Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-10-31
did say Cnat your purpose was to de-
stroy the Colon?"
"Tn cidonta 11v veS'

was on that occasion and what instruc-
tions he had given. Replying that he
had testified fully ON this subject be-
fore he then said that the signals made
indicated the, purpose. The signals in
structed the ships to use their heavy
guns against the Colon. The New Or
leans, with her lighter battery, was
directed to fire at the shore batteries.
The instruction was to go in to 1000
yards and he thought until several
days afterwards that the ships had
gone in to that distance.
II directed the ships to follow the
flag; to operate against the Colon and
think the reconnaissance, so far as it
went, was eminently successful The
batteries we're developed and the fact
was demonstrated THAT the enemy was
in port. With a squadron of five or
six ships 7 believed that only the
strongest mi itary necessity would have
justified me in risking the loss of a
vessel that might have reduced our
squadron to a numerical inferiority
with the enemy. If one or two of our
ships had been crippled, the enemy
might have come out and engaged us
WITH disastrous results.
"The development of the facts as to
the batteries and ships was, in my
opinion, sufficient. The enemy's ships
could not get away and they did not
get away"
The admiral was then asked wheth-
er he had informed Ensign Macy,
Captain Cook and Correspondent Ora
ham that the affair of May 81 was to
be reconnaissance. He thought he
had in general way. and he thought
it could be fairly said he had so in
formed the captains in the signals
hoisted.
The Battle Of July 3.
The cross-examination of Admiral
Schley on the battle of Santiago be-
gan with a question as to what the
first movement of the Brooklyn's helm
was after the enemy's ships were
sighted coming out
"We were heading west by north"
port"
Captain Cook gave the order for
the turn?"
"Yes."
"You regard that turn as very i'm
portant do you not?"
II think it was the movement that
decided the events of that day"
The admiral said in response to
questions that he had not mentioned
the loop in his report of the battle.
It was an incident of the battle which
he had no idea would ever come into
controversy. Captain Cook had given
the order without orders from him ex-
cept under his general instructions to
close in and keep somewhere about
1000 yards away. outside of the
broadside torpedo range. When the
time came for the turn Captain Cooks S
conception OF the movement coincided
with his own. Although Captain Cook
gave the order he would have done
so in a moment had the captain of the
Brooklyn failed to do so.
"You also felt some responsibility
for the turn?"
Absolutely. I did not give the Or
der, I approved it," replied the ad-
miral.
Asked where he had heretofore, be-
fore beginning of this inquiry, men
toned that he had during the battle
given the signal, "Follow the flag" ;"
Admiral Schley said:
II think l have kept my mouth pret-
ty close on this matter and do not re
call speaking of this subject. I dis
tinctly recollect giving the signal and
that it was flying for 20 minutes"
Continuing he said in reply to ques-
tions he estimated that the Brooklyn
had gone in from within mile to q
mile and a half of the harbor, within
the range of the batteries.
No Other Alternative.
"When the Spanish ships succeeded
in getting out of the harbor without
being sunk, in accordance with orders,
what alternative was there but to
chase them?"
"There was no alternative-Ilo other
source open, but much depended upon
the character of the chase. Whether
it was made in the proper way and
was effective was one thing, while a
poorly conducted and ineHeetiye block
AIDE would have been another thing -
Witness said in reply to questions
that while several OF the vessels had
failed to join in the chase, leaving the
work, after the sinking of the Teresa
and the Oquendo, to the Brooklyn and
the Oregon, this was because they
could not follow the pace set by the
SpaniaTds. s&s* ;.t$ :. II ts;S.S$t5t
At this point Captain Lemly intro
duced the following paragraph from
Admiral Schley's report OF the battle
dated at Guam tanamo, July IS, 1898:
Since reaching this place and hold
ing conversation with several of the
captains, viz Captain EuIate of the
Viscaya and the second Id command
Of the Colon, Commander Contreras, I
have learned that bhe Spanish admir-
ais scheme was TO coneentamte all fire
for a while on the BrookIyn and the
Vislcaya was to ram her. In hopes that
if they could destroy her the chance
of escape would be increased ais 1t
was supposed she was the sWiftest
ship OF our sauadron. This explains
the heavy fire mentioned and the Wis.
cayass ss action in the earlier movements
of the enga cement The execution Of
this purpose was promptly defeated by
the fact that all the ships OF the squad
ron advanced into close range and
opened an irresis ibly furious and ter
rible FIRE upon the enemy's sq,iadro
as 1t, was coming out OF the harbor. n 4
Admiral Schley identified this para
sYT.e nh 81 mart f,f 10 reI1f,rf 5Ss