The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-21
H0DCS0N'S EXACT WORDS
Are Quoted in a Statement by
Lieut.-Commander Heitner.
EVENTS ON THE BRIDGE
Hodgson Alleged to Have Heard Adj
miral Schley Say Damn the
Texas; Let Her Look Out
for Herself"

Washington, June 20.-FoIlowing the
| statement of Lieutenant Command
err Hodgson respecting the events that
occurred on the bridge of the Brooklyn
July 3, the navy department made pub
lie the following report of Captain
Chadwick of his examination of Lieu
tenant Commander Heitner:
~. s. S. New York, Boston, Mass,
June 49, 1899:
"Sir--In obedience to the orders of
the secretary of the navy l have the
honor to make the following report of
an examination of Lieutenant Com
mander Heitner with respect to his
knowledge of a conversation reported
to have occurred between Rear Ad
miral Schley and Lieutenant Command
er Hodgson, respecting the action of
July 8. 1898.
Lieutenant Commander Heitner
states as follows:
"At one of the early sessions of the
board on the ships positions during the
action of July g. l strongly expressed
my doubt as to the Brooklyn's position
before making the trip as laid down
by Lieutenant Commander Hodgson.
Several other navigators, with Mr..
Comfy and Mr.. Schuetz I know, sided
with me. Mr.. Hodgson and l, on this
particular occasion walked up and
down the port side Of the cabin of the
Brooklyn in which the board was sit
ting. 1t is my impression that Mr.
Hodgson claimed that the Brooklyn
was LOO yards from the leading Span
ish ship when the turn was made. The
board, I think, put it later at 1,4OO
yards Mr.. Hedgson told me that he
felt certain they were closer than l, 400
yards and that their stadimeter gave
800 yards. He said, We were so close
that when Schley. gave the order hard
aport' I said to him, You mean star
board. do you not?' The commodore
said, No, l mean port; we are close
enough to them now Mr. Hodgson
said he then called attention to the
position of the Texas and told the com
modore he thought there was danger Of
running her down. The commodore re-
piled: Damn the Texas let her. look
out for herself This conversation was
repeated to me on several occasions.
Everything I say now was con-
tanned in Mr.. Hodgson's statement. The
| words may have been a little different.
He may have said: Don't you mean
starboard, commodore instead of the
| first phraseology. He certainly said,
l
| also Damn the Texas; let her look out
| for herself. He repeated this CONVEX
sation to me at least three times during
the sessions of the board, because
every time discussion arose / re-
CURED to the position given by him,
which I did not think correct. l placed
no dependence on an observation by a
stadimeter or sextant during gun fire.
| My experience was that during the ac-
ton I could not get a single observa-
| ton by the stadimeter on which I could
place any confidence, though l was us
| ing two stadimeters and had man in
the coming tower with cleansing ma
terial, whose only duty was to try to
keep the glasses clean. With the ut
most care this could not be done. I
tried keeping the stadimeter under my
coat, but it was no use. 1 mention
this as a reason for the doubts which
brought up the discussion. The report
as published was practically the con-
versatfon as repeated to me-
Lieutenant Heitner appends his sig
nature as an attest to the accuracy
of the report herewith given. Very
respectfully.
"F. e. CHADWICK,
Captain U. s. N.
81. C. HEITNER,
Lieut.. Commander u. S. N.
| ITO the commander-in chief"