The Iola register., 1901-11-01

that the original plan had failed and
that the Spanish fleet, in order and
apparently at distance, had succeeded
in passing the battleship line. A new
feature of the fight became immedi-
ately apparent.
Captain Cook gave the order to
port helm. | did not. | should have
done it in a second. saw the ships
head swinging very rapidly and |
asked him whether his helm was hard
aport and he replied that it was. ]
never saw the ship turn more rapidly
than she did at this time. Her turn
was absolutely continuous. There
was no easing of her helm. never
saw the starboard side of the Texas
at all. We were never across her
bow. I never was at her port side and
she never approached any position
that was within six hundred yards lof
the Brooklyn. She never entered iuto
my head at all as menace or danger.
We passed completely around the cir
Gle. The least range that was given
was |, 100 yards and the fact of the
nearness of that ship (the second
Spanish ship impressed itself upon
my mind and will never be forgotten.
because / could see with the naked
eye men running over her turrets to
her superstructure deck and | observ-
ed the daylight between their legs as
they ran.
"Before we turned, the leading ship
was abeam, or little abaft the beam,
and when we turned about she was
ahead of us: that is, on the starboard
bow, and all four ships and the forts
we're firing at the same time, and from
that moment the following ten or fifteen
minutes we're the most furious part of
the combat. [ remember very distinct
| ly seeing, from time to time, as my
attention was attracted for a moment,
the jets of water ahead and astern and
over and short. The roar of proiec-
tiles was one OF the things that can be
heard only once tn lifetime and then
never forgotten. 1t appeared at that
moment that all four of those ships
we're at work upon the Brooklyn, and
up to the moment of turning, so far as
we could perceive, there was not the
slightest evidence that they had ever
been injured. The thought passed
through my mind that, after all oul
precautions and waiting, those fellows
would get away. At that moment
felt, and thought remarked to Cap
tain Cook, that we were alone anC
would perhaps have most of the tgh
upon ourselves because did not know
then that the battleships could posi-
bly, keep up their speed. But l said t.
him, we must stay with this crowd
| had no idea that we would escape
OF course If they could have shot a
well as our people did, they certainl
would have got us.
"When we had completely turne
around on westerly course the ship
appeared to have broken up little
: although still in some semblance {
formation, and just at that moment
saw the Oregon breaking in throug
this cloud envelope. She broke throug
, on to the starboard quarter of the flal
, l hoisted the signal of Close up an
then Follow the flag feeling that
new disposition was necessary. Tf
!. signal was replied to and saw it r,
y lpeated. Captain Clark knew very we
"a II was not intended for him, becaus
d be was following the flag, so he repea
N ed it to the other ships.
70 "In a few moments after the OregC
- broke through this cloud of smoke 81
= was perhaps four or five hundred yart
a distant. These two ships, the OregC
ne rand the Brooklyn, were firing in
,v manner | had never seen before.
7 never before realized what rapid q
m fire mealt. Both ships were at tn
I'd time sheet of fame. Soon after tn
lf | saw tina, the leading ship was eN
nj, IDENTIFY battered hard. She lagg
we astern. | saw smoke coming out
in her ports and out of her matches, a
nd the fact that impressed itself upon
, was that the columns were go
SO straight up In the ai(, said TO Ca
tain Cook, who was Constantly at i
,er side; we have got one, Keep t
M boys below informed of all the mo,
,r- ments. They cannot see and tn
H. ought to know and he did so throua
ce out the action. Every few momel
in messages were sent below to the N
v,s that were answered oftentimes W
NJ cheers which we could hear throu
oct the ventilators. 1t appeared to b
ino very short interval Of time ter II
70 that | saw second ship on fire, VIII
es' proved later to be the Oquendo.
at We we're pointing at the me it
Sc Tarquino Point, under Cape Cruz,
the the point extending southwark,
ich idea was that, in steering that colr
n if the ColOn kept up her course