The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-18

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: resa. The Teresa shortly turned
! squarely toward the westward. 1t was
my observation that the Brooklyn was
then held up to meet the second ship
approaching. OF course, we ported
helm.
1.-The second ship passed in the wake
of the first one, and I said to the COM
modore that it looked as if the second
one was going to try and ram us. He,
think assented. At any rate the Brook
lyn was held toward her and she ap-
peared to me to be uncertain in her
course. The Brooklyn turned after she
had passed to the southwark OF Teresa s
wake and followed her, and then it was
generally remarked on the lower bridge
they were all going to try and escape
to the westward.
"Just about the time the Viscaya
@urned, Yeoman Ellis, who was a train
ed observer with the stadimeter, came
to me on the platform and said that
his stadimeter showed 900 yards to the
Viscaya. 1 Immediately took and espe-
cial look at the Viscaya with that in
mind and my judgement confirmed the
stadimeter. / said to the commodore:
I think we are about our tactical diam
eter from that ship now,' and he said
L think so too, or we are. Then the
order was given hard aport.' I am not
/ positive who gave that order. L think
the commodore said hard aport and
Captain Cook said it is hard aport.'
The helm was kept hard aport and the
ship swung in her turning circle. When
the order was given hard aport look
ed at the next vessel in our fieet-the
Texas-and in my judgement We were
completely clear of her and as we turn
ed we passed abreast or perhaps a lit
tie abaft the beam of the leading Span
ish ship with a slowly conYerglng
course toward the leading ship. / saw
the torpedo boats and / sent one or the
commodore's orderlies to the after guns
to notify them that they might look out
1t is my impression we held very
straight course. The navigator was try
ing to maintain this course to keep our
guns to bear to the best range.
After about ten to twenty minutes
we were very hotly engaged with those
three vessels. The Oregon was astern
of us and the Texas astern or her. The
viscaya began to blaze up; flames
would rise and subside and she turned
in toward shore. Shortly previous to
this she had made what appeared to
us a change in her helm so as to brlng
her out toward the Brooklyn IL was
taken by us to mean an attempt TO
ram us. The Brooklyn's helm was ham
died to give the ship a sheer toward
her. This she did. I think, twice. The
Viscaya then resumed her course and
We did also.
THE Commodore spoke of the ad-
visibility of signalling through the
Oregon to the Texas to stay by the
Viscaya when she turned in and to IN
sure her surrender, but after mo-
ment's thought he said: Philip will
! know enough to look out for that and
! then we proceeded. While we were en-
. gagged on the beam of the Viscaya, the
Colon had passed inside Of the Viscaya,
: firing but gradually drawing away.
Z Wy sr,o, n-iT a G
the fires could be forced and after the
! Viscaya had gone in We continued the
! chase after the Colon.
After we began to gain upon the
J Colon. the commodore directed the Or
! egOn to try her guns at her. Then the
; Oregon and the Brooklyn fired deliber-
ately at the Colon. After our fire she
! began to waver in toward the shore.
! Her course was unsettled and the COM
modore said he thought she had enough
! of it and was looking for a soft spot
! to lie upon, which proved to be the case.
| She fired occasionally at us, rapidly at
| first, and then it became weaker. She
! was close into shore at that time and at
! lis o'clock hauled down her flag. Cap
I tain Cook and Lieutenant Wells were
sent on board the Colon to receive the
: surrender"
THE LOST DISPATCH.
! When Mr.. Sears had concluded his
. description of the battle, Mr.. Rayner
| asked him if Commodore Schley had
| given him a dispatch to be sent to the
navy department making a report of
/ the battle. The witness replied in the
| affirmative. The court decided that as
! the dispatch had not reached the de-
| partment it could not appear.
NO DANGER TO THE TEXAS.
Mr.. Rayner then asked as to the dis
a r1R hot no a
| Texas when the former made her turn.
| The witness replied that he had only
! given sufficient attention to see that
| there was no danger of a collision be-
! tween the two vessels. He was sure
| there was a wide gap Of fwater-possibly
! about 600 yards.
! SCHLEY'S CONDUCT IN BATTLE.
! In reply to a question, Commander
! Sears said he had been with Commo-
| dore Schley in five engagements all
| told. He was then asked as to the
| bearing of that officer under fire and
| replied: His bearing to me was a
! model for anybody, worthy of emula-
| ton at all times. Under fire his facul-
! ties, if it was possible, seemed to be
! clearer and be more in possession of
! them than at any other time
WAS he in any state of excitement %
| Not the slightest
! Was he cool and calm?"
Absolutely"
/ How about points of danger, would
! he get away from them or did he ex-
pose himself 20 them?"'
He was always putting himself in
exposed positions. 1 requested him
many times not to expose himself as it
| was useless to do so.''
SEARS CROSS EXAMINED.
Judge Advocate Lemly cross examin-
ed the witness, who said that beyond
the standing in of the American fleet
and the sending in of the Adula no ef-
fort had been made before Captain
McCaIla's arrival to discover whether
the Spaniards were in the harbor there.
THE COAL SITUATION.
Commander Sears said that Commo-
dore Sehley had discussed the coal sit
uat1on freely with him and that when
the retrograde movement was begun
the Texas had only a little more than
enough coal to carry her to the nearest
cOallng station. He had Soid haon