The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-14

ed helm once or twice, but very little
indeed and finally when we were getting
up fairly close, say between ], 500 and
1000 yards, it seemed to me clear that
they wanted to pass between the Texas
and the Brooklyn. The Texas was well
on our starboard hand and she was
headed to the northward and westward
"All ships were carrying out the in
structions of the COMMUNICATIVE chief
and that was to head in for the en-
trance. We were we'll to the westward
and headed to the northeast. When
saw that 1 ported the helm perhaps
board very rapidly. The Spanish fleet
was coming straight for this interval.
! stepped out of the tower on the port
side to get a good look at this fleet, to
our relative positions, and l saw they
evidently put helms hard aport and
were turning to the westward. We We're
then turning very rapidly to starboard
with port helm and we had turned,
think, almost to the east The Texas
was well on our Starboard side. l then
gave the order Hard apOrt to the
helmsman, ran through the opening be-
tween 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 it the commo-
dore called to me, Cook, hard aport,' or
helm is hard aport, turning as rapidly
as possible AS I watched the Texas
the bow of the Brooklyn seemed first to
point to her port bow.
Il never saw the starboard bow of
the Texas and changing her bearing
very rapidly, the bow of the Brooklyn
passed along the port side of the Texas
until there was a clear opening be-
tween us and the stern of the Texas.
We made a complete turn a 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 I interrupt?
How near did you pass to the Texas p
Il never thought of a collision 1t never
entered my head. | never for moment
s yRrds Sa Pahh anded the Snip aRder all
pretty correctly and. my impression was
that we were about the distance we sailed
thought Of She turned perfectly clear of
the Texas, came around and then we had
about abeam was the Oquendo and then
the Colon At the time, | thought it was
beach. That was about the hottest time
There was not any time for indiscretion
and I don't think there was any have
positions. that the chances would have
been for a disaster had we shifted helm
and we had those three vessels. I looked
and could see nothing but smoke astern,
ana vessels seemed SINelOpcQ Al En1S
smoke. / could not understand it. l could
not understand exactly how we got there
They were all three firing on the Brook
lyn. when almost Immediately. faster than
I could tell it,. saw a large white bone III
the water and through this smoke / saw
the bow Of a vessel exclaimed at the
time What was that2' The navigator
who was near me. said it was the MaSSa-
chusetts or something to that effect.
said she was away, and he then said
si,red from that moment she came IN
very rapidly She was making more
speed than we were a that time. She
had all her boilers on-had shifted boilers
that morning from forward to aft. She
had steam and hot water on
Where was the Oregon with respect to
the Brooklyn at that time r.
II estimated 500 yards. She passed in
between the Texas and the Iowa She got
in between that opening. came to the
northward of the Texas and came out
about 500 yards from us-I mean a Derpen-
dicular course-and that would account