Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-08-17


Within 20 minutes Of the appearance
Of the Spaniards four Of their ships
had been annihilated. After that he
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 saw the vizcaya break from her
westward cuurse anu steer Tor the
Brooklyn he shouted. Put your helm
hard a-porlr and the ship began that
movement on loop which has caused
SO much speculation. When the swing
ing movement brought the starboard
guns to bear SchleX cautioned the ship
captain to tell the men to fire de-
| liberately and make every shot tell"
Before the starboard guns were out
Of range the Teresa had turned inshore
In flames. This left the Nizcaya In the
lead with the Colon and Oquendo lin
gering behind TO cover the torpedo
boats. All three fired at the Brooklyn.
Then followed running fight of "a
minutes, Schley says, during which the
| Brooklyn was struck 100 times. The
Oquendo met the fate of the Teresa
and the crew of the Brooklyn redou-
bled their efforts to finish the business.
Although the Oregon and Texas were
up and pounding the Spaniards, the
| fight between the Vizcaya and Brook
lyn was square naval set to. Still
| ha ch i1
caya's armorplate was double the
| thickness of the Brooklyn and her
guns heavier. Officers and crew on the
Brooklyn seemed delighted although
anxious when the fight lay between
them. Schley said to Captain Cook,
Get in close, Cook, and Wen fix her."
A turn of the helm brought the Brook.
lyn within $50 yards, and the and 8
| inch guns threw out clouds Of smoke
so dense that the ships could barely
see each other.
When the smoke cleared the ViZcaya
was turning inshore and all the gun
ners had been driven from the exposed
chambers by the Brooklyn's terrible
| fire. With one spasm of motion which
seemed an effcrt to ram the Brooklyn.
the doomed ViZcaya turned to the enc
my, but soon put about and ran ashore.
Meanwhile the Colon, passing inside
the vessels which took all the punish
ment from the American guns, had
sped on out of range. Schley signaled
the Texas to look out for the sinking
ship and ordered all speed on the
Brooklyn in chase of the Colon. He
said that he felt as Nelson did at
Trafalgar that victory would be in
complete if one vessel got away As
it was to be a long run, he told Cook
to let the men 60 to dinner. AS the
Brooklyn drew near the Colon fired
her after guns at her. but the men
paid no attention and finished their
meal under fire. Schley watched the
game of chase like hound in leash.
AS the Brooklyn began to gain so that
it was evident she would catch up with
the fleeing Colon he said, Eve may be
able to wing that fellow and then
Clark (Oregon) and Phillip (Teyas) will
get show at him, even if he sinks
u.s."
The Colon had a speed of 1917 knots.
and the Brooklyn could make but II.
However, Schley saw that the Span
lard was so close inshore that In or
der to clear cape ahead she would
have to run miles to seaward. thereby
losing headway: The Brooklyn held
her course two miles offshore ready
to intercept should the Spaniard at
tempt to come out.
Schley signaled to the Oregon to try
one of those heavy shells known as
railroad trains" 1t was a I3 inch
projectile fred at $500 yards and, in
passing the Brooklyn, sounded like
railway train rushing through space.
1t landed astern the Colon, and the
Brooklyn sent an inch the same dis
tance ahead Of her. Schley sigpaled
to Clark Of the Oregon where the shell
Of the latter had struck, and Clark did
the same for the Brooklyn. The shots
were repeated, that of the Oregon
passing through the Colon fore and
aft and the Brooklyn's exploding in
her cabin, making a fearful wreck.
The Colon Immediately fired a gun to
the leeward, struck her colors and
headed for the beach, third and last
victim Of the Brooklyn's guns. which
fred that day 1913 shots.
Schley sent Captain Cook of the
Brooklyn on board the Colon to de-
mand uncondi-
/\ tional surrender.
m When Cook re-
Mann turned to the ship,
WvfYN the New York was
SMRM% up. with Sampson
sY on board. and