The Dickinson press., 1898-07-30
SAMPSON REPORTS
COMMANDER OF THE SQUADRON
TELLS OF cERvERA's DEFEAT.

x2e Account Practically the Same ~
That Heretofore Publiahc cd-Omcers
snd Men raissd-work so Well Done
That .It IL DiAasuit to Dlsoriminats In
Ealosy-Othsr Omoers Speak in High.
! Z. est Terms. Of Conduct Of Their Msa.
WAsH1NaroN, July 27.-The navy
department has made public the re.
ports OF Admiral sampson, Commo.
dore schley, Captain CLARK of the Ore
5gon and Captain Evans Of the Iowa.
on the battle of July 8. which resulted
In the destruction Of Ccrvera's squad.
ron. The details Of the engagement
pre- practically the same as already
published in these dispatches.
In his Comments upon the battle Ad.
miral 8ampson says:
Il regard this complete and impor.
tant xtbtprys overS the Spanish forces as
the snecs sul anishg Of several weeks of
arduous and close blockade, SO strin-
gent and effective during the night
that the enemy was deferred from
making the attsmpt to escape at night
and deliberately elected to make the at.
I tempt In sdAylig That this was the
case was informed by the command.
ing officer Of the Cristobal Colon.
r. Praise for Omcers and Mon.
"When all the work 10 done so we'll
1t ts difficult to discriminate in praise.
The object Of the blockade Of Cervera's
squadron was fully completed and each
man bore his part In it, the commodore
In command Of the Second division,
the captains Of ships and their officers
and men. The fire of the battleships
was powerful and destructive and the
resistance Of the Spanish squadron was
In great part broken almost before
they had got out of range of their own
forts. The great speed Of the Oregon
enabled her to take front position in
the chase and the Cristobal Colon did
not give up until the Oregon had
thrown l8.inoh 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 position gave her an ad.
vantage In the chase, which she main.
tanned to the end, and she employed
her fine battery with telling effect.
The Texas and New York
We're Gaining ON the Chase
during the last hour, and had any acci.
dent befallen the Brooklyn or Oregon
would have speedily overtaken the
Cristobal Colon. From the moment
the Spanish vessel exhausted her first
burst of speed the result was never in
doubt. She fell, in fact, far below
what might reasonably have been, ex.
pected Of her. Careful measurements
OF time and distance give her an aver
age speed-from the time she cleared
the harbor mouth until the time she
was run on shore at Rio Tarquina-of
1877 knots. Neither the Oregon nor
Brooklyn stopped to couple up their
forward engines, but ran out the chase
with one pair, getting steam, of course,
as rapidly as possible on all boilers. To
stop to couple up the forward engines
would have meant a delay of Is min.
utes, or four miles, in the chase"
The reports Of Commodore Schley
and Captains Clark and Evans also
speak in the highest terms af the con.
duct Of their men, and make special
mention of many whose bravery and
gallantry was conspicuous.