Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-10-26

give i'll. She was q Brooklyn woman
and spoke the hoodoo words in Brook
lyn. 1t was the cruiser Brooklyn which
seemed fated to make the hoodoo ter
ribly potent, but the hoodoo on the
Texas was off.
Although early and heavily engaged,
the Texas fired less than one-half the
number Of shots expended by some Of
the ships Captain Philip says that the
orders he gave that no shots be fired ex-
cept on good target We're carried out
TO the letter. The gunners waited for
the smoke to lift before firing and took
care to place their shots well. The
Texas could have fired d IL inch shell
every minute and a half, but she fired
only few and landed two CT them
with terrible effect in the enemy's sides.
The first close fighting Of the Texas
was with the Oquendo, One of the
shells of the latter burst over the Texas,
doing little serious damage beyond set
ting fire to the woodwork Of the super
structure But the next shot was better
aimed and only narrowly missed max
i'll luck 1t was a g. inch shell and
pierced the starboard bulkhead under
meath the bridge. The first obstacle
met with was that part of the deck
structure called the hammock netting,
which surrounds the smokestack. This
is of steel Turning over, the shell
went through the hammock butting
door, tearing off the upper half. This
last obstacle exploded the shell, and it
hurled all its fragments into the ash
hoist and through fourth wall of steel
plating around the smokestack, The
larger fragments went through the
stack, and the smaller dropped in show
ers below. Smoke. steam and ashes in
volumes clouds and showers followed
in the wake of this agile missile, and
for time the men on the Texas
thought their hour had come. Those for
ward believed the after gun had ex-
ploded, and those aft and amidships
supposed that the boilers had been
pierced The fire and smoke forced up
from below led the other ships of the
feet to suppose the Texas had met with
disaster.
One credit the sailors of the Texas
claim for their gallant ship, and that is
that it was a inch shell from her guns
which blew up the destroyer Furor.
After the confusion which followed the
visit of the inflammable shell and its
rambling companion Captain Philip
saw that the battle lay between the
Vizcaya and Colon and the American
ships The Teresa and Oquendo were
seeking the beach, plainly out CT the
fight, and the Vizcaya was leading the
chase westward, with the swift Colon
on the inside. When the Texas finally
passed abreast of the Oquendo, the
Spaniard ran up the white flag to
escape further punishment. Captain
Philip gave the order to cease firing
and with the best speed of the Texas
followed the Oregon in her chase after
the two remaining Spaniards. At this
time and until the end the Texas closed
the line on the east, and if the enemy
had turned about TO regain Santiago
they would have had to settle with
Captain Philip and his gunners first.
When the Vizcaya veered toward shore,
the Brooklyn and Oregon left her to
her fate, but kept on after the Colon.
The Texas did not fire upon the unfor-
tunate Vizcaya, for she was in flames,
and it was only a question of time for
her surprising activity to cease. She
was pluckily firing all the time. Final
ly the Texas drew up ON the Spaniard,
down. Then two fearful explosions
seemed to tear her to pieces. This was
the time when the gallant Philip said
to his men: Don't cheer boys. The
poor fellows are dying" Some of the
unfortunates had been hurled into the
water. while others had leaped over
board in despair,
The chase of the Colon closed the
drama of the day, and the part Of the
Texas in that affair has not been clearly
understood Again she clos "a the line
and was ready to dispute with the pow
erful Spaniard the road back to Santi-
ago in case the latter should turn to
evade the Brooklyn and Oregon. All de-
pended ultimately upon the Oregon,
She alcne was a match in speed and
strength for the Colon. If she met with
accident, the Brooklyn was no match
for her antagonist, although she would
have fought to the death
Captain Philip says that the old
Texas actually gained on the Colon
There was but little firing on either
side. For fully two hours the struggle
was test Of speed and determination.
The Colon was making for jutting
headlands. and the Brooklyn lay off her
bow. ready to attack should she attempt
TO get to sea. Next came the Oregon,
closing another gap to the sea. and last
| ly the Texas, to prevent a retreat.
When the Colon surrendered and ran
| on the beach, the three American ships
steamed alongside of her quite stimuli
tarsously.
| The Texas was handicapped in the