The evening times., 1899-02-09

but for the Brooklyn and the Oregon,
which were rapidly oyertaking her as the
result of a long chase. and it was generally
admitted that when the last of the surviv
ing Spanish vessels turned toward the
beach the Oregon had just succeeded in
getting her range. With 13-inch projectiles,
and the Brooklyn had headed her off SO
that she would not be able to round Cape
Cruz Captain Chadwick's petition is as
follows:
Captain ChadwiciS's Letter.
L. :. Flagship New York, First Rate,
Guantanamo Bay, July %, 1S9S.
Sir: In forwarding the accompanying prize
lists, | have to say that this ship had the Colon
and all the pursuing ships clearly in view;
that could observe with great distinctness
the splash OF the fall OF the shell fired from the
Oregon in the direction Oi the Colon, and that
when Of the Oregon shells fell beyond
the Colon il cheered many who were OBJ
serving from this ship. All this is clear proof
OF the proximity of this snip TO the Colon,
which estimate about and one-half
miles when She turned in The Oregon was
distant nom her bearing well our port bow,
about four and one-half miles, Is Is shown by
the elevation used to reach her, viz: Beginning
al >,J0d wards, rising 10 $3.50, and ending at
$500. right astern, and close Qeport by
Oregon 10 Commander-ln-t thicf, No. 30, July q,
ISlsl The Brooklyn was from two TO three
miles still further TO the southwark (seaward,
hat toward the close of the pursuit she gradu-
ally closed To a less distance. The Texas, es-
innate. 10 have been about four miles astcrn
OF -thc Oregon, and about three points forward
of our beam.
The question of what is signal distance is, of
course. ! moot one; ordinarily day signals may
Al times be read at great distances; very fire.
qucntly they cannot be read, even when close
AT hand
The point Is whether a ship Is in position TO
assist in capture and this ship undoubtedly
was in such position. She would have over
hauled The Colon had all the other ships failed
TO do 80; and only this. but she in such
position that had the Colon turned and at
tempted to escape eastward, this ship was the
only one which could have surely blocked her
way Very respectfully,
Captain, United States Navy, Commanding,
/ Secretary OF the Navy, Washington, d. C.
This letter is fortified by several re-
ports from minor officers of the flagship
regarding the extreme visibility of signals
and the distances covered by the New York
/ in her strenuous efforts to catch up with
! the procession. The chief of these is the
following from the navigator of the ship:
The Navigator's Report.
l. ) Flagship New York, First Rate,
Guantanamo Bay, July 2S 1893.
| Sir: ! have the honor 10 report that on Sun
ttaN. July s. 1875 rclltNeu iile OHlCtf OI the
deck At ordinary quarters about $3.50 a. IN.
I About g:37 a. m. smoke and firing OBJ
( served at the entrance OF Santiago Harbor. We
( Immediately turned short with a port helm
( heading the westward, and rang full speed
and At the same time sent word TO the engine
rooms to do the very best they could.
Second-At no time any of our ships ol
those OF the enemy out of sight, except wher
| ob~curcd lay smoke. The most distant vesse
was the Cristobal Colon, which at first gained
on US hut rs boiler after boiler added W,
At first held relative distances, and towar,
noon, when / was relieved by the officer of tn,
deck. were gaining gradually but slowly.
Third-When arrived at the mouth OF th'
Tarquino River the Brooklyn's pulling cutter wa
crossing bows and making for the Colon
This was the first boat from our feet tha
reached the enemy after his surrender.
! Fuurth-Any signal that had been made b.
this vessel when the Colon headed inshor
could readily have been seen by the leading YES
| ~cls Of the squadron, l. e., the Brooklyn, tn
Oregon, and the Texas ,Ney Very TesReetfuIlg
Lieutenant. United States Navy. Navigator.
The Commanding Officer.
THESE contributions TO the history of tn
battle of July 3, have not heretofore beel
published. although it is admitted tha
they throw novel light upon the destruc
tion of Cervera's fleet
The law upon which Captain Chadwick
claim TO a portion of the 50 900 900. a
which the Colon was valued is containe
in section 1862 of the Revised Statutes. a
| follows:
All vessels OF the navy within signal distanc
of the vessel or vessels making the capture
under such circumstances and in such conditio
as TO be able to render effective aid. if re
quired, shall share in the prize; and in the cas-
of vessels not of the navy, none shall be er
titled 10 share except the vessel vessels max
| ing the capture in which term shall be include
| vessels and rendering actual assist
| ance to the capture.
Captain Chadwick after showing to hi
satisfaction that he was only about A.
miles astern of the Oregon when tn
Colon surrendered, and passing over tn
matter of his estimated distance from tn
Brooklyn by dismissing the latter vesse
with the remark that she was two or thre
miles to the southwark, valves the ques
ton of signal distance" which, as b
says lis a moot one" depending as
does, upon the state of the atmosphere
devotes his strongest argument to the by
| pothetical assistance he might have af
forded the Brooklyn and the Oregon ha
not the Colon already been confessedly
dead duck The ingenious idea set fort
that he could have blocked the way of tn
Colon had she turned about and retrace
: her course toward the New York is a sue
gestion that certainly entered no Spar
. iard's head during the battle; but had sue
. a remarkable maneuver occurred it
: difficult to understand how Captain Clarl
/ of the Oregon, and Captain Cook, of tt
Brooklyn, not to mention Captain Phili
!. | of the Texas, would have permitted tt
!. Colon to pass them, especially as they wei
: scattered along between the Spanish We:
I sci and the New York.
!. Report of the Wainwright Board
7 Fortunately for the enlightenment of ii
/. Court of Claims in considering this pet
!. ton, board of officers, of which Con
{ mander Richard Wainwright was SEMI
!. officer thoroughly investigated the loc
!. tions of SIMPSONS and Cervera's ships
/ the seven critical periods of the battl
3 and made an exhaustive and final repo
on the subject on October s. This repo
was unanimous, and the following di
: tances determined by them ought to di
} pose of the New York's claim:
The New York was 9.s miles from the mou
Of Santiago Harbor when she turried hack
: | the Spanish ships began their sortie. This "
= | at 9:35 a. m. AT 1l:15 p. m, at position
z when the Colon turned in and surrender
her fag the distance of the leading ships
8 the chase from the Colon was as follows: Brot
, lyn, SO miles; Oregon, As miles; Texas,
miles; New York, 1913 miles.
From these official figures it appears th
= the New York never gained on the Colo
but lost exactly half mile. 1t is also
fact that the Brooklyn and the Oregon d
gain on the Colon, and if the chase b
continued would have left the New Yo
out of sight before dark.
- Lieutenant Rollers reference to the pu