The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-19
Carpenter on Admiral SchIeys Flagship at
Santiago Testifies in Favor OF
His Chief.
Commander Nicholson Describes
the Fight as Seen from the
Oregon.

a collision. A collision was not immi-
nent, but we did change our helm and
passed on.
II did not see any more of the Iowa.
After the action commenced We passed
the Texas and the Iowa. The only ship
then ahead of US was the Brooklyn. She
was well off her accustomed position, well
off to the westward. All the Spanish
ships had gotten out by this time and
we were pursuing them, heading for the
leading ships. We noticed the Maria
Teresa drop astern at less speed than
at first, saw flames leaping up and out
from her, which convinced us she was
ON fire. A few minutes after that the
Oquendo appeared to be covered with
some, ana we concluded that she also
was on fire, which proved to be a fact.
Just about this time the Vizcaya, which
starboarded her helm, seemed to head off
to the southwark and west toward the
Brooklyn and full out of line. 1t then
became evident that the Colon was pull
ing out of battle and running along the
shore. but it was developed that she was
running away and had more speed than
all the other ships. The ViZcaya headed
toward the Brooklyn. She ran that course
for some time and then Strengthened out
again, then turned in shore and few
minutes after that ran ashore also. There
out of the general Spanish line to the
southward, because a short time after
this Capt. Clark turned around and called
my attention to some objects in the water
that looked like floating buoys, appar-
ently three or four feet above the water.
We thought they were nets With tor
pedees between them probably thrown
out to injure the ship. 1 ported the helm,
and before I could do anything we passed
"a and fOnn6 that in the
wake of the Vizcaya''
Commander Nicholson then detailed the
chase of the Colon, the subsequent going
ashore and surrender.
Commander Nicholson said that he re-
called some signals from the Brooklyn
on the day of the battle, among others
cne at the beginning of the battle to
close up and another at the close of the
engagement saying, We'll done, Ore
gen.
LAS for the first signal" he said, we
were already closing in and it did not
influence u.s.
In reply to questions from Mr. Rayner.
witness said he could not say positively
that he had seen the Brooklyn make
her turn, but that he had seen her change
her position. He had never seen the
Brooklyn and the Texas when they were
closer together than a mile or a mile
and half. He also said that he did not
remember any signal from the Brooklyn
to the Oregon to use her 13-inch guns
on the Colon.
Did the Oregon use her 15-inch guns
early in the action?' Capt. Lemly asked
as his first question on cross-examina-
tion.
"Oh, yes" was the response. "But She
stopped using them during the chase of
the Colon as that vessel was so far away
that to use them would have been a
waste of ammunition"
In response to another question by
Capt. Lemly Commander Nicholson said:
st thought the Oregon was nearer the
enemy during the chase than the Brook
lyn, but the distances varied somewhat.
At one time the Brooklyn had appar-
emily
TURNED TO HEAD OFF
turn of the Colon toward Cape Cruz
In reply to Mr. Hanna witness said he
had observed the Spanish fleet as it came
out Of the harbor at Santiago; that they
were in column and in order three or
four ships lengths apart; that all ported
their helms and turned to the west
W Nard apparently with the intention of
going ashore if necessary. During the
early part of the engagement he had seen
rome of the Spanish vessels turning to-
ward any of the American ships and he
was sure there were no well developed
movement in that direction. Yet the
smoke was dense and he could not be
certain of all details.
The court asked questions of Command
er Nicholson as follows:
WAS the Oregon in her proper blockad-
ing position when the Spanish ships
started out?''
Practically, yes
''What was her course with reference
to the Morro?"
about four miles distant and little
| eastward to south of it."
What was the distance between the
/ blockading positions of the Oregon snd
Brooklyn?''
From three to four miles in the day
Continued ON Third Page.