Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-07-29
CAPT. COOK KNOWS.
Says BrookIyn's Famous Loop Was Not Over
600 Yards in Extent.

Newport. II. L.. July 2S.-The state
ment by Capt. Francis A. Cook, in
which he unequivocally denounces as
"outrageously incorrect" the charges
that the Brooklyn In turning ran two
miles to the southwark continues TO
attract much attention from naval ON
GERS here.
These have not been slow 10 rccog-
nize the importance Of that state
ment. for II II can be proved that the
Brooklyn turned as quickly as her
tactical diameter would permit. and
which her commander now asserts that
she did then the whole fabric Of accu-
sation against Rear Admiral Schley
for "caitiff fight during the battle
must come tumbling back upon the
heads Of his accusers. 81
Moreover. If capt. Cooks claim IL
proved officers here say il will rediIce
in Significance The 10Th paragraph .of
Secretary Longs preccpt to the. court
Of inquiry-onc involving the coll0quy
between Rear Admiral Schley and the
BroUklyn's navigator. Lieutenant Com
mandcr Hodgson. and the Put your
helm To port" order of one and the
You mean To atarboard" reply Of the
other viii lose the Importance which
hitherto attached to this alleged con
versation.
capt cook refused. yesterday. To
ailpl fy his statement and said that he
muit decline "a say anything more on
In" subject.
Lieutenant Commander Hodgson.
who Is now stationed here. at first pos
itiytly refused u say word for pub
licatiou, but after il had been pointed
out that his former commanding Off
Ger had made The statement. he con-
sented AT once with evident reluctance
to appear ~ print. and substantiated
capt. Cooks statement In positive SEN
trnccs.
n was IN thr bridge Of the Brook
iyn." ~ said "and therefore had full
opportunity uf - serving al that was
going on. To my personal knowledge
the helm was kept hand a-p0rt during
the whole time ~ turning the loop un-
tii cdscd W ~ parallel the course OF
the NisCaya then about 2S1J yards
away on ;he starboard bow. AS the
BrOoklyn's tactical diameter Is only
about GDu yards. she therefore could not
have run further than SEQ yards to the
southwark"
Some other witnesses OF the BrOok;yn's
fnanos uyrr have estimated the distance
she ran tn the southwark ull the way
from I'VE u five mile
Since the order of the navy department
establishing the court OF Inquiry was Is
led. every naval officer now here who
Ma sn any wat cunc.rned with the con-
truEersy refuses tJ discuss any phase d.
~" affair But one wn" was on th-
brooklyn during the battle gave. in per
soual conversation. this graphic desCrip-
ton ~ the scene Immediately after the
vessel mad completed her famous loop.
IA We straightcned ont on a course
parallel with thar of the enemy" he said.
noticed that we had three OF the Span
ish ships in line abreast thc leading
vesse, being of our starboard bow. Ev-
ert gun W. the Bro0klyn's starhoard bat
tery was blazing. ana the smoke from
them hld everything aStcrn. looked
around 10 see what our other ships were
doing. bat could see none Of them. the
rolling clouds ~ smoke from our guns
uhsCurinE everything a<tern ana TO a
point wei forward of nIr <tarbuard quar-
ter
II turned to Capt Cook. who was
standing near. and said: 'We are pretty
lonesome OUT here He glared back. and
Just then we both saw what first looked
like 4 small tidal wave. 4 ridge OF water
with foam boiling about 1t. As we stared
AZ the aIparition which came out OF the
fog and smoke wing on our Starboard
bow quarter. the great gray bows Of q
battle ship came into view. and we knew
then that the wave which had puzZled us
was tn, TOW wave wInch the Oregon was
carrying In her whirlwind rush Tor the
enemy The thunder OF or own guns haG
drowned the crashing hroadsides ~ that
splendid hattlcship, and not until then
did We know that the oregon was any
here near uS.