Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-14

shop for action. and as I had given direc-
tions TO have thu ship ready for inspection
knew at once something was happening.
1 Went on deck immediately
Had You had any intimation the night
before that the Beet was coming out ?''
NO. l turnedgin the night before, about
midnight, feeling rather the other way. all
hope of the coming out having been given
up." tt.Ete
When you came on deck where were the
Spanish vessels? What were they doingg
when l first arrived on the forecastle
there were two in sight. The third one
was just outside the entrance and the
fourth appeared Immediately afterward.'
What did they do when they came out.
which way did they head"
70 us was abput northeast by north. The
meet came ont south and turned as they
IeIt the entrance to four points southwest.
l nrst got on deck the helm had been star
boarded, heading little to the northward.
Wnen l saw the fleet they were heading
southwest, and seemed to be coming
straight for the interval between the Texas
ana the Brooklyn. went In the coming
tower and directed the helmsman. I told
MIN what I wanted to do was to keep
straight for the feet. They wavered a lit
tie. Sometimes they turned one way and
then another. We shifted helm once or
twice, but very little indeed. and finally
wnen we were getting up fairly close. say
between 1880 and 1000 yards, 1t seemed to
me clear that they wanted to pass between
the Texas and the Brooklyn. The Texas
was Wen on our starboard hand and she
was headed to the northward and west
ward. All ships were carrying out the in
slructions of the commander-in-chiefa and
that was to head in for the entrance. We
were well to the westward and headed to
the northeast
The Turn to Starboard.
When saw that, I ported the helm per-
maps half way over. She was swinging
starboard very rapidly. The Spanish fleet
was coming straight for this interval
stepped out of the tower on the port side
TO get good look at this fleet to see just
what they were going to do as to our rela-
i've positions, and saw they evidently put
helms hard aport and were turning to the
westward We were then turning very
IapioIy 10 starboard with port helm and
we mad turned think almost to the east.
me Iexas was well on our starboard side.
l ,hen gave the order Hard aport' to the
tielmsman, ran through the opening be-
tween the shield and the coming tower to
the other side on purpose to see our own
Meet and our relative positions. Quicker
than l could tell it the commodore called
10 me- COOK, hard aport.' or is your helm
aport" 1 answered, The helm is hard
aport, turning rapidly as possible AS
! watched the Texas the bow of the Brook
Ign seemed first to point to her port bow
never saw the starboard bow of the
Iexas, and changing her bearing very rap
idly the bow of the Brooklyn passed along
the port side of the Texas until there was
clear opening between and the stern
OF the Texas We made a complete turn,
very quick turn. with helm hard aport
until We came around and paralleled the
fleet on the other side. AS we paralleled
the Spanish fleet the Viscaya-'
Admiral Dewey-'May interrupt? How
near did you pass to the Texas?'
Distance From the Texas.
Il never thought of collision. 1t never
nfa ha,l
had one idea or vicissitude in that respect.
We passed. judge about 400 yards I had
handled the ship under all circumstances
and got SO 1teoMdijudge pretty correctly,
and my impression was that we were about
the distance We sailed in squadron. But a.
collision l never thought Of She turned
perfectly clear of the Texas, came around
and then we had the Viscaya on our STAR
board bow and about abeam was the Oquen-
do and then the Colon. At the time I
thought it was the Teresa, but soon dis
covered this vesselswas dropping out and
heading for the beach. That was about the
hottest time of the action 1t was a critical
time. There was not any time for indie
cision, and do not think there was any. 1
nave always felt in my. mind, in studying
the positions. that the chances would have
been for disaster had we shifted helm at
such time. However, we got around and
We had those three vessels 1 looked and
could see nothing but smoke astern, and
L
could not understand it. 1 could not under
stand exactly how we got there
fhey Sere; alEtisfee firing on the Brook
iyn, when almost Immediately faster than
could tell it saw large white bone in
the water and, through this smoke saw the
bow of a vessel. = exclaimed at the time.
what was that?r The navigator who was
near me- said It was the Massachusetts or
something to that effect. 1 said she was
away, and he then said, That is the Ore
gon.' l felt perfectly assured from that
moment. She came up very rapidly. She
was making more speed than We were at
that time She had all her boilers on had
shifted boilers that morning from forward
to aft. She had steam and hot water on
Where was the Oregon with respect to
the Brooklyn at that timer
Distance Run to the South.
II estimated 600 yards She passed in
between the Texas and the Iowa. She got
in between that opening, came to the north
ward Of the Texas and came out about 500
yards from us. / mean a perpendicular
course, and that would account for just
what we made to the southwark in turning.
We made more than the tactical diameter
because we passed part of that distance
with helm half aport."
What is the tactical diameter of the
BROOKLYN
"Was it easy to handle the ship under
such circumstances"
II never have seen one equal to her."
WAS the starboard engine of the Brook
lyn reversed during that turn?"
''It was not. There was some question
about that. The reason I feel positive of
that is in recalling the circumstances, nv
impression is, it may have been the com
modore or the navigator, one of the two.
said something about backing the starboard
engine. My reply, l remember very well.
was did not want to lose the speed of the
ship; that she was turning all riga. and
rapidly and wanted to keep the speed of
the Ship
Position of the Oregon.
eat the time you saw the Oregon coming
up out Of the smoke was she on your star
board?"
''Starboard quarter"
And between you and the Spanish
ships?
Never between us and the Spanish
ships
where were the Spanish ships at that
timer -
There never was anything between MS
and the Spanish ships. She was on our
starboard quarter"
Nearer inshore?"
eyes"
Referring back now to certain points IN
the story as 7 did NOT cara "a ir+n.-..-x