Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-09

until We overhauled her and went ahead
until the Colon finally turned inshore
and hauled down her flag. The Texas
then Joined the rest of the ships at the
prize and remained there that night
Mr.. Hanna inquired, From the posi-
ton you occupied during the chase,
could you or not determine which Of
your vessels was leading?"
II could with the distinctness with
which the ships could be seen, not the
positions"
What did you estimate as their
! relative positlons?"
That was obtained comparatively.
The distance TO the Colon ranged
from about three and half or four
miles up TO five or six miles at the
end of the chase She drew away from
us slowly. The Brooklyn and Ore
gon We're considerably closer to us
than the Colon. The Oregon was
closer than the Brooklyn. so that the
Brooklyn was leading as regards the
distance from US that she was out on
our bow"
WHY HE PREPARED CHART.
In response TO questions by Mr.. Ray
nor, Lieut.. Bristol said that he had
made his chart because of his interest
in the battle and that he had prepared
II a few days after the battle and
stated that "to the best of my knowl-
edge and belief the chart is right"
Mr.. RaynOr called attention TO the
fact that the witness had said at the
beginning Of the battle the Brooklyn
was heading north and east, while
Lieut.. Commander Hodgson, who had
been aboard the Brooklyn had
said the vessel was heading north and
west.
(which is right?" he asked.
Il believe | am right" the witness
replied.
you both can't be right"
THAT is right. too"
In response TO further questions.
Lieut.. Bristol said his chart had been
stored away for some slime, but that
previously he had had several blue
prints made OF IT,
At Mr. Raynor's request the witness
made measurements showing that, ac-
cording 10 this chart at the beginning
Of the fight of Santiago. the nearest
Spanish ship to the Brooklyn was $500
yards
Mr. Raynor asked: "How can you
reconcile that with the statement OF
Lieut.. Commander Hodgson that the
range at the time OF the turn OF the
Brooklyn was iioO yards?"
II cannot reconcile my statement
with that Of Lieut. Commander Hodg-
SON"
Then those two statements are per-
fectlv irreconcllable?"
"A range OF l,iO0 yards at the time
OF the turn OF the Brooklyn Is abso-
lutely lrreooncilable. My idea is that
with stadlmeter at 1000 yards Il is
not an accurate instrument and that
Is what they state they took the meas
urements With Also In smoke OF bat
tie II II almost impossible 20 take
ranges accurately. II was a good deal
OF an estimate. Also | have heard |
do not know how true II Is, the ranges
on board the Brooklyn were taken
by an enlisted man. do not question
the enlisted mans accuracy except
that ] would think that an officers ac-
curacy would be greater than OF an
enlisted man"
POINTED QUESTIONS.
Mr.. Rayner-And these are the rea-
sons you give now for accounting for
these wide divergences? You do not
think the stadimeter is as accurate as
II ought 20 be-
Those are the reasons / have al
ways had In my mind for reconcillng
those two statements. Another reason
for thinking myself right was tho
speed OF the ship which was given me
as half speed. Take Il at fun speed.
her initial position. and she could not
arrive az a certain point which would
give her that range. LOO yards"
Mr.. Raynor-Then the stadimeter Is
not 10 be relied upon at all In com.
parison with your observations, as 1
understand II In this instance?
''The stadimeter at 400 yards and
over II well known TO be Inaccurate
for measuring distance among officers
Of the navy. because the graduations
are so close together that a small error
IN observation makes a large error In
the result"
Us II inaccurate under 1900 yardsg"
1T II more accurate under 400 yards,
but n the instrument has not been
corrected recently II Il likely 10 err"
Mr. Raynor--Is II possible for the
stadimeter 10 have made mistake Of
1900 yardsi Don't you think n that
Il the case II would be better 10 abol-
ish that Instrument