Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-10-01
4DMIRAL ROBLEY D. EVANS
WAS THE STAR WITNESS.

that day Commodore Sehley had sig
nailed to transfer the flag 10 the Mass
aehusetts; that he was going in to en-
gage the Colon. Describing that en-
gagement the witness said:
About 5 minutes to l l saw the first
shot from the Massachusetts fall short
a long distance. and supposing she was
firing at 1000 yards, gave the range to
my guns 5000 yards. saw these shots
fall short and increased the range to
5000 yards. After the Massachusetts
had passed the entrance to the harbor
she turned with port helm and steam
ed back. the New Orleans and the Iowa
following. On the run back across the
harbor | again fired at 10000 yards.
The shots still fell short and as the
Massachusetts and New Orleans slowed
down and stopped after they got across
l slowed my engines, then increased the
range to II 900 yards and fred two shots
from the forward 12-inch turret. The
first one was fred by Lieut.. VanDeuser
at 1000 yards
saw that IL fell short Lieut.. Hill
had the other gun in that turret.
gave him the range at II 500 yards and
he fred and that shot struck very near
the stern of the Colon, Both 12-inch
guns were disabled at the fire from
that extreme elevation. After that we
stood a mile and a half, possibly two
miles, to our blockading station again.
That was all | saw done to injure the
Colon.
The witness was then asked about
modore Schley. He said the squad
ron stood to miles out during the
day time and a little farther out at
night with the Vixen and the Marble
head on the inside at night. The judge
advocate asked the witness concerning
a statement by Lieutenant of the
Spanish navy printed by the navy de-
partment, to the effect that at dark
the American ships withdrew to the
southwark, disappearing.
The introduction of this book was
objected to and Admiral Dewey said:
''The witness has already told what
distance was maintained by the fleet.
We don't care for that kind of infor-
nation. Admiral Evans was there
and can answer for himself. We want
facts; not newspaper articles.
Describing the battle off Santiago
Admiral Evans said:
when Cervera's fleet came out of
Santiago harbor the Iowa went to the
right of the line and the Brooklyn to
the left"
Captain Lemly-"Do you remember
what vessels were between them?"
"The only vessel between the Iowa
and the Brooklyn was the Texas"
did you have an opportunity of OBJ
serving the movements of the Brook
Ign on this occasion?"
you mean during the battle?"
81 mean the beginning of the bat
tle."
saw tho Prooklyn whel the fsht
began. When | reached the bridge of
tia iowa tic Brooklyn was still off to
the westward headed I should say
northwest. That was just as the fight
began. / saw her again possibly five
minutes afterward when she was
steaming westward very fast firing her
port battery, headed northwest toward
the head of the Spanish column. | did
not see the Brooklyn again until my
attention was directed to her by the
navigator calling to me: Look out
Captain for the Texas | went on the
port bridge where the navigator was
standing and | said Where the devil
is the Texas?' The navigator said:
Here she is. sir, in the smoke I said
to myself, Captain Philip will look af-
ter the Texas and went below. In a
few minutes the navigator called out
again: Look out, Captain, you will
run into the Texas | walked over to
the port side of the bridge and saw the
Brooklyn's smoke stack and military
masts. She was lying directly across
the bows of the Texas. The Texas was
apparently backing and dangerously
close to the Iowa. The Brooklyn seem
ed to be 100 yards directly in front of
the Texas. I eased the helm of the
Iowa a little, ported her helm little
and just at that moment the Oregon
came through my lee and passed be-
tween me and the Texas and the three
boats were punched together.
At that time the Brooklyn was shut
out in the smoke, and / saw no more
of her until the Colon had passed we'll
to the westward Of me, when some one
on the bridge said:
The Brooklyn is knocked out |
went on the bridge to see what had
happened and she was then about a
mile and a half forward of the port
beam of the Iowa with the Colon seven
of eight miles ahead and on her star
board bow. From that time on the
firing was light and I could see the