Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-07-29

! - y orders for bat
tle-this is the
story of the cruiser Brooklyn in the
battle which wiped out the Spanish
navy in the West Indies 1t has been
| given to but few warships to be the
center figure of events so stirring and
SO momentous and survive the battle.
Yet five minutes before the ball open
| ed all was so even and commonplace
that Commodore Schley, lounging easi-
! ly on the Brooklyn's quarter deck,
| yawned and said, This is pretty
slow" Captain Cook was in his cabin
getting out his parade clothes for a
| general muster Suddenly he heard
the executive officer above call out,
"Clear ship for actionr' Knowing from
| the officers tone that the command
meant business, Captain Cook rushed
to the bridge and was told that the
enemy's ships We're coming out. On
platform in front of the coming tower
| Captain Cook found Schley, with aids
and signalmen around him, giving bat
tie orders to the fleet So quickly had
the yawning bored sailor changed to :
| fighting son of Neptune.
At the first sound of alarm from the
outlook the Commodore grabbed his
| glass and started for the tower. On
the way he called to the signal off
GERS: "Signal The enemy is escapingP"
and "Signal the feet to Clear shipp"
Just as Schley reached the tower the
Iowa's first gun doomed, and the COM
modore says that in exactly l minute
and 80 seconds from the time the first
signal flew every American ship on
the scene was firing al the Spanish
column. Yet the Spanish exit was to
all purposes a surprise as far the alert
Yankees can be surprised. 1t was a
quiet Sunday hour. The commander in
chief had sailed away, telling the ships
on guard to disregard his movements
clear proof that in the cabins of the
blockaders the forenoon of Sunday,
July 8, was held to be an off hour for
sailors.
1t was indeed a sharp alarm for the
American sailors. but they fell to the
work of smashing Spain with more
vim than they would have done at the
end of long period of strain of anx-
ious watching. y correspondent on
the Brooklyn says that when Captain
Cook came on deck he called out,
Full speed aheadr' and at that in
slant the forward s inch guns of the
ship doomed as echoes to the Iowa,
which had got in the first shot. This
was barely three minutes from the
time the escaping fleet was sighted.
The celebrity of movement on the
Brooklyn astonished the correspond
ent, who was familiar with the ship
at all times, except in action. What
to layman," he says, seemed the
direst pandemonium and disorder was
the finest of discipline and the acme
of order. That men flew by, dropping
their shirts as they ran. that orders
flew thick and fast and that men and
officers seemed tumbling over one an
other was no criterion. That every
gun was ready to shoot, that the fire
had besn started under four fresh
boilers, that every battle hatch had
been lowered, that every watertight
compartment was closed, that ammu-
milton was ready for the reloading of
the guns, that the fire pumps were on
and the decks wet down and that ey-
cry man of 500 was in the place as
signed him for battle completes an in
disputable miracle"
When the Brooklyn opened fire on
Cervera's flagship, the Maria Teresa,
the range was 1900 yards. The Span
lard held to her course, but the Brook
lyn turned slowly, firing first from
her port battery, then from her star
board. The Brooklyn was in lead of
the fleet because the Spaniards turn
ing westward steamed toward her
while the Brooklyns consorts were
left behind by Cervera's movement
west.
Commodore Schley says that the first
few moments decided the battle. He
gave the feet orders to close in, and
the ready American ships dashed for
the Spaniards like pack of hounds.
Ceryera knew the kind of enemy he
had in front, for after passing certain
point of land he swung his ship and
opened on the Brooklyn. She was the |
feetest American in the line and des-
tined leader of the chase, and if he |
could cut her down by shell or ram
his chances of escape would be dou-
bled. Schley said that the ocean sur
face looked like a mill pond during a
hailstorm. Personally this did not i'm |
press him until Chief Yeoman Ellis |
was killed alongside of him and a |
searchlight smashed at his elbow by |
Spanish shells. He was watching the
battle and directing movements. |
Within 30 minutes of the appearance |
of the Spaniards four of their ships |
had been annihilated. After that lie
could pay attention to matters close |
at hand
Schley's advice to Captain Cook of |
the Brooklyn when the Spaniard ap~ |
peared was, "Have your rapid fire |
guns ready for those fellows" When |
he 1aw the ViEcaya break from her |
westward course and steer for the |
Brooklyn he shouted, "Put your helm |
hard a-portr' and tho ship began that |
movement on loop which has caused |
so much speculation. When the swing
ing movement brought the starboard |
guns to bear Schley cautioned the ship |
captain to tell ''the men to fire de-
tberately and make every shot tell"
Before the starboard guns were out
Of range the Teresa had turned inshore
In flames. This left the Vizcaya in the
lead with the Colon and Oquendo lin
gering behind to cover the torpedo
boats. All three fired at the BROOKLYN.