The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-08
TOLD BY HODCSON
STORY OF THE GREAT FIGHT WITH
CERVERA's wARSHIPs.
He Goes Into Details and Explains
MjnuteIy the Location and Ac-
tion of Each Vessel.
STANDS BY ADMIRAL SCHLEY
AND COMMENDs THE COURSE OF
THE CRUISER BROOKLYN.
Lattcr's Famous Loop, He Said, Was
Made i'm 600 Yards, Instead Of
1000, stated.
SCHLEYS BEHAVIOR PRAISED
CHS CONDUCT WAS THAT OF A COM
MANDER-IN-CHIEF.
Words Damn the Texas" Were Used,
but Not i'm COnde
tain FOIger's Testimony.
Lattcr's Famous Loop, He Said, Was
Made i'm 600 Yards, Instead Of
1000, as stated.
SCHLEYs BEHAVIOR PRAISED
"HIs CONDUCT WAS THAT OF A COM
MANDER-IN-CHIEF.
Words damn the Texas" Were Used,
but Not i'm COnde
tain FOIger's Testimony.

WASHINGTON, oct. 7.-Lieutenant Com
mander Hodgson to-day again occupied the
greater part of the time of the Schley
court of inquiry as witness. He was fol-
lowed on the stand by Capt. William NJ
Folger formerly chief of the Bureau of
Ordnance of the Navy Department, but
commander of the New Orleans during the
Spanish war. Lieutenant Doyle also was
recalled to add some details to his former
testimony concerning the coal supply of the
American fleet during the Santiago block
ade.
Commander HOdgsOn repeated and eX-
tended his story of the battle of July 5,
giving the opinion that Commodore
Schley's conduct on that occasion was such
as that of a cOmmander-in-chief should
have been. He also explained at some
length his correspondence with Admiral
Schley concerning the alleged colloquy be-
tween them while the Santiago engagement
was in progress. He said he had had no
controversy with the commodore, but he
repeated that the commodore had said
Damn the Texas when told that that
vessel was in danger.
Captain FoIger said that the lombard
ments of the Cristobal Colon, on May 81,
had been eminently successful in develop
ing the strength of the Spanish shore bat
teries and had shown them to be very
weak. He also said that if the Spanish
vessels had attempted to escape at night
they could not have been seen by the block
aiding feet in bad weather.
The days proceedings began with the
recall of Lieutenant Doyle and Commander
Rodgers for the purpose of correcting their
previous testimony, and after they had
been excused Lieutenant Commander Hodg
son, navigator OF the Brooklyn during the
Santiago campaign, resumed the stand.
This was his third sr,Iing, and when he
began to-day's testimony the Judge advo-
cate had not entirely completed his ques-
tions. There We're still few of the letters
constituting the correspondence between
the witness and Admiral Schley to be
read, and when they were concluded Cap
tain Lemly and Mr. Hanna asked a few
questions Then Mr.. Rayner began his
| cross-examinatiOn.
CROSSE SS-EXAAINATION.
How far were you off, during the block
ade of Santiago, from the Moro during
the day and night of May 2s. %. 80 and 31?''
he asked.
In response the witness said Early in
the daytime our habitual position was about
six miles. In the night L think we steamed
up and down in front of the harbor a dis
tance of about six miles" He stated that
the picket boats. the Marblehead and Vixen,
were in the line of the fleet, about midway
| between that line and the shore lines The
witness then, in response to a request of
Mr. Rayner, continued his description of
the naval battle of July 3. from the point
where he had dropped that description at
Captain Lemly's request while he was on
the stand Friday.
In this connection he said: THE Brook
lyn did all sic could. She got into action
irrCf Nff- Gfn
there. We commenced firing as soon as
the first gun on the port bow would bear,
| and we kept the port battery firing until
she turned with port helm through the arc,
using the aft guns until we got all the star
board guns to bear. We got around as
J quickly as we could with port helm until
we almost paralleled the course of the lead
ing Spanish vessel, when the helm was
eased and the ship steered a course parallel
with the VisCaya, which was then the lead
ing vessel, although the Maria Theresa
probably farther TO the westward thar
the Viscaya. She was standing at an angle
in TO the shore. When we got around the
smoke very dense nothing could be
seen OF anything in the rear of us. The
three Spanish vessels we then en-
gagged with were the Viscaya, the Colon and
the Oquendo. The NiScaya was about 900
yards on our starboard bow; the Colon
probably was little forward of the star
board beam. The OquendO was abaft the
starboard beam. We continued i'm that
direction. when / remarked to Captain
Cook that il seemed rather lonely for us
out there. He was in the coming tower.
He asked, Why i stated that we We're
all alone with the three Spanish vessels
and IL seemed that it depended upon us to
knock them out. At that time the smoke
was so dense j could not see anything and
J supposed that. the New York being away,
the Brooklyn was steaming ahead of the
slower vessels. He stepped out of the con-
ming tower and exclaimed to me: What's
that off our starboard quarter? I looked
in that direction and saw the heavy bow
OF ship and said: That must be the
Massachusetts, He said: No. it cannot
be the Massachusetts; she has gone to
Guantanamo | said: 1t must be the ore
gon' and he remarked; God bless the
Oregon / said: We'll, l am very glad to
see her The Oregon was al that time
about. / should say. four or five hundred
yards off our starbOard quarter at full
speed We continued in that position un-
I'll the Brooklyns speed began TO increase
as we got up steam and probably drew a
little farther ahead from the Oregon. She
never was that close TO US again.
remember. The OquendO very shortly fell
ont and went ashore.
\ BREATHING SPELL
"'The chase was continued until when off
Acerreaderas the Nfscaya ported her helm
and ran in shore. The Colon at this time
had gained speed and was in shore / sup
pose some seven miles. After passing the
Vascaya We steamed ahead and ceased
firing The men were allowed to come out
Of the turrets one at a time to get q
breathing spell. although. Of course. all
guns were manned and everything ready.
hut the gaining ON the Colon was ve,,.
slow: i'm fact. she gained apparently az,
Us This was about IL .l5 when the ViscsVa
stood i'm for Acedergaras. The chase vyaS
continued then after the Colon. 1 knew il
must be six or seven miles away untii
we gradually began TO gain. | ren,enbar
keeping the stadimeter work on her. al
though the 1890 yards would not registcr
ou the ssadimeter. | remember al one tiroc
telling Commodore Schiey that il was with
i'm about l3OO0 yards. and my recollection
is he told some one 10 signal the Oregon
IL try one of her railroad trains At any