The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-15
SCHLEYS DAY BEGINS.
Continued from First Page.)


chief, and that was to head in for the
entrance. We were we'll to
the westward, and headed TO
the northeast. When l saw that, /
ported the helm perhaps half way over.
She was swinging starboard very
rapidly. The Spanish feet was COM
ing straight for this interval. 1 step
ped out of the tower on the port side
to get good look at this fleet, to see
just what they were going to do as to
our relative positions, and / saw they
evidently put helms hard aport and
were turning to the westward. We
were then turning very rapidly to
starboard with port helm and we had
turned think almost to the east. The
Texas was we'll on our starboard side.
Capt. Cook Gave the Order.
81 then gave the order, Hard aport,'
to the helmsman, ran through the
opening between the shield and the
coming tower to the other side on
purpose to see our own fleet and our
relative positions. Quicker than 1
could tell il the commodore called to
me, Cook, hard aport, or is your
helm aport? 1 answered, The helm is
hard aport. turning as rapidly as pos
sible. AS I watched the Texas the
bow of the Brooklyn seemed first to
point to her port bow. I never saw the
starboard bow of the Texas, and
changing her bearing very rapidly the
bow of the Brooklyn passed along the
pert side of the Texas until there was a
clear opening between us and the stern
OF the Texas. We made a complete
turn. very quick turn, with helm
hard aport until we came around and
paralleled the fleet on the other side.
As we paralleled the Spanish fleet the
Viscaya-"
Admiral Dewey: MAY 1 interrupt?
How near did you pass to the Texas?"
Never Thought of Collision.
Il never thought of a collision. 1t
never entered my head. l never for a
moment had one idea or vicissitude in
that respect. We passed, 1 judge.
ABOUT 400 yards. I had handled the
ship under all circumstances and got
so L could judge pretty correctly, and
my impression was that we were about
the distance we sailed in squadron.
But collision, l never thought of
She turned perfectly clear of the
Texas, came around, and then we had
the Viscaya on our starboard bow and
about abeam was the Oquendo, and
then the Colon. At the time I thought
1t was the Teresa, but I soon discov-
cred this vessel was dropping out and
heading for the beach. That was
about the hottest time of the action.
Was No Time for INDIGESTION.
That was a critical time. There
was not any time for indecision, and
90 not think there was any, have
always felt in my mind, in studying
the positions, that the chances would
nave been for a disaster had we shift
ed helm at such a time. However we
got around and we had those three
vessels. | looked and could see moth
ing but smoke astern and vessels seem
ed enveloped in this smoke. 1 could
not understand it. l could not under
stand exactly how we got there They
were all three firing on the Brooklyn.
When almost Immediately, faster than
could tell it, I saw a large white bone
in the water and through this smoke
saw the bow of vessed. I exclaim-
ed at the time, What was that" The
navigator, who was near me- said it
was the Massachusetts,, or some
she was away. and he then said
That is the Oregon felt perfectly
assured from that moment She came
up very rapidly. She was MAKING
more speed than we were at that time"
Where was the Oregon, with respect
to the Brokolyn, at that timer"
estimated 600 yards. She passed in
DCN"CCt luG LEXIS ana the Iowa. She
got in between that opening, came TO
the northward of the Texas and came
out about 800 yards from us, mean a
perpendicular course, and that would
account for just what we made to the
southwark in turning We made more
than the tactical diameter because
we passed part of that distance with
helm half-aport"
The Brooklyn Easy TO Handle,
What is the tactical diameter of
the Brooklyn"
About $50 yards"
Was it easy to handle the shin under
such circumstances?
I never have seen one equal to her"
Was the starboard engine of the
Brooklyn reversed during that turn?"
1T was not. There was some oues-
ton about that. The reason l feel pos,
tive OF that is in recalling the circum-
stances. My impression is, ii NAV
have been the Commodore or the navi-
gator, one of the two, said something
about backing the starboard engine.
My reply, 1 remember very well, was
1 did not want to lose the speed of the
ship. That she was turning all right
and rapidly and l wanted to keep the
speed of the ship"
cat the time you saw the Oregon
coming up out of the smoke, was she
on your starboard?"
"Starboard quarter"
and between you and the Spanish
ships"
Never between us and the Spanish
ships"
Where were the Spanish ships at
that timer"
There never was anything between
us and the Spanish ships. She was on
our starboard quarter"
Nearer inshore?"
Eyes"
Referring back now to certain
points in the story. as I did not care
to interrupt you, you state you heard
the Commodore say at one time, Hard
aport.' That was after you had begun
to make the turn and the helm was
hard aport?"
Yes, the helm was aport, but not
hard aport My impression Is now, al
though 1t was not at the time. 1t was
about as near the same time as has
been given. There was perfect under
standing between the Commodore and
myself. Never a question of any kind
during the action"
II will ask If your recollection is
clear as to whether the helm was put
hard aport by yourself first, or that
you did II in obedience to an order
from the commodore"
Was Not the COmmodOre,s Order.
"I gave the order on my own re-.
sponsibility. No question about that.
1t was not after having heard the
commodore He called out to me as
have stated, which I now think was
simply to confirm himself in the idea
that she was turning with a hard
l,1I.,