The times., 1899-06-21
THE BRooKLYN'S LOOP.
Captain Chadwick Transmits the
Statement of HeiIner.

statement OF Heflner.
Another chapter was added to the
Brooklyn's loop controversy yesterday by
Capt. French E. Chadwick, commanding
the armored cruiser New York. in a re-
port giving the result of an examination
made by him of Lieutenant Commander l.
C. Heilner in regard to the formers state
ment that Lieutenant Commander Hodg
son had repeated to him the colloquy be-
teween Admiral Schley and Mr. Hodgson
on the Brooklyn, when Schley gave the
order for the Brooklyn to make her dis
cussed maneuvre. The report OF Captain
Chadwick was received at the Navy De-
partment yesterday through the ordinary
official channels. Lieutenant Command
er Heilner told Captain Chadwick that the
report OF the colloquy as published in the
New York Sun was practically the con-
versation repeated TO him by Lieutenant
Commander Hodgson. Captain Chadwick's
reports follow:
U. S S New York.
Boston, June -, 1850
Sir: In obedience to the orders OF the seere-
tary of the Navy, have the honor to make the
following report of an examination OF Lieutenant
Commander Heilner with respect to his knowledge
! Of conversation reported to have occurred be-
! tween Rear Admiral Schley and Lieutenant Com
mander Hodgson during the action of July ,,
1895 Lieutenant Commander Heilner states As
follows:
! AT one Of the early sessions OF the board
on ships positions during the action of July 3
| | strongly expressed my doubt to the Brook
| lyn's position before making the loop, as laid
\ down by Mr.. Hodgson. Several other navi-
| gators-Mr Comfy and Mr. Schuetz know-sided
with me. MIR. Hodgson and this particular
! occasion walked up and down the port side OF
the cabin ot<the Brooklyn on which the board
was sitting. 1t is my impression that MIR. Hodg-
| son claimed that the BROOKLYN was l. 100 yards
| iron, tla i-h Nyhp he ttfrr
was made The board, l think, put it later at
| l,fOO yards.
Mr. Hodgson told me that he felt certain
| they were closer than 400 yards. and that their
stadineter gave 500 yards He said, We were
so close that Schley gave the order, Hard port "
| said to him: You mean starhoard do you notY
| The commodore said, No, | mean port; we are
| close enough to them now" Mr.. HOdEsOn then
! said he called attention 10 the position OF the
| Texas and told the commodore he thought there
| was danger OF running her down. The commodore
replied. Damn the Texas! Let her look out for
| herself This conversation repeated 10 me
| on several different occasions
! Everything | say now contained in Mr..
/ Hodgson's statement The words may have been
| a little different. He may have said, Don't you
| mean starboard coinmOdoreY instead OF the first
| phrase He certainly said. We enough
to them now and also, Damn the Texas! Let
| her look out for herself
| "IIe repeated this conversation to me three
times during the sessions of the board, because
| every time discussion arose | REQUIRED to the
| position given by him, which | did not think
| correct. | placed dependence any ohseTva
ton by stadimeter seXtant during gun fire
Ny experience was that during the action ! could
not get a single observation by the sjadimetei
| on which l could place any confidence, though
| | using two stadimeters and had a man IL
the coming tower with cleaning material whoss
only duty was TO try to keep the glasses clean
With the utmost this could not be done.
tried keeping the Stadmeter under my coat, but
it was of use. l mention this reason fol
the doubts which brought up the discussion The
report published by the Sun was practicall,
the conversation as repeated TO me-.
Il c. HEILNER.
Lieutenant Commander, L. $ NJ
Lieutenant Commander Heilner appends his sig
nature as attestatiOn of the CORRECTNESS OF the
foregoing. as given above
Very respectfully,
F. +. CHADWICK, Captain. L. $ y.
To the Commander Chief.
The Navy Department issued state
ment yesterday correcting the report OF
Captain Chadwick on the explanation made
by Lieutenant Commander Hodgson re
garding the colloquy between Admiral
Schley and Lieutenant Hodgson. In the
statement given out Monday, the copyis
in the department made an error in copy
ing Captain Chadwick's letter. The error
was the omission of a remark credited
to Admiral Schley by Lieutenant Hodgs0n
The correction as issued by the Navy De-
partment reads:
The typewritten copy OF statement OF Captain
Chadwick and Lieutenant Commander Iiodgson
given TO the press yesterday. was in error in tn
following points:
About ore-third from the beginning, wher
| published statement reads:
Il INTENDED him to understand there was dan
ger Of running into the Texas. lie said. al
right or words to TINT effect. l cannot repea
verbatim
1t should have read:
u intended him 10 understand there was dan
ger of rurnn. into the Texas. He said: Al
right: the Texas must look out ior that o
| words to that effect i cannot repeat Yer
batim."
statement read j. L. Chadwick should hav
been - T. Chadwick"