The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-09-02
FIR VIRGINIA ENTERPRISE
VIRGINIA.. MIMI.
Y. &. AANllAFoRD. Psb,l.as,.
HIS GUNS TOO SMALL.

s Ws - ssNNWtNVNua - to0tt10ots
HIS GUNS TOO SMALL.
Can't. Morsu Says His Warshlps
Had the Speed but Lacked
Armament.
: New York, Aug. 2O,-Capt. Emilio Diax
Moreu of the Spanish ship Criatobal Co
lon. In an Interview with q New York
press reporter discussed the events Of the
lastNfew weeks without bitterness There
was even playful snggestiveness in his
tones when he replied to the inquiry
whether he would say goodbye to, the
American fleet as ne passed down the bay
on the Normandie. -, !, Z ~ *s.s1
"Yes." he went on, 'why shouldn't
have friends on board yons ;shipsf I'VE
did not fight as personal foes. Capt. Cook
Of the Brooklyn-yon don't know him
All: a fne man. Halt an hour after the
battle l had given him my photograph
wretes We have Just fought Two hours
and d half. Each did his duty. We were
not personal foes. Now that, it Is all over
we are comrades and friends. That is
the way | feel toward the Americans. l
believe they have a different opinion of
the Spaniatds from what they had before
canHot Save Any Of the ships.
mise ca !ss a.d do I'0 think Hoeson will
Ne. be viii 3ot: She is tipped 81 her
Any vessel saved there will cost twi6e
their values" 4 - -! - q &
1.-THE Colon was beautiful vessel =
$entured the reporter VI - 49,.
Beautiful and every inch d fighting
ship. l would have got away none Of
them could have stopped me, but.
ax Inc tes spi1s pa2sed and said: Get {,
sehleg knows it, Sampson knows it, and
So does Cook. I told them, it was not
the Brooklyn nor the Oregon that kept
me from escaping. They say + went
only sixty-four miles. tell you it was
seyentystwo. Divide that by the time and
you 20 h VIII see my average wss 17.2 knots
could only. 50 Is and was steadily
dropping the Brooklyn behind.
oh, no: neither Of the two kept me
from escaping, but i cannot tell you
now why | was not able to- save my
splendid ship" and the captains voice
Aou MoH nave IoAg 10 Walt, though,
you wont have long to watt he repeat
ed. when tell why, it win Sc On the
floor of the Cortes. am member If
the Spanish Parliament. / represent the
Monteil district in Granada province. /
have been permitted by President Nc
Ain!ey to go home now, that 1 may be
present at the opening of the Cortes,
Then 1 will explain and many things
dark now will seem clear. I know now
many Americans do not seem quite clear
from their own accounts as to WHY did
not escape. when | was in the lead and
gaining. They will know soon.
from the achievements Of the.American
fleet. The men did all they could. but
there is IN unwritten chapter yet to be-
known before history Isl written. )
NO one win say the Colon was materi-
ally damaged BY the American fire. he
vent We on on: She was bit only six times
six holes in the Brooklyn and there wera
forty-two traces Of hits on her side. Does
that not speak we'll for Spanish gunnery?
Ihey say our gunners- could not shoot.
We'll. the Brooklyn's sides tell 4 iiffereni
Colon's Guns Were Too Small.
Why did you sink her then?''~ : =: :, =
Our guns We're too small. The three
vessels with heavy guns-the Vizcaya, the
Maria Teresa and the Oquendo-were on
fire guns of a comparatively small. cali.
Der. If I had had 13-inch guns or III Or
12-weI, there might have. been a differ
ent story. Those holes in the Brooklyn
would have meant more. =
our naval men have learned a great
deal from their fight with the Colon.
for the light, rapidefire. Sampson told dG ms
as much. told them they could not and,
they smiled when I asked them where
they would be if had had heavy guns. :
1T was the fortune of war that those
ships with the heavy guns on board had
woodwork that would catch fire.
our ships started fire. There
was no fire on my ship, because she had
no woodwork; She was like the Brook.
York;"
she did not get into was the .0fk Sht for She
would have burned like our three ships:
Rear-Admiral Sampson was in perfect
accord with. me on that subject and
agreed that a she'll might have set her 12on
hre and with her woodwork she would
have gone the way of the Vizcaya."ss - z
WHO should get the credit for the VIC
tory Sampson or schley?'' he was
asked. ~
Roast for Capt. siEsbee: :
Both officers are men of great intelli-
gence and high character" he said. "Buf
Sigsbee. ALI. what shall say of him p
said the captain, bitterly. AFTER the,
Maine explosion he was in Capt. EuIate,s $:
cabin in the Vizcaya. There, with tears
in his eyes, he said his career in life was
ended because he had lost his ship. We
rescued the American seamen while their
officers were drinking champagne on shore,
and then Sigsbee goes into court, forgets
all about his tears and lamentations in
Eulate's cabin, and tries to shoulder the
blame upon us. Meyer did we have a
hand in blowing up the Maine, and I am
convinced that after the straightforward,
square way we have fought this war:
the American people do not believe that
We blew up the Maine" y.
DO you expect to be brought before q
court-martiaI on your return =
I'VE will appear before a court of in
quiry. That is regular. and formal. &, No
matter whether it is defeat or vic
tory, if ANYTHING happens TO- a<spanish
feet the proceedings go. before q court of