The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-08-31
schlsy's Unsought Battle.


more clearly than anything else just
what the navy is ready to DO, and how
delicately balanced is The chip on the
shoulders Of our sea fighters, says Mr..
Henry Barrett Chamberlain in the Chi
eago Record. When Schley had en-
riched our history on July 3, and every
ship in these waters under the royal
banner Of CASTLE had been shattered,
be was sailing east TO resume station
before Santiago. Word came to him
that the Pelayo, pride of the Spanish
navy, had reached the Caribbean, and
he was directed to engage her as soon
as found. To naval experts the sugges-
ton that cruiser fight battleship is
insanity gone mad, but nevertheless
the Brooklyn started on her errand.
Near Santiago battleship was sight
ed, heavily armored and turreted, but
at such distance that her colors could
not be distinguished Under the glass.
Toward her the Brooklyn started.
Commodore Schley and Captain Cook
stood on the forward bridge as the big
cruiser fairly leaped forward to give
battle.
"She is white, an unusual thing in war
time" said the Commodore, watching
the stranger through his glass. 81 don't
believe she is Spanish, be remarked a
moment later, and shen, consulting the
picture Of sister ship to the Pelayo,
suddenly exclaimed: "By Jove! it is
the Pelayo, after all !"
"On the signal bridge p shouted Cap
tain Cook. "Can you make out her
colors ?"
mot yet, sir" came the answer, fol-
lowed a moment later by ave have
raised her colors, sir, and she is Span
ish.n
'Send your men TO quarters, Cook,n
said the Commodore, "and' start an
eight-ineh shell for her when give the
word"
On went the Brooklyn, fast closing
the distance between herself and the
stranger-a big battleship of modern
type, and with her flag aft-two stripes
Of red on each side of yellow, as it ap-
peared, and the crown in the proper
place. The bugle sung ''To quarterH'
and the men, although they had been
lighting all morning, rushed to their
guns with cheer. For moment the
Commodore hesitated. son the signal
bridgeE' he called. "Are you certain
the stranger is Spaniard ?"
'Certain, sir" came the reply. "I
can see her eolors distinctly"
The Commodore had his glasses on
the battleship. Turning to the Cap
tain of his ship he said: "Cook, that
fellow is not at quarters. His guns are
turned away from us He is not up to
snuff. Watch him closely, and the mo-
ment he sends his men to quarters, or
moves a turret, let drive. Give him
everything we have. We will sink him
in twenty minutes, unless he gets a
shot under our belt"
Just then the officer on the bridge
reported that the battleship was signal
ing with the International code, and
soon translated the message. This is
an Austrian battleship."
Half an hour later the Commander
Of the Maria Theresa (Austrian) was
seated in Commodore Schley's cabin.
''If you had sent your men TO quar-
ters or moved turret / should have
raked you; it was q narrow escape"
said the Commodore, during the con-
"Your flag is 80 like Spain's,
saving that you have white stripe
where she has yellow, that it is hard to
iell them apart at any considerable dis
lance, and 1 came very near letting
drive at you"
"We know that" returned the Aus
-rian, ''and we were very much wor-
red. W. signaled you long before you
We had no wish to be troub-
ed. We have seen the wrecks along
he coast. Butt he inquired, as he rose
% leave, do you send cruisers to meet
The Commodore smiled as he answer
ID: "We always make fight with the
inst ship we have at hand. We never
wait because We are outrated. We try
% win with what we have"
"You Americans are very remarka-
DE" said the Austrian, as he went over
he side to his boat