Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-18
S||ISBEE'S s Statement
En,ifn Marble Tells Of conver.
,ation Between Capt. Sifsbee.
and Admiral SchleJ.
Latter Given Assurance That the
Spaniards We're Not in San.
tiaSo Harbor.
Navigator Of the Orefon Goes
Over Details Of Battle Of
July 8.


az correcting his former testimony ne
va intcrrogated by Lemly concerning
Ieonversation between Sigsbee ana
Sechley, overheard by q witness. when
schiey came aboard the Brooklyn on
santiago on May 2s. Lemly asked:
s,AIay not sigsbee have said: 7 have
Aeen here about week. and have not
4 seen anything of them. or words to tnas
eject. meaning the Spanish feet 9"
.sNo. sir; as I remember 1t he said,
.They could not be here unless !
knew IT.
Lieutenant Commander Nicholson,
navigator OF the Oregon. was then called
and recited the story OF the battle on
July 3. which he had observed from the
deck Of the Oregon. He said there was
no question that the Viscaya, during the
sGrht. pulled out OF the general Spanish
Nne 10 the southwark, headed toward
the Brooklyn for some time, Their
straightened out and ran ashore. He re-
( called some signals from the Brooklyn
en the day OF the battle. among others
enc at the beginning OF the battle to
close up and another at the close Of the
engagement saying: .'Well, done, Ore
ron. AZ for the first signal. he said.
eve were already closing In and It did
NOT influence u.s. Witness could not
eay positively that he had seen the
Brooklyn make her turn, but he had
seen her change position. He had never
eeens the Brooklyn and Texas when they
were closer together than a mile or q
nile and q half. He did not remember
any signal from the Brooklyn to the
Oregon to use her tt1irteen-inch guns on
the Colon. The Oregon had used her
thirteen-inch guns early in the action.
but stopped during the chase OF the
Colon, as that vessel was too Tar away
and to use them would have been to
waste ammunition. He thought the Ore
gon nearer the enemy during the chase
than the Brooklyn. but the distances va
ried somewhat. At one time the Brook
lyn had apparently turned to head on a
turn OF the Colon toward Cape Cruise.
During the enrly part of the engage
nient he had seen none OF the Spanish
yessels turning toward any American
chips and was sure there was no we'll
developed movement in that direction.
Yet the smoke was so dense he could not
30. certain OF all the details
The court asked questions of Nichol-
son as follows:
was the Oregon in her proper block
aiding position when the Spanish ships
started out?
practically, yes.'
what was her course with reference
60 Morro?"
About four miles distant. little
eaetward to south Of it."
.swhat was the distance between the
tlockading positions OF the Oregon and
the Brooklyn?" 2"
s.Frorn three to four miles in the day
t;me and they were nearer at night.
what was the relative position Of the
American ships when the Spanish ves-
sells came out?"
The Iowa was due south. the Texas
on her port hand. the BROOKLYN farther
on to the westward. the Oregon to the
right, and the Iowa and Indiana In shore
70 the eastward. with the New York in
the distance. remember Immediately
looking for the flagship and saw her on,
seven or eight miles toward sibony.
'Did the Oregon at any time pass be-
tween the Brooklyn and the Spanish
ships =:
Not when they were offering any re-
sistance. She did AZ the Spanish vessels
turned to 60 ashore
When the Oregon changed her direc-
stion toward the Brooklyn had the
Brooklyn completed her turn 7"
u am under the impression she had;
sAhe must have done eo.H
What was the position Of the Ore
eon when you turned with the star
board helm during the battle OF Santi-
ago? On
she was lying still In the water. We
turned to heod of the Spanish fleet and
overlook all but the Colon very qiuck-
Is. =
Dr. Charles NJ. Devalin, passed assist
ant surgeon on the Brooklyn, was next
called. He eaid he had observed the
battle July 3 from the forecastle. He
gave a brief description Of the battle.
saving he had been present when Yeo-
man Ellis was killed and had observed
:Schley during the entire engagement.
His conduct and bearing" said the
witness was all that could be expect
ed. He seemed to know what he was
about and to be doing all he wished to
do. He was in perfect control OF the sit
Uation.
In response to questions from Lemly
witness said he heard Schley give the
order Helm hard aport," and had
heard no one else give 1t. He said at the
time he heard no colIoquy or alteration
concerning this order.
Haven't you stated heretofore that
you did hear such conversations"
II may have so stated, but I do not
now remember and can not repeat any
conversation of the kind"
Captain John J.. Hannum was next
called. He was chief engineer on the
Brooklyn and OF the flying squadron
during the Cuban campaign. His testi-
Inony, aside from replies to questions by
the court, related entirely to the condi-
tion OF the collier Merrimac on May q
and 2s. He said that on the forenoon Of
the former date Schley had ordered him
to 20 aboard the collier. He found her
intermediate valve gear entirely dis
abled. He sstd he had taken the whole
ef this part Of the machinery Of the yes