Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-10-26
viii Never Be Forgotten,

because ! could see with the NAKED eye
lneA runnlnS over her Luriets 10 ner
SupeISLrucJuIe ueCk and observed the
daylight between tnelr ieSs as tney ian.
we Turned very rapidiy anu / nau Deen
Tor lOuS Time unQer the impression
that our starDodrd engine was backed,
from the tact that | Was Standlng upon
the starDoard and in LOOKING aslern |
saw an unusual amount OF chuIned
water. 1t looked 10 me very much as
II that engine had been backing.
Though the matter was not one OF rec
ord as found out Subsequently, had
always been under the impression that
that engine mad backed During the
turn MIR. Codsson very properly maue
some alIuSion to the LOOKOUT perhaps
for the Texas. / do not recall what 1t
was, but there was never any coiloquy
of any character between Mr.. Hodgson
and myself. First, he was too good an
officer to have transgressed one OF the /
plainest duties of an officer at such a |
time, and second if he had undertaken |
II would not have permitted it for !
second. That is fiction; there was no |
colloquy.
Before we turned the leading ship |
was abeam or little abatt the BEAM |
and when we turned about she was
ahead OF us; that is, on the starboard |
bow, and ali four ships and the 1orts
were firing at the same time and from |
that moment the following ten or III |
teen minutes were the most furious |
part OF this entire combat. | remem-
Der very distinctly seeing, from time to
time. as my attention Was attracted Tor
Il moment, the gets or water ahead ana
astern and over and short. Tie roar
OF projectile was one OF the things mat
can be heard only once in lire time
and then never forgotten. 1t appeared
at that moment that all four OF those
ships were at work upon the Brooklyn
and up to the moment of turning So
far as we could perceive, there was not
the slightest evidence they had even
been injured. The thought passed
through my mind that after all our
precautions and waiting those fellows
would get away. At that moment |
feit, and | thought | remarked to Cap
tain Cook that we were alone and
would perhaps have most of that tight
upon ourselves because | did not know
then that the battleships could posi-
BIZ keep up their speed. But | said 20
nm we must stay with this crowd
had no idea that we would escape. OF
course if they could have shot as well
as our people did they certainly would
have got US. When we had completely
turned around on a westerly course,
The ships appeared to have been broken
up little, although still in some sem
blance of formation, and just at that
moment I saw the Oregon breaking
in through this cloud envelope. She
broke through onto the starboard quar-
ter of the flagship. | had hoisted the
signal of
4 Close In and Then Follow the Flag
/ feeling that a new disposition was nee
, essary. That signal was replied to and
I saw it repeated. Captain Clark knew
very well 1t was not intended Tor him
because he was following the rag, 50
he repeated it to the other ships. In
a very few moments after the oregon
broke through this cloud of smoke. she
was perhaps four or FIVE hundred yards
distant These two ships, the Brook
Ign and the Oregon, We're firing in a
manner | had never seen before.
never before realized what rapid gun
fire meant Both ships were at that
time a sheet of flame Soon after
saw that the leading ship was evidently
battered hard She Jagged astern.
saw smoke coming out of her ports and
out of her matches, and the fact that
impressed itself upon me was the col
umns We're going straight up in the air.
said TO Captain Cook. who was con-
stantly at my side and always in my
confidence: We have got one. Keep
the boys below informed Of all the
movements. They cannot see and they
ought to knowc and he did so through
out the action. Every few moments
messages were sent below TO the men,
that were answered oftentimes with
cheers which we could hear through
the ventilators. It appeared to be a.
very short interval Of time after thai
that | saw
| Second Ship ON Fire
which proved later to be the Oquendo.
She evidently had suffered very severely
and started Immediately inshore, leay-