The San Francisco call., 1901-10-09

suddenly appeared what orders had you to
meet such a contingency
mo orders were turned over to me in regard
to contingency of that kind" replied the
witness.
orders?
Il should have had"
Lieutenant Bristol then spoke Of the Spanish
Il personally examined them the day ar
rived there and satisfied myself that the bat
teries amounted to nothing"
Of July 3 he had fixed the position of the
Texas and also generally of the other ships
of the fleet and had prepared chart showing
these positions. He considered the initial po-
sition assigned to the Texas, the Brooklyn and
The witness described the engagement of
July 8. saying that the Spanish fleet had come
out only sufficiently far to clear the shoal
near the mouth Of the harbor before turning
to the westward. He did not think this was
to exceed 1850 yards out from Caysmith, which
is inside the harbor
Lieutenant Bristol said that after the en-
shots from the Finch guns. When he came
on deck the first of the Spanish ships was
going ashore.
I'VE were then," he said headed to the
westward, with the enemys ships running close
along point seven miles west of Santiago
Did you see the Brooklyn when you came
on deck?''
II did,
Where was she at that timer
She was about as far out port bow
relatively speaking, as the Spanish ships were
on our starboard bow"
IT do not know. She did not make any
turn after that and always kept to the
westward. At that time did not know any
thing about a turn
You did not see what is known as the loop?"
Il did not"
Chase by the Texas.
Lieutenant Bristol then detailed the part
the Texas played in the battle giving the
details of the chase up the Cuban coast. De-
scribing the close of that pursuit he said:
I'VE continued on with the chase of the
C0lOn which han oh Of ha
in the same relative Positions, the Brooklyn,
Oregon, Texas and. afterward at the end of the
mention that the Vixen outside the Brook
lyn at this time and along at the time the
OF us until we overhauled her and went ahead;
until the &c, Colon finally turned inshore and
the rest OF the ships at the prize and remained
there that night"
Mr.. Hanna inquired: From the position you
determine which OF the vessels was leading7''
Il could with the distinctness with which
the ships could be seen, not the positions
What did you estimate AS their relative
THAT was obtained comparatively The dis
tance to the Colon was from about three and
a shalf miles to four miles, up to five or six
miles. at the end of the chase. She drew
gon We're considerably closer to us than the
Colon The Oregon was closer than the Brook
lyn, so that the Brooklyn was leading as re-
CARDS the distance from us that she was out
on bow
I In response TO questions Dy MI faynOr
Lieutenant Bristol said that he had made his
chart because of his interest in the battle and
that he had prepared it few days after the
battle, and stated that ito the best of my
knowledge and belief the chart is right"
Mr.. Raynor called attention to the fact that
the witness had said at the beginning of the
battle the Brooklyn was heading north and
east, while Lieutenant Commander Hodgson
who had been aboard the Brooklyn. had said
the vessel was heading north and west.
Which is right?'' he asked.
Il believe am right" the witness replied.
cpnf he rte~ht
THAT is right, too"
In response to further questions, Lieutenant
Bristol said his chart had been stored away
Tor some time, but that previously he had
had several blue prints made of it.
AT Mr.. RaynQrs request the witness made
measurements showing that according to his
chart chart at the beginning of the fight off San
tiago the nearest Spanish ship to the Brook
lyn was 1900 yards. Mr.. Raynor asked:
How can you reconcile that with the state
ment or Lieutenant Commander Hodgson that
the range at the time of the turn of the
Brooklyn was 400 yards %
u cannot reconcile my statement with that
OF Lieutenant Commander Hodgson"