooklyn did not exult
by cheering when 1t was learned that he
was n prisoner on the Iowa. He replied
in response to the commodores remark
that it was the fortune of war: yes,
but I've lost my career, now that I've
been defeated
Commodore Schley, however, told
him that such d brave deed
as that of bringing out his
squadron could never he looked
upon otherwise than as most gallant
feat, upon Which Admiral Ceryera threw
his, arms around the commodore and
saidt
"Ah, sailors always are gentlemen