Morris tribune., 1901-10-26
TELLS OF ORGANIZING the FLY.
ING SQUADRON AND BLOCK.
Eiy ABE OF clENFUEGos.
CAPTAIN eLARK's EVIDENCE.
COMMANDER OF THE OREGON DE-
;, scRIREs AT LENGTH THE
Ess BATTLE OF JULY 8.

washington, Otc. 25.-EVery avail
able seat in the large room in the gun
ners' workshop at the hayward where
the Schley court Of inquiry is sitting
was occupied half an hour before the
court was called to order at II o'clock
The announcement of the approaching
close of the case and the possibility
that Admiral Schley would take the
witness stand during the day had the
effect Of increasing the public interest
and bringing to the courtroom larger
number of persons than could be con,
Veniently accommodated and faI
larger number than could hear the
proceedings.
After former witnesses had cor
Tected their evidence Commander Har-
low continued his testimony. Captain
Lemly asked him about the coaling Of
the ships of the flying squadron on
May 25 and &c. He said that on May
25 no one would have attempted to
coal ship and that without experience
coaling could not have been under.
taken in the forenoon of May 26.
In reply to a question from Captain
Lemly the witness said that he re-
membered the incident Of Commodore
6chley's transferring his dag from the
Brooklyn to the Massachusetts, on
May 81 for the purpose of making a
reconnaissance, the Vixen having been
used for that purpose. He had, he
said, seen the commodore both going
and coming and had spoken to him on
his return.
what, if anything, was said when
returning about the guns that were
discovered or deyeloped?"
ga remark was made, think by my
self, that at any rate we had deYel-
oped the batteries. Commodore
Schley replied that that was what we
went in for"
Commander Harlow was then excused
and Captain Clark called to the stand.
oreson's Commander Testifies.
The large audience manifested signs
Of interest as the captain of the
Oregon reached the witness stand. He
is man of goodly proportions, with
short brown mustache and dark COM
pleXion. Admiral Dewey smiled as ne
walked around to the end Of the table
to administer the oath. Captain
Clark at first spoke in an undertone
and was two or three times requested
to raise his voice. This he did as he
progressed and was soon distinctly
understood ia the vicinity of the court.
At the request of Mr.. Rayner he began
a description of the battle OF July 8,
as follows:
when we discovered the Spanish
ships coming out our feet closed in at
once to attack them, each ship being
ordered to keep her head directly
toward the harbor entrance. The
Spaniards turned to the westward,
breaking through our line or crossing
it, and our ships swung off to the west
ward in pursuit. Both sides opened
fire promptly and fired rapidly. Dense
smoke soon obscured the vessels, max
Ing it difficult to distinguish them.
"The Oregon ran between the Texas
and the Iowa, the next ship to west
ward in our line, and soon after we
sighted four Spanish ships ahead, ap-
parently uninjured at the time. Fhey
had gained SO much ground that be-
ieved they had been successful in at
tempting to escape, but it was soon
evident we we're gaining at least on
one of them, which afterwards proved
to be the Maria Teresa, and I thought J
we should bring her to close action, |
but might be exposed to the concen-
trated fire of all the ships. Just then |
the smoke lifted or broke away to the /
left and | discovered the Brooklyn. /
She was well forward of our port beam |
and broadside to the enemy's fleet. I
Her course was perhaps little diver
gent from ours, because the Oregon I
was attempting to draw up upon the i
Teresa. But the Brooklyn and Oregon !
maintained this relative position, Bow /
and quarter, approximately, to the end /
OF the battle, the Brooklyn steGming
straight ahead as nearly as could
Judge and engaging any and all Of the /
Spanish ships, the Oregon endeavor-
ing to come to close action with the
sternmost one, and when she was
driven out of action and pointed to the
beach, then pushed on for the next
one ahead and 80 on until the entire
feet was driven ashore, burning or
sinking"
Signals From the Brooklyn.
Mr.. Rayner-"Did you get any sig
mails from the Brooklyn on the day OF
battle?"
yes, sir"
Can you recall what they were?"
"Of my own knowledge and renem-
Nrance the signals that impressed
themselves upon me at the time were:
Follow the flag had this repeated
to the vessels following, thinking that
they might not see the Brooklyn and
might see us. remember another
signal, One Of my compartments filed
with water / recollect it because it
perplexed me little. was fearful
that the Brooklyn might have to haul
out of action and run in shore and
concluded that it was given to me as
a warning in case she did haul out
that would he prepared TO look out