The times., 1898-10-21
SCHLHY WON THE Fight
Report of the Wainwright
Board Is Made Public.
AN INTERESTING CHART
The Running Sea Fight in Which
Cervern's Fleet WINS Destroyed on
the Cuban Coast Is Now onicinIIy
Described - Sampson Was Nine
Miles Away mt the Finish.

And Sampson was nine miles away"
was the comment of 4 naval official yes
terday afternoon when the report of the
Wainwright Board was released by the
Navy Department for publication
''In other words, the cruiser New York,
Admiral SIMPSONS flagship, was hull
down. which in naval parlance means
not in sight, when the last of Cervera's
ill-fated ships was beached and blazing.
At the same time Admiral Schley's flag
ship, the Brooklyn, in company with the
Oregon, was in at the finish and giving
the Cristobol Colon her death blows
The Wainwright report, which is quoted
below, attempts to show that Admiral
Schley retreated after the fight COM
menced, but naval officers who have stud
led the chart, and the situation as well,
declare that he did not retreat.
They say that when the Spanish ships
came out of Santiago harbor on the fore
noon of July 3 the Brooklyn went at them
bravely. She went as far she could
and until Admiral Schley found himself
directly between the four American bat
tleships and the four Spanish cruisers. In
order to give the American battleships full
play at the enemy, he ordered the Brook
lyn TO make short curve to the east as
will be seen on the chart and that move
allowed our four battleships TO get into
fair action against the retreating Spanish
cruisers. After the battleships started in
pursuit Admiral Schley kept on his par
allel line until the finish of the running
fight.
Friends of Admiral Schley say his Navy
Department enemies want to make out
that when he made the curve to the east
he retreated In fact, that was simply
a maneuver in the fght-a part of the
general battle movement-to allow the
battleships TO get into action. 1t must
be remembered, too that the armor of
the Brooklyn was only four inches in
thickness, while that of the Spanish ships
was eleven and twelve inches thick, and,
also, that the heavlly-armored ViZcaya
and CristobaI Colon were finished by the
Brooklyn and Oregon, who were ahead
of all the other American warships at
the finish of the fight. Had not Admiral
Schley made the curve evolution when he
did, naval officers say, the Brooklyn
would have stood chance of being
rammed by her powerful adversaries.
1t must also be remembered, they add,
that one of two of the Spanish war YES
sells might have gotten away but for the
swift and decisive work of the Brooklyn
and Oregon, under Admiral Schley's per-
sonal directions.
The report follows:
In obedience to your order of Septem-
Der 2. 1885. appointing US a board to plot
the positions of the ships of Admiral Ger
vera's squadron, and those of the United
States fleet in the battle of July 3, 1888,
on Santiago de Cuba, we have the honor
TO submit the following report, accompa-
MED BY chart showing the positions of
the ships at seven different times.
These times, as taken by the United
States ships engaged, with incidents
noted, are as follows:
No. l-9:s5 a. n, Maria Teresa came out of the
harbor.
No. $3.50 a. m, Pluton came out
No. S-l0:l5 I. m, Maria Teresa turned TO run
ashore.
Nc. 4-lO:2O a. m, oquendo turned to run
ashore.
No. 5-1O:SO 4. M, FurOr blew up, and Pluton
turned 10 run ashore.
No. G-Il:c5 a. m, vizcaya turned to run
ashore.
No. LIB p m, Colon surrendered.
The chart selected by the board for
plotting is H. o. chart, No. 7l6, 1855 West
Indies, eastern part of Bahama Islands,
with part of Cuba and north coast of San
Domingo. This selection was made after
a careful comparison with all other
: charts at hand, as the positions of the
principal headlands and inlets and the
distances between them on it, agree more
nearly with the observation of members
Of the board than those given by any
other
THE positions of the United States
ships were established by known bearings
with the exception of the New York,
whose position is plotted by the revolu-
tions of her engines during a run of for
ty-five minutes east from her position,
southeast 1-2 south of the Morro, 5000
yards. Position at is plotted by all ships
according to their relative bearing
from each other, the operation of
their engines from 9:35 to $3.50
the evidence of the officers on board |
them, and the ranges used in firing at the |
Spanish ships. Position No. 3 is plotted |
from observations of the officers of the |
United States ships, with regard to their |
nearness TO each other, and relative bear |
ings of themselves from the Teresa, with |
ranges in use at the time, the perform
ance of the engines, and general heading |
of the ships. Position No same as No |
3, substituting Oquendo for Teresa Posi-
tions No. s. 6. and are plotted on the |
same general plan.
Before plotting these positions the |
board took each ship separately, and dis
cussed her data for the position under
consideration, this data being obtained