The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-27

shell beyond her. This performance adds
to the already brilliant record of this fine
battleship, and speaks highly of the
skill and care with which her admirable
efficiency has been maintained during
service unprecedented in the history Of
vessels of her class.
THE Brooklyn's westerly blockading po-
sition gave her an advantage in the chase,
which she maintained to the end, and she
employed her fine battery with telling eff
feet.
The Texas and the New York were
gaining on the chase during the last hour
and had any accident befalen the Brook
lyn or the Oregon would have speedily
overhauled the Cristobal Colon.
From the moment the Spanish vessel
exhausted her first burst of speed the re-
suit was never in doubt. She fell, in fact,
far below what might reasonably have
been expected of her.
Careful measurements Of time and dis
lance give her an average speed from he
time she cleared the harbor mouth until
the time she was run on shore at Rio Tar
quino, of 1871 knots. Neither the New
York nor the Brooklyn stopped TO couple
up their forward engines but ran out to
the chase with one pair getting steam, of
course, as rapidly as possible in all boil
ers. To stop to couple up the forward en-
gines would have meant a delay Of fifteen
minutes or four miles in the chase.
Fourteen Several of the ships were
struck the Brooklyn more often than the
others, but very slight material injury was
done, the greatest being aboard the Iowa.
Our loss was one man killed and one
wounded, both on the Brooklyn.
at Is difficult to explain this immunity
from loss of life or injury 10 ships in a
combat with modern vessels of the best
type, but Spanish gunuery is poor at best,
and the superior weight and accuracy Of
our fire speedily drove the men from their
guns and silenced their fire. This is borne
out by the statements Of prisoners and by
observation.
THE Spanish vessels, as they dashed out
of the harbor, were covered with the
smoke from their own guns, but this
speedily diminished IN volume and soon
almost disappeared
THE fire from the rapid-fire batteries
Of the battleships appears to have been re-
markedly destructive. An examination Of
the stranded vessels shows that the Alml-
rante Oquendo especially suffered terri
bly, from their fire Her sides are every
where pierced and her decks were strewn
with the charred remains of those who
had fallen.
"Fifteen-The reports Of Commodore w.
s. Schley and Of the commanding officers
are enclosed.
"Sixteen-A board appointed by me sew
eral days ago has made a critical exami-
nation Of the stranded vessels. both with
a view of reporting upon the result Of
our fire and the military features invov-
ed, and Of reporting upon the chances Of
saving any OF them and Of wrecking the
remainder. The report Of the board will
be speedily forwarded. Very respectfully,
"W. T. Sampson,
Rear Admiral United States Navy, Com
mander-in-C Chief, United States Naval
Force, North Atlantic Station"
ITO the Secretary Of the Navy, Navy
Department, Washington. y. c."
Commodore Schleys report Is as fol-
lows
North Atlantic Fleet Second Squadron,
United States Flagship Brooklyn, Guam
tauamo Bay, Cuba. July 8. lS9S.-Sir:
First have the honor to make the
following report OF that part Of the
squadron under your command which