The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-08
'SCHLEY IN FULL VIEW
OF THE SPANISH
VESSELS
He Held This Position All
Through the Fierce
Battle.
A POST or GREAT PERIL
Hodgson Tells of the Broeklyn's En-.
gaging Three Spanish Vessels
at Once.
FAMOUS LOOP DESCRIBED BY HoDGsoN
Captain foIger Testifiss Of What Was Learned
Of The Strength Of The Spanish Shore
Batteries by Reconnaissance
Of Mays 81.
(By the Associated Press.)


Washington, Oct. Lieutenant Com
mander Hodgson today again occupied the
greater part of the time of the Schley
Court of Inquiry as a witness. He was
followed ON the sand by Captain w. w
Folger, formerly Chief of the Bureau OF
Ordnance of Navy Department but Com
mander of the New Orleans during the
Spanish War Lieutenant Dyson also was
recalled to add some details to his former
testimony concerning the coal supply oi
the American fleet during the Santiago
blockade.
The reading of the Schley- Hodgson cor
respondence was concluded when court
opened. Mr. Rayner began his cross-ex-
animation by asking Mr.. Hodgson whcth-
er the Marblehead had hailed the Brook
lyn when the two vessels passed each
other as the Brooklyn was on ner way tc
Cienfuegos. The witness replied in the
negative. The examination then turned
upon events about Cienfuegos.
Commander Hodgson said that he had
seen the lights on the shore at Cienfue-
gos which were afterward determined tc
be signals. but he had supposed they
were signals between different branches
OF the Spanish forces on shore. He added
that when Captain McCalla arrived with
information as to the meaning of the sig
nails. he was Immediately dispatched tc
the shore to communicate with the insur-
gents.
Mr.. Rayner: 'Efow far were you off
during this blockade of Santiago, from
the MORO during the day and night OF
May IS, 20, 0, 31?"
Early in the daytime our habitual
position was about six miles. In the
night I think we steamed up and down
in front of the harbor, a distance of about
six miles"
He stated that the picket boats. the
Marblehead and the Vixen were inside the
line of the fleet, about midway between
that line and the shore line.
The witness then, in response to a re-
quest from Mr.. Rayner, continued his
description of the naval battle of July 3rd
He said: THE Brooklyn did all she
could. She got into action just as quick
as steam could carry her there We
commenced firing as soon as the first gun
on the port bow would bear. and we kept
the port battery firing until she turned
with port helm through the arc. using
the aft guns until we got all the star
board guns to bear We got around az
quickly as we could with port helm until
we almost paralIelled the course of the
leading Spanish vessel, when the helm
was eased the ship steered a course par
allel with the Viscaya. The three Span
ish vessels we were engaged with were
the Viscaya, the Colon and Oquendo. We
continued in that direction when | re-
marked to Captain Cook that it seemed
rather lonely for us out there He was
in the coming tower. He ased: WHY .
| SAID that we were alone with the three
Spanish vessels and it seemed that it de-
pended upon us to knock them out. He
stepped out of the coming tower and ex-
claimed to me, What's that off our star
board quarter?' | looked in that direction
and saw the heavy bow of ship and
said, TT must be the Oregon and he re-
marked God bless the Oregon
The Oregon was at that time about |
should say, four or five hundred yards
of our starboard quarter at full speed.
After passing the Viscaya we steamed
ahead and ceased firing. The men were
allowed to come out off the turrets one
at a time to get a breathing spell. al
though of course all guns were manned
and everything ready, but the gaining
upon the Colon was very slow. in fact she
gained apparently on us. This was about
11:15 when the Viscaya stood in for
Acerreaderos.
The chase was continued then after
the Colon. | knew it must be six or
seven miles away. until we gradually be-
gan TO gain. ] remember at one time tell
ing Commodore Schley that it was within
$4,000 yards, and my recollection is he
told someone to signal the Oregon to try
one of her railroad trains At any rate.
shortly afterward the Oregon fired one
OF her 13-inch shells which fell short.
Then we tried with S-inch shell and they
fell short The Oregon was signalling to
us the fall of our shot and we signalled
to her the fail of her shot. We continued
occasionally to fire the Oregon her 13 and
S-ineh guns and we our S-inch guns /
remember seeing one of the 13-inch shells
of the Oregon fall well ahead of the Colon
aud one of our S-inch shells apparently
fell in shore of the Colon.
At that time the Colon ported her