The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-06
WEAR SCHLEY Boards.
bitterness Between Men of Brooklyn
and New York.

and New York.
From the Washington Post, July %.
1898.
A letter recently received here from
an officer on the Brooklyn, besides CIV
ing some interesting details of the
destruction Of Cervera's fleet, empha-
sizes the bitterness of feeling between
the officers and crews of the Brooklyn
and New York over the famous naval
engagement. In fact, this young officer
who is well known here, declares that
this feeling amounts to hate on the
part of the men of Schley's vessel. The
letter reads:
You get so many contradictory re-
ports about the battle that doubtless
you wonder sometimes if there ever
was a fleet. So I'm going to tell you, in
the most general way, how it happen
ed. The ships We're ranged in a semi
circle about the mouth of the harbor,
distant three miles-the Brooklyn the
extreme west, Texas next, the Iowa,
Oregon, and Indiana. Cervera chose
that day because he saw that the New
Orleans, New York, Newark, and Mas
sachusettS were away. He knew he
could run away from all the battle
ships except the Brooklyn, and that he
could beat her. So his plan was for all
four of his cruisers to concentrate their
fire on the Brooklyn, as there would
then be no ship that could pursue him.
II was a splendid plan, wisely chosen
opportunity, excellent strategy, and
the only thing he lacked was the men
behind the guns. With American gun
ners he would have sunk us in ten min
utes.
schley Faced the Music.
"Schley saw through the game in a
min 20 ri 81 -
that he thought the Brooklyn would
have to be sacrificed, but he never hes
itated. We steamed right in toward
them, firing with our port battery, I'M
til we got so close that we were in i'm
minent danger of ram and torpedo
Then we turned to the right, and as
they tried to run between us and the
shore we circled around and chased
them down the coast to the westward.
A newspaper man from Jamaica told
me afterward that the Vizcaya people
had chosen us as their special antago-
mist, even as we had done with them
ever since the two ships lay side by
side at the Queens jubilee. They GER
tainly put up a game fight, but we
bored them through and through, and
they kept up a hot. running fight for
an hour and a half. 1t was a good
thing for us that the Oregon was
NhCACs OAiC cRCCOtAy ACl III DCAllAu US
and raced along at above fifteen knots.
I'VE had the Vizcaya on our quarter
and the Christobal Colon on our bow
/ until the former was forced to run
ashore, perforated with five-inch and
eight-inch shells. There was not a
thirteen-inch shell in her, which makes
IL look as If the Brooklyn and not the
Oregon did the work. The moral effect
of the Oregon was good, however, and
i'll Nt,n oh la
that scared the Cristobal Colon into
surrender while it was still an even
chance whether she would get away
or not After the battle was over
her captain begged to be allowed to
come aboard to satisfy himself with
his own eyes that we were not q bat
tleship. He swore that every one of
his shots hit US. The Spaniards fairly
turn our heads with tales of the terri
Bile firing we kept up and how we
| outmaneuvered their forlorn hopes of
sinking us. According to their tales,
we fought the whole battle, but I am
inclined to believe that the Texas,
Iowa, and Indiana had something to
do. with sinking the Oquendo, Maria
Teresa, and two torpedo boats. Each
one of them claims to have done 1t
alone.
Warm Reply TO Evans.
capt. Evans was aboard, blowing 10
the commodore about how the Iowa
sank two destroyers and two cruisers.
He was about to go and and claim the
other two cruisers as his victims when
the commodore dryly remarked that he
| was sorry the Brooklyn didn't get into
( IT," and that she didn't fire a shot
| You should have seen Fighting Bob
shut up. This incident is characteristic
Of both men. Here's the way we sing
/ Il now:
where was Sampson when the fleet
came out2
/ Where was he, and what was he about
Come. my little man. tell II you can.
4 Where was Sampson when the fleet
came out?
You know the New York didn't FIRE
a shot except az a few old hulks that
! had hauled down their flags. and came