Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-11-01
SCHLEYS OWN STORY
Told by Him Before the Court of
Enquiry the Past Week.

The testimony of Admiral Schley I'm the
Scnley court OF inquiry was given on
thursday and Friday OF last week, clos
ing with the AdmiraTs cross examination
by Judge Advocate Lemley on Monday.
Inc ADMIRAL story was told with ease
and freedom of speech, with few inter-
rupuOns by counsel lie told OF his as
signment by the navy department to the
command OF the lying squadron soon af-
ter the outbreak of the war with Spain
and OF the agreement between him and
Admiral Sampson that the former should
command in person the North Atlantic
squadron operating off Havana, while
Schley should command the flying squad
ron. The story of the blockading opera
TONS of the doubt as to the location of
Cervera's feet and its final location i'm
Santiago harbor was told i'm detail. The
Admiral spoke freely of the celebrated
retrograde movement, which refers to the
fact that he for time left the blockade
In order to coal his ships. on account
of rough weather he said it was impos-
sble to coal at sea, and smoother water
was sought where this could be done.
The Admiral spoke in the kindest way of
all the officers of the fleet, and gave the
impression that the best of feeling pre-
vailed among them all.
Coming to the great battle of July 3,
Admiral Schley described the coming out
of the Spanish fleet, and the prompt
movement to meet the enemys ships in
battle. Only an hour or so before, the
New York, Admiral SIMPSONS flagship,
had steamed away to the East, signalling
as she did SO to the rest of the fleet to
disregard her movements. The original
plan of battle had been to meet and en-
gage the enemys ships separately, but
the tactics of Cervera made this impos-
sibe The Admiral's description of the
famous and much criticised loop" of the
h., G,,ta mt Of
his testimony, as a matter of course. Ac-
cording to the Admiral's statement this
was simply a deliberate and successful
maneuver of the battle. At first the enc
my's ships had come straight toward the
American ships with the apparent pur-
pose of ramming them. Suddenly 1t APP
peared that they had turned to the west
ward and were trying to run away. II
was then that the turn, or loop was
made. The Admiral denied explicitly ever
having used the expression Damn the
Texas" or saying that the Texas could
look out for herself. Continuing, he said:
THE roar OF projectiles was one of the
things that can be heard only once in a
lifetime and then never forgotten. 1t APP
peared at that moment that all four of
those [Spanishl 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
ever been injured. The thought passed
through my mind that. after all our pre-
cautions and waiting those fellows would
get away"
Telling of the coming up OF the Oregon.
Admiral Schley said: I'm a very few mo-
ments after the oregon broke through
the cloud Of smoke, she was perhaps four
or five hundred yards distant These two
ships, the Brooklyn and the Oregon. were
firing in manner I had never seen be-
fore. l never before realized what rapid
gun fire meant Both ships were at that
time n sheet of flame" When the battle
had progressed to the point already de-
scribed, the Admiral said he then first
realized that the fight to the finish must
be by the Brooklyn and the Oregon.
The Admiral then described the incl
dents of the running fight to the finish
returning from this chase, he told OF
passing the Iowa, when he was hailed by
Captain Evans. who informed him that
Admiral Cervera was on board and would
like very much to see him. Admiral
Schley said that he then went on board
the Iowa, having in the meantime direct
ed his men not to cheer, as he did not
think 1t would be proper to exult over a
foe who had fought and behaved so gall
lantly.
Il found the Spanish Admiral greatly
detected" said the witness. Il said TO
MIN / knew he had lost everything cloth
ing as well as money and informed him
that my wardrobe, as well as my purse
as far as that would go, was at his ser
vice"
Admiral Cervera. Admiral Schley said. |
thanked him for his courtesy but de-
clined the proffer, only asking to be al
lowed to send a despatch TO his govern
ment announcing the fate OF his squadron
And that" the Admiral said. closing
MS narrative. impressively, ended the |
battle of the Sd day of July. 1895"
i wish to add" he continued. chat
! was very much impressed on that day
with the fact that the officers and the |
men who We're engaged in that struggle
tulhlIed In the very highest and in the
very noblest degree, the traditions OF the |
American navy"
In finishing his direct testimony on
Monday, the Admiral. by permission OF
the court, reverted to his narrative of Fri |
day. and spoke of the hits on the Spanish
squadron. The Brooklyn. he testified. was
the only ship carrying five-inch guns. A
record of the hits received by the enemy
showed that 30 per cent of the hits scored |
pY the American fleet came from those
guns on the Brooklyn. The BROOKLYN re- |
ceiVed 80 of the ~ hits from the Spanish |
meet or about 20 per cent.
NO essentially new points were brought |
out during the cross examination.