The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-18
SIMPSONS OPINION.
Admiral Believes Cervera Should Have
Made His Sally at Night--Evans Sums Up
the Less ns--HoW Ensign Bagley Lost
His Life at the Battle of Cardenas,
AS Told By Commander Todd.

New York, March 17.-Rear Admiral
Sampson has contributed a chapter to
the book, with Sampson Through the
War" just issued by w. A. M. Goode,
correspondent Of the Associated Press
ON the flagship New York during the
war.
In this chapter. Admiral Sampson
gives the first expression of his opin-
ion upon the destruction of Cervera's
deet He holds that the victory over
Oervera is not entirely accounted for
by the superiority Of the American
force, and he is inclined to believe that
IL was due more to excellent marksman-
ship than to anything else.
This difference" writes Rear Ad-
niral Sampson, between the number
Of hits on each side can only be en-
planned by attributing it to the superior
craftsmanship of the Americans.
Therefore this cause alone would prob
alb. explain the difference in the re-
suits the Americans lost one man,
while the Spaniards lost in the neigh
borhood Of 300 killed and wounded
IF the war teaches one lesson more
important than any other" continues
Sampson, sit is to dispense with all
ships. Not particle should be permit
ted where it is possible to avoid its
USE
Regarding the strategy of Cervera,
Sampson is of opinion that had the
Spanish admiral come out during the
evening, making his departure to coin
eide with a passing storm, he would
have had a good chance to save one or
more Of his vessels.
Tsxn1aiDine This SamDSOn writes:
Several causes it appears Influenced
Admiral Cervera to select daylight in
stead of darkness to make his attempt.
While he and his commanding officers
differed in opinion as to the time to be
selected, a majority vote eventually
fixed for daylight as the time. There APP
pears to be no doubt but that with
sufficient energy and determination in
making the attempt, darkness would
have greatly aided their chances of es-
cape
HAD it not been for use of search
lights by our ships to illuminate the
channel by which the Spaniards must
necessarily come out, they probably
would have selected the darkness.
after the destruction of the Spanish
fleet, many Of the captured prisoners
freely expressed their opinion that it
was impossible to pilot their ships out
through the narrow channel with such
powerful light shining in the eyes
Of the officer.
'SThis reason perhaps even more than
the fact that the searchlight enabled
us q the other side to discover and
poilsC our guns upon the attacking
Spaniards, decided them in their vote
to adapt daylight rather than darkness
In which to make their attempt.
''Had Cervera in making his plan di-
rected his ships to follow different
courses in going to sea, the probability
that one or more of them might have
escaped would have greatly increased;
but as all pursued the same course, 1t
favored their destruction and rendered
their escape impossible.
''Each ship as she came out was sub
1ect to the fire of ell our ships; where
ns, had they followed different courses,
the probability is that, owing to the
circumstances of position, one or more
of our slower ships might have found
herself compelled to engage a yes
sci of the enemy of much higher speed,
or the reverse might also easily have
happened-that one of our faster YES
sells would have been obliged to attack
one of SPANS slower vessels, thus
wasting our means of attack upon an
inferior vessel leaving one Of greater
speed to escape.
''If this attempt had been made dur
ing darkness, it would have enabled
one of the Spaniards to have got out
Of sight of most of our vessels in a few
naomerfs The result would undoubt-
edly have been different.
Therefore, 1t is my opinion that if
the time of escape had been set for the
evening, the result would have been
more successful. The whole night would
then have been left the Spaniards to
evade their pursuers; and especially
had the hour been set to coincide with
a passing storm, which would have
diminished the intensity of our search
lights and would have greatly increased
the intensity of the darkness"
In chapter entitled with Schley to
Santiago in the same book. Can't.
Robley ID. Evans, in summing up the
much discussed question of how Ger
vera was bottled up after telling of the
discovery of the Cristobal Colon on
May go in the mouth of Santiago har-
Dor. writes as follows:
I'VE signalled to the flagship Brook
Ign, Spanish cruiser Crstobal Colon in
the harbor.' and the answer came
promptly, I understand A moment
later q second Spanish cruiser, sup
posed to be the Maria Teresa. was dis
covered to the left of Cayo Smith. and
still later the spars of third were seen
over the land. The Iowa was at once
cleared for action and everything was
made ready for battle, as we felt sure
the Spaniards meant to fight. II they
had wanted to escape they certainly
had had every opportunity to do S,
Later on It was found that Admiral