The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-15
Admiral SdmpSOn'S Tip
lChicago 49,

Chicago News.1
General Shafter, who commanded the
Fifth army corps which captured San
tiago in the summer of 1885. was once an
enthusia site adTnirer OF Admiral Schley,
ana probably is now. If he can recall
All mat happened just before and after
CerNeras fleet dashed out of Santiago
pay 10 its destruction he would be well
equipped 70 play the part OF a star wit
ness IN the coming Sanpson-Schley in
vestigation. He did not seem to regard
Sampson as great fighter in those days.
We who were with the doughty Shat
ter have very lively recollections of the
general bringing his huge rist down
size the string of characteristic strong
words he used to express his opinion OF
Admiral Sampson.
Why doesn't he force his way into the
bayF said the general. rs he afraid of
Scraping some of the paint from the bot
This was alter the Spanish fleet had
Deen destroyed There were no warshipS
flying the Spanish flag in the bay. but il
was said then that the channel was mined
and that If any hostile craft attempted
10 FORCE an entrance II would be blow
over the mountains.
General Shafter was a rank skeptic
about the mines. The Cubans had told
nm, and their report was partially cor
roDorated by some refugees, that any
mine or topedo which had been laid in
the channel had been there so long that
y would not explode They said the only
danger to an American ship was in the
shore batteries.
Lieutenant John NIilev O-bo was shat
SSI executive officer, but who has since
oled IN the Philippines with the rank of
usSutenaht colonel, told me that Shafter
VLLeh declared that a steam launch or a
torpedo boat with only one-pounder
rapid-flre gun on deck could force an i'm
nSulate surrender from General Toral.
who commanded the beleaguered Spanish
forces, If il could take up a positi0n on
gosIte the city of Santiago. He urged
he -,
commander Of the American fleet did
not seem 10 see it that way.
Then 1t was that Shafter declared that
he would do it. Captain Stewart Brice
son OF the late Senator Calvin Brice one
OF Shatters military family, ani Colonel
creighton Webb. Inspector general of
General Lawtons division. and other ad-
venturous officers came to General Shat
ter with scheme for the army tc 90
what the navy seemed to he afraid of
doing. They planned calling FOR volun-
teers to man an army transport. putting
on the vessel battery of field guns. and
with IT force an entrance to the harbor
and take up position behind one of the
islands in the bay, where they would be
out or the line of fire from any battery
and vet be in position to rake the city.
Smarter took kindly to the plan, which
was kept a deep secret but like all Sc
crets, the scheme leaked out and scores
OF officers were eager to volunteer, some
OF them offering TO go as privates. But
form General ToraI made it known TO
General Shafter that he was willing TO
come in, and nothing more was done
with the transport proposition.
The day before the Spanish fleet made
its dash out of the bay it was common
talk around General Skaters headquar-
ters that the French consul in Santiago
had been told by officer of Cervera' :
fleet that the Spanish admiral would
leave the harbOr at o'clock the follow
ing morning. On that day I was told by
several officers that the French consul
had told Major Noble that Cervera was
getting ready TO leave, and would make
the attempt the next morning.
None of US believed that the Spanish
ADMIRAL would attempt such desperate
movement. We were told that day that
the news was wig-Wagged-by order OF
General Shafter-from the shore to Adj
miral Sampson. If this was done Admiral
Sampson did not believe that CerveTa
would make the dash, for when the Span
aboard the New York, was steaming to-
ward Siboney to hold conference with
General Shafter.
ABOUT 9:}J clock on the morning of
July we heard several of the navy guns
roar No one in the trenches on San Juan
hin paid any particular attention to the
had begun their daily bonn a rdment of
MORO castle and the other batteries.
stronger and we could hear the Spanish
batteries opening up In a few minutes
the individual booms seemed to be lost in
the concert, and our men began cheering.
| They thought the fleet was moving into
the harbor. The Spaniards opened up
all along the line about that time and We
were somewhat busy ourselves, yet we
kept keen ears in the direction of the
bay. The heavy booming seemed to move
eastward. and finally the voice of the
great guns grew fainter and at last died
out Even then we did not think the
! Spanish fleet had gone out, and it was
not until noon that word came from Cen
/ eral Ludlow, who was north of the city.
/ where he could see the bay, that the
] Spanish ships apparently had gone out
/ of the harbor, for none was to be seen.
] At last we received definite news of the
great victory and then the men in the
! trenches gave voice to their enthusiasm.
! The next day we got the details and II
/ {c iptareStfreS 70 rscaU the facf +bat no
! one then had a whisper against Schley.
''Schley did it." -Schley was the hero,
! The Brooklyn did most Of the work,
| were the Commepts heard then. The army
4 officers declare that the celebrated loop
which the Brooklyn made was a great
| maneuver-that Schley proved himself &c
| be a great sea fighter.
| Schley'S name was on every tongue
! Sampson was only mentioned in words oi
! condemnation. He was censured for TAX
ing the New York out of line when h5
could just as well have made the triI
to Siboney on one Of the mosquito fleet
! or in a. steam launch
The army officers took particular pains
F.! TO let Schley know that they gave hin
the credit of smashing the Spanish fleet
| when Sampson and Schley came ashore
| to call on Shafter after we had entered
| Santiago. The naval officers, clean arc
| trim. well FED and iaunty in their fresh
laundered white suits. came into the par
/ lors OF the governors palace in Santa 20
army Officers. dirty and, yellow; then
thin faces showing the effects of Ieve
| and hardships and lack of food. flockeC
around Schley. Admiral Sampson stooS
| almost alone at one end of the Ions
room but Schley was the center of al
enthusiastic crowd He was cOngratu
lated again and again Generals
colonies. majors. captains and neuten
/ ants pressed his hands They threw the
arms around him and told him he was
( great man. OF course, every army Of
ficer raid his RESPECTS to Sampson. BIZ
most of them did it in a conventional
way. There was no warmth to thei
greetings.
1t was not until we reached Montaul
point that we learned that the BROOKLYN
loop was held up as evidence that Schle
1 was faint-hearted, even cowardlv- 81
at Santiago. on San Juan hin. at SibonS.
and in the trenches no one had even hint
I ed that Schlev was a coward
/ The boys who had faced Spanish shell
and Mauser slugs, who had fought whit
fever burned their blood who knew wha
fighting meant, seer~ed to hold con
! trarv opinion to that entertained a
WASHINGTON. They said: "Schley did it
Sampson wasn't IN 1t. 1t was Schle.
who licked the Spania rds.'
I MALCOLM M'DON ELL.