The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-18

Cervera had entered the harbor of San
tiago May 49, the day and almost the
hour the flying squadron left Key West
for Cienfuegos.
at is therefore evident that the
maneuvering of the flying squadron
had nothing to do either with forcing
Cervera into Santiago or preventing
his escape therefrom up to 7.45 a. m.
May 20.
In June Admiral Sampson arrived on
the New York, and the Iowa ceased to
be vessel of the flying squadron. The
admirais plan of blockade was sub
stituted for that Of Commodore Schley,
and the beginning of the end was in
sight"
In another chapter entitled the Bat
tleship in and out of action" Capt
Evans gives the following as the les
sons. that in a general way, he deduced
from the war:
Birst-The absolute necessity for fast,
armored cruisers, capable Of long sea
endurance.
Second-Ample supply of torpedo boat
destroyers.
Third-The absolute necessity for
proper golfers and supply vessels.
Fourth--the absolute necessity for
smokeless powder.
Fifth-The need Of some instrument
by which the range can be accurately
and rapidly obtained.
SiXth-The necessity for more per
feet system of communication, both as
regards the ship itself, and as between
different ships of the same squadron.
Seventh-Necessity for smokeless
fuel.
Eighth-Inefficiency of fire from ships
against earthworl1s properly construct
ed.
simultaneously for TWO coming
towers, one forward and one aft.
Regarding the best place from which
to fight battleship, Capt Evans
writes: 81 know Of no more devilish
place than the coming tower of a bat
tleship in action
Commodore Todd, who writes
on ''the affair at Cardenas"
and THE southwestern block
ade," in both instances In which
he was senior officer present described
infinitely the hitherto untold and i'm
portant engagement at Manzanino on
July Is. Regarding the Cardenas en-
gagement, in which the torpedo boat
Winslow was disabled and Ensign Bag
ley and four men aboard killed Com
mander Todd states that Commander
Merry of the Machias, cautioned me
against the imprudence Of the COM
handing officer Of the Winslow, Lieut.
Bernadou, stating that q few days pre-
thority entered the inner bay, and had
come very near being captured by the
Spanish gunners.' Commander Todd
goes on to explain how the Winslow
came to be sent in towards the bat
teries.
Her commanding officer" writes
Todd, was not ordered to engage the
gunboats, but to locate them, just as
scout is sent to locate an enemys
land force. But in his anxiety to get
into the engagement Lieut.. Bernardou
allowed his vessel to run into the
range buoys of the Spaniards Gas stat
ed by himself later on board the Will
mington).
1.-THE commanding officer of the Win
slow erred in judgment in not keep
ing his vessel clear of the range buoys
and greatly so in again steaming into
practically the same spot after once
getting clear, and with his stearing
gear disabled. The casualties on board
the Winslow occurred after she had
steamed in the second time. This err
ror of judgment undoubtedly arose
from Lieut.. Bernardou's intense anx-
ety to be in the fight. but the small
calibre of his guns, the vulnerability
Of his vessel the impossibility of his
using his torpedoes, as evlGenced by
his removing the primers from the
war-heads should have led him to take
extra care in exposing the Winslow to
the gun fire he knew the Spanish gum
boats to possess.
He was not ordered to attack. but
to locate the gunboats To rely upon
his feeble gun fire to damage a supe-
rior enemy cannot De called good pro-
fessional judgment, no matter how gal
lantly attempted"
For his bravery on this occasion
Lieut.. Bernardou was recommended
by Sec. Long to be promoted 10 num-
beers. Commander Todd is now explor-
ing the Amazon In the Wilmington.
The author, speaking of reports sent
in by various officers after the de-
struction of Ceveras fleet says the ac-
count of the battle submitted by Rear
Admiral Schley contradicted in various
details those sent in by the battleship
CAPTAINS. Somebody was evidently mis-
taken, and it was judged unwise to for
ward reports from Evans, Phillips,
Taylor and Clark, that contradicted the
statements Of the second in command.
The attention of Sampson was drawn
to the discrepancies.
"Oh we'll" he said, what does it
matter? The battle was won. So
what's the use Of bothering."
However, Sampson finally decided to
send for Schey and the result was that
the latter withdrew his original report
and submitted the one known to the
public. The author states that the
famous despatch beginning the feet
under my command" and announcing
the victory Of July 3, although signed
BY Sampson was not written by him.