The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-26

and rejoicing. I went back to the bridge
 and soon realized that they were doing their best but I perceived that the mo- | tions of the ships were sluggish. It de- | veloped that one of the after compart- | ments had filled with water. which we thought was due to the fact that we had | received some injury below the water | line. The ships speed came up with some
 rap!dity and toward 12 o'clock 1t was very | apparent that we were gaining upon the
 chase. We were pointing for Tarquino Point, under Cape Cruz. at the point ex- tending to the southward. My idea was that in steering that course, if the Colon
 kept up her course, she would be obliged
 to come out. I then said I would get up
 a lot of extra ammunition so that when she came out into close quarters it would
 be question of but few minutes before
 we knocked her out. As We were going out to head her of, I signalled to Cap tain Clark to open fire with his 13-inch guns. Captain Clark has testified that he did not receive it, and l always had been under the impression, until I heard him say otherwise. that the order had been transmitted. I don't think the Ore gon was further astern than 800 yards. About 12:50 we tried the 13-inch and S-inch guns on here. Several of them fell short, but I remember that one of the Oregon's 13-inch shots passed entirely over the Colon and that one of the S-inch shots of the Brooklyn passed over her also.
 Cclon's Capta n Did Right.
 ''The position of the Colon being di- rectly under the fire of the two ships, there was no question in the mind of the Captain of the Colon that it would be fa- tai. l think he did exactly right. A sac rifce of life would have been unneces- sary, so he fired gun to the leeward and hio Ane 1Avy md xtxA bar at the mouth of Rio Tarquino. I signalled at once to cease firing, that the enemy had surrendered. We steamed
 into position of thousand yards, ar- irving in the vicinity of the Colon at 1:30. When this surrender took place. l na- turally felt interested in the vessels that were following. I was then on the bridge and with the glasses, saw three vessels astern. I could see the masts of two. l could see only the smoke of the third one. We lowered the boat and Captain Cook went aboard He said to me, 'Com- modore, what are the terms of surren- der" l said to him, Unconditional
 Those are matters that the Commander in-Chief must arrange. We can only re- ceive an unconditional surrender At 2 o'clock and twenty-three minutes, about | the New York came up. I made signal to her that 1t was glorious day for our country, and as soon as I could I went on board to pay my respects. After I had stated to the Commander -in- Chief the incidents and events of the battle, in hurried way, a group of officers asked for details of this battle, and I rehearsed them in nasty way Chaplain Boyce of the New York said, Commodore, your work Is not over yet. The Resolute has just arrived. Captain Eaton reports that there Is a Spanish battleship on the coast and the Admiral wants to see you l found Captain Clark in the presence of the Commander-in-Chief. As soon as he | mentioned to me to take the Oregon and | go eastward and meet this ship. I must 1 say I felt some little delight. because | thought that after the admirable work of | the squadron on that day and the part | that the Brooklyn and Oregon had in it | there was nothing that carried Spanish | colors that we should have hesitated to | meet"