The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-08-07
THE FAMOUS LOOP
Of the Brooklyn Explained by Two
Noval Officers.

| SAhSolb.
| The statement exclusively made tc
The Herald by Captain Francis A
Cook, in which he unequivocally de,
nounces as outrsgeously incorre ct the
charges that .he Brooklyn, in turning,
ran two miles to the southwark, con
tinues to attract much attention from
naval officers here.
These have not been slow to recog
nize the Importance of that statement,
for If IL osn be proved that the Brook
lyn turned as quickly as her taoti,a
dlamster would permit, and which he
commander no asserts she did, then the
whole fab,iJ of accusation against Raei
Admiral Smiley for ''csitiff flight" dur
ing the battle, must como tumblinl
back upon the heads of his accusers
Moreover, if Captain Cooks claim il
proved, nava! tf1i ,ers here say, it will
reduce TO significance the tenth para
graph of Secretary Longs precept tc
the court Of inquiry, the one involving
the colloquy hetween Resr Admira
Schley and the Brooklyn navigator,
Lieutenant Commander A. g. HodgsoI
ard the Put your hahn TO pors" order
OF one, and the You mean TO star
board reply OF the other, will lose the
Importance which hitherto attached to
this alleged conversation.
Captain Cook today refused to am.
pity his statement and said that he
must decline to fay sDything more on
the subject.
THE ABOVE CONFIRMED.
Lieutenant Commander Hodgson,
who is now stationed here, at first posi-
lively refused to say word for publics.
ton, but after it had been pointed out
that his former commanding officer had
made the statement, he consented, al
though with egidenot reluctance, to I'D.
pear In print, and substanliated Cap.
TAIN Cook s statement in positive SEN
tenoes.
Il WAS on the bridge of the Brook
lyn, he said, ard therefore had full
opportunity of observing all that was
going on.
TO M acknowledge, the helm
was &ept hard apoTt during the whole
tIme OF turning Inc loop until casad up
to parallel tho course Of the Vi.caya,
then about 2 500 yards away on the
starboard bow. AS the Brooklyn's
tacticSl diameter is only about 600
yards, she therefore could not have ruu
further than go yarGs to the south
ward.
As some other witnesses of the Brook
Ign mSnOeuvGr nave estimated the DIS
tance she ran 10 tho south ward all the
Tay from two TO five miles, 1t will be st
once recognized how extremely impor-
iaat Tor Rear Admiral Schiey's case is
the recent statement of Captain Cook
and this supporting testimony of his
navigating oth ser.
Since the order of tho navy depart
ment establishing the court of inquiry
was issued every naval officer now hero
VINO was IN any way concerned with the
controversy refuses to discuss any phase
OF the affair.
GRAPHIC STORY or THE LOOP"
But ore who was on the Brooklyn
during the battle gsve in personal
conversation this graphic description
OF the scene Immediately after the YES
sci had completed her famous loop:
AS VIC straightened out on course
parallel with that OF the enemy" he
said, Il noticed that We had three of
the Spanish ships IN line abreast, the
leading vessel being off our stsrboard
bow. Every gun Of the Brooklyn's
stsrboafd battery was blszing, and the
smoke from them hid everything sstern.
L looked around to see what our other
ships were doing, but could see none of
them, the rolling clouds OF smoke from
some OF OR guns ob3ouring everyihin <
astern snd TO a point we'll forward of
our 5tsrbOard quarter.
Il turned to Captain Cook, who was
standing near, and said We ale pretty
lonesome out here. He glanced back,
ard jast then we both saw what fist
looked like small tidal wave-a ridge
OF water with foam boiling about it, AS
we stared at the apparition which came
out OF the fog like smoke lying out our
stsrooard quarter the great gray bows
OF bsttl .sEip cam, into view, and we
knew then that wave which puzzled Us
waj the Bow wave which the Oregon
was carrying in her whirlwind rush Tor
tho enemy. Tho thuLder of our own
guns had drowned the crashing broad
sides Of that splendid battleship, and
not until then did we know that the
Oregon was anywhere near US.