The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-08-25
STORY TO TELL
Captain of the Cristobal Colon
Says He Could Have Es-
capped Schley.
Reason He Did Not Will Soon
Be Told to the Spanish
C0rtes,
Of Which He Is a Member---SOme
Startling Revelations to
Be Made.
las a Good Word for American
Officers with the Exception
of Sigsbee.

NEW York; Aug. 2o.-The Press says
captain Emilio Diaz Morea, of the
S, an!sh ship Cristobal Colon, in an in
terview discussed the events Of the last
few weeks with bitterness. There was
even a playful suggestiveness in his
tones when he replied to the inquiry
whether he would say goodbye to the
American feet as he passed down the
bay on the Normandie.
Yes" he went on, "why shouldn't
I have friends on board your ships? We
did not fight as personal foes. Captain
Cook of the Brooklyn-you don't know
hin.?-Ah. fine man. Halt an hour
after the battle I had given him my
photograph and he had given me his.
On mine 1 wrote we have just fought
two hours and half. Each did his
duty. We were not personal foes.
Now that it is all over, we are comrades
and friends This is the way I feel
towards them. I believe they have a
different opinion of the Spaniards from
what they had before the war;
Could Have Escaped.
The captain said: 81 could have got
ten away. Schley 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 81 miles. I tell
you it was 70. Dividing that by the
time and you will see my average was
17.2 knots an hour and at times Is.
The Oregon could only 60 IL and I was
steadily dropping the Brooklyn behind.
Oh. no, neither of the ships kept me
from escaping, but I cannot tell you
now why I was not able to save my
ship" land the captains voice trembled.
He Has Story to Tell.
"You won't have long to wait
though. You. won't have long to wait"
he repeated. "When tell why, it
will be on the floor of the cortes. am
a member of the Spanish parliament.
I represent the Montril district in
Granada province. have been per.
mitted by the president to go home
that I may TO present at the opening
of the cortes, which will take place in
a few days. Then will explain and
many things dark now will seem clear.
I know many things don't seem quite
clear as to why did not escape when
! was III the lead lam not saying
this to det1act at all from the achieve.
ments OF the American fleet. The men
did all they could, but there is an IN
written chapter yet to be known be.
fore history is written.
Not Materially Damaged by Shots.
"No one will Say the Colon was ma
terially damaged by the American fire, "
he went on. "She was hit only Six
times. BY your own reports made 26
holes in tho Brt oklyn, and there were
AZ traces OF hits on her side. Does not
that speak well tor Spanish gunnery?
They say our gunners could not shoot.
We'll, the Brooklyn's SIDES tell differ.
ent story"
"Why did you not sink her, them"
Our guns were 100 small. Three
vessels with heavy guns-1he V .zcaya,
the Maria Teresa aud the Oquendo-
were on fire. I was left alone with
only che rapid fire gun OF small calibre.
II had had 13-inch guns or ii or l2-
well, there might have been different
story. Those holes in the Brooklyn
would have lneaIt more.
''It was unfortunate that they put
the heavy guns on the ships with wood
work that would catch fire. The first
shell that struck any Of our ships STAR, .
ed fire. There was no fire on my
ship, because she had no wood work
She was like the Brooklyn and would
not burn
New ork Not a Good Ship
"What do you think of the New
Y,rk?''
"a bad ship. It was lucky for her
she did not get into the fight. She
would have burned like our three ships
Rear Admiral Sampson was in perfect
accord with NE on that subject and
agreed that shell might set her OH
fire and with her woodwork she would
have gone the way Of the Vizcaya."
victory, Sampson OF Sch .ey?' he was
asked.
B!ames Captain Sigsbee.
"Both officers are men Of great intel.
Egence and high character" he said.
"But Sigsbee, ah, what shall say of
him? After the Maine explosion he was
in Captain Eulate's cabin in the Viz
caya. There, with tears in his eyes, he
said his career in life was ended be-
cause he had lost his ship. We rescued
the American seamen while their off,
GERS were drinking champagne on
shore, and then Sigsbee goes in court
and forgets all about his tears and
lamentations in Eulate's cabin and
tries to shoulder the blame upon us.
Never did we have a hand in blowing
up the Maine, and am convinced that
after the straightforward. square way
we have fought this war; The lAmefican
people don't believe that we blew mp
the MaiRs."