Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-08-23
MoREU is LoQUAcIous.
Spanish Captain Tells Much and Hints
at More.


NEW YORK, Aug, 22.-The pres.
says:
Captain Emilio Diaz Moreu, OF the
Spanish ship Cristobal Colon, in az
Interview, discussed the events OF the
last few weeks without bitterness
There was even a playful suggestive
ness In his tones when he replied tC
the inquiry whether he would say
goodbye to the American fleet as he
passed down the bay on the Normanie.
"Yes," he went on, ,"why should not
| have friends on board your ships?
We did not fight as personal foes.
Captain Cook, Of the Brooklyn-you
don't know him? Alb, fine man,
Half an hour after the battle had
given him my photograph and he had
given me his. On mine / wrote: we
have just fought two hours and half:
Each did his duty. We we're not per.
sOnal foes, Now that it is all oyer, we
are comrades and friends That is
the way feel toward Americans. l
believe they have a different opinion
Of the Spanards from what they had
before the war"
captain, do you think Hobson will
raise the Colon"
"No. He will not. She is tipped on
her side and her seven-inch gun
smashed her Any vessel saved there
will cost twice its value"
"The Colon was beautiful vessel"
ventured the reporter.
"Beautiful, and every inch fight
ing ship. Iwould have gGg away; none
of them could have stopped me, but
=" the captain paused and said:
"Gct away, | said, mean it. Schley
knows it; Sampson knows it, and so
does Cook. l told them it was not the
Brooklyn, nor the Oregon that kept |
me from escaping. They say | went
only Ga miles. tell you it was u.
Divide that by the time and you will
see my average was l7.2 knots an hour, /
and at times Is. The Oregon could go |
only 16 and / was steadily dropping
the Brooklyn behind. Oh, no, neither |
of the two kept me from escaping, but |
/ cannot tell you now why l was not
able to save my splendid ship" and
the captains voice trembled, "You
won't have long to wait" he repeated.
"Wheu l tell why it will be on the
floor of the cortes, as member of the
spanish parliament. | will represent
Jhe Montrit district in Granada prov
nee. | have been permitted by the
president to 90 home now, that l may
De present at the opening of the cortes'
which will take place in few days
Then l will explain, and many things
lark now will be made clear, l know
many Americans don't seem quite
,lear from their own accounts as to
why did not escape when was ahead
and gaining. They will know soon"
"What do you think Of the New
York;"
"a bad ship, 1t was lucky enough |
for her she did not get into the fight.
She would Lave burned like our three
ships. Rear-Admiral Sampson was
10 perfect accord with Lie on that sub
ect.
"But Sigsbee--ah, what shall | say |
Of him?" said the captain, bitterly.
after the Maine explosion he was in
Captain Eulate's cabin on the Vizcaya.
There with tears in his eyes, he said
MS career in life was ended because he /
had lost his ship. We rescued the
merican seamen while Their officers
we're drinking champagne on shore,
aud then Sigsbee goes into court, for
yets all about his tears and 'lamenta-
ions In Eulate's cabin and tries to
shoulder the blame on us. Meyer did
We nave hand in blowing up the
Maine, and | am conYin ,ed that after
.he straight. forward, so uare way we
fought the war, the American peo-
Die do not believe we blew up the
Maine"