Evening star., 1901-10-01
ADMIRAL EVANS NARRATIVE
WHAT HE SAW OF THE BRoOKLYN's
"LOOP."
Experience During the Battle of July
3, 1S9S-CoaIing POssi-
bflities.

Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans continued
his testimony before the Schley court of
inquiry yesterday afternoon until adjourn
ment.
Describing the battle off Santiago, July 3.
1893. Admiral Evans said: when Cervera' s
fleet came out of Santiago harbor the Iowa
was at the center, with the Brooklyn to
the left and the Texas between"
Judge Advocate Lemly: "Do you remem-
Der what vessels were between them?"
THE only vessel between the Iowa and
the Brooklyn was the Texas"
Did you have an opportunity of observ-
ing the movements of the Brooklyn on this
occasion?"
You mean during the battle?"
Il mean the beginning of the battle"
The Brooklyn's Loop.
81 saw the Brooklyn when the fight be-
gan. When 1 reached the bridge of the
Iowa the Brooklyn was still off to the
westward, headed, should say, northeast
That was just the fight began. 1 saw
her again possibly five minutes afterward,
when she was steaming eastward very fast
firing her port battery, headed northeast
toward the head of the Spanish column. /
did not see the Brooklyn again until my
attention was directed to her by the navi-
gator calling to me, Look out, captain for
the Texas" / went 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 l said to myself Captain Philip
will look after the Texas and went be-
low. In a few minutes the navigator called
out again: Look out, captain you will run
into the Texas" L walked over to the
port side of the bridge and saw the Brook
lyn'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 seemed to be 100 yards directly
in front of the Texas 1 eased the helm of
the Iowa a little, ported her helm a little
and just at that moment the Oregon came
through my lee and passed between me
and the Texas, and the three boats were
punched together"
Conversation With Commodore SchIey
Mr.. Rayner, cross-questioning Admiral
Evans, asked if he had seen the official
chart showing the positions of the Brook
lyn and other battle ships on the day of the
battle off Santiago, July 3, 1885, The ad-
miral replied that he had seen the chart,
but that it was wrong.
Mr.. Rayner: when did you first know
about the turn of the Brooklyn. as you
say, a short distance from the Texas?'
when 1 saw her cross the bow of the
Texas"
do you recollect the conversation you
had with Commodore Schley the 5th of
July, the second day after the battle, re-
gardfng the loop of the Brooklyn
mo, sir. / do not. 1 do not remember
mentioning the subject at ALL
You do not recollect that Commodore
Schley first told you on July that it was
the Brooklyn and not the Texas that made
the turn?'
81 never imagined anything Of the sort"
Give briefly the purport of your CONVEX
sation on that date with Commodore
Schley.''
Briefly, as 1 recollect the conversation,
he was talking to person named Graham.
He was sitting at his desk writing. I
walked into his cabin to make a report
He put his hand on my shoulder and said:
Bobby, am just writing my report of the
battle Of the Sd of July He said: L have
said of you that you handled your ship
with consummate skill Then he intro
duced me to Mr.. Graham. Then Captain
Cook came in and asked me If 1 would tell
him whether the position of certain Span
ish ships was correct. which came out first.
etc; that he had been little confused I'm
his mind We talked few minutes. and I
then went into Captain Cooks cabin"
Position of the Brooklyn.
"You do not recollect the conversation
going over the particulars of the turn that
the Brooklyn made, and the remark that
Commodore Schley made at that time
about Captain Philip, when you said you
thought it was Captain Philip of the Texas
who made the turn?''
ST never said that Absolutely, 1 never
said such thing, because the Texas was
right under my eye all the time She
never turned at ALL
Concerning the position of the BROOKLYN
and the Texas on the day of the battle the
witness said: THE Brooklyn was danger
ously near the Texas. 1 should say within
100 yards of her."
''What was your position just at that
{fvpa han Ghn CaA1 fAa
Texas relative to the Brooklyn and the
Texas?"
1.-The Iowa was heading straight in for
the Spanish fleet to intercept the Viscava
at that time. She was heading more to the
northward than the Texas. The Texas was
headed of more to the west When / saw
the Brooklyn the third time she was across
the bow of the Texas. heading south"
when did you see her next if at alI?'
"After the Oquendo went ashore my at
tention was called to the Brooklyn by
some one on the bridge, who remarked:
The Brooklyn is knocked out She was then
hotly engaged with her starboard battery.
She was headed parallel with the course
of the Colon. l should say"
Mr.. Rayner questioned the witness again
with reference to statements made In his
(Admiral Evans) book, asking him whether
he had ever said he felt reasonably sure
that the Spanish feet was in the harbor at |
Santiago. The witness said that he had
made that statement, but that it was a |
conclusion based on the fact that the SPAN
iards were not at Cienfuegos; that they had
not gone westward and that from mill
tary point of view Santiago was the place
where they were most apt to be-
That was simply your opinion, then and
not matter OF tnformationT suggested
Mr.. Rayner; to which the witness replied !
In the affirmative. Mr.. Rayner then re-
marked that he had never before entirely
understood upon what the admiral had |
based his statements.
4 think you did," said the admiral
assure You had never read It be-
fore. :. responded Mr. Rayner
Ton have read It thrse timss 70 Ne. -