The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-28
scHLEYs STORY OF SANTIAGO.
why the Brooklyn Turned and the
Spanish Were Defeated.

Why the Brooklyn Turned and the
Spanish Were Defeated.
Leslle's Monthly: ''The outcome Of
these 1O4 days of war was due to the
preparation which enabled It to be ac-
compllshed. through the efforts OF the
President and the department Of the
navy. It has been said that men who
never make mistakes never make war,
and guess that is about true. Often
in the conversation between ofiieers in
West Indian waters they would ex-
press the opinion that those on the out
side were losing, while those N the In
side circle were gaining. diSsented. I
thought those who were inside must be
losing. After the army had landed, the
crucial period was reached about the
sOth Of June. on the % Of July a
strange coincidence occurred. There
were six blockhouGes to the vest OF
Santiago. on the mountain heights. As
they had been abandoned by the Span
fish soldiers, they were taken by the
Cuban insurgents. who vented their
feelings by burning them. Now, there
were Just six Spanish ships In the har-
Dor. and the burning Of these six
blockhouses induced them to leave the
harbor on that particular Sunday
morning. The movement OF those ships
was discovered simultaneously by ev-
cry ship in the blockadlng feet. BY s:4S
the Spanish vessels were entirely clear
OF the harbor. There was an imme-
diate inward movement Of our feet 70
the mouth Of the harbor. Firing was
begun at once. It was difficult at frst
to determine whether the enemy In
tended to fight or to escape. This un-
certainty lasted about ten minutes.
About this time the Brooklyn got into
such a position that we had to turn her.
II we had turned her in, we would
have blanketed the enemy's ships.
Turning outward, however, we uncover
ed these, and the result was that in
twenty-nlne minutes four Of the yes
sells Of the Spanish fleet were de-
Btroyed. The Viscaya and the Colon
alone remained. and for hfty-four min
utes there was running fight. AZ
first they appeared to be gaining a 1T
tie, but after hfty-four minutes the
Viscaya surrendered. Her men jumped
overheard. That left only the Colon,
ana Sne was, perhaps Ine nObt lOEHhlu-
able OF the fleet. At that time we did
not know that she did not have her two
eleven-Inch guns. Until 1i:15 there was
a race. which called the $2,500.0OO race.
The Brooklyn and the Oregon kept
close on her track. We ceased firing
long enough to allow our men to get
their dinner. Shortly before o'clock
we again opened fire. and at the sixth
shot the Colon was ready to surrender.
subsequently, in Porto Rico l talk
ed very frankly with Spanish officers.
They said a great deal about their hon
or. We all admitted 1t. But one day
told them I thought there were four
fundamentally wrong military tradi-
tons in Spain-first, the Spanish gov
eminent thought that Spanish soldiers
could fight without being fed; second,
that they could be vlgilant without get
ting sleep; third. that they could be
loyal when they were not being paid.
and fourth. that they were given a Ian
gunge so rich and sonorous and full OF
synonyms that they talked too ID
much and did not learn to aght."