The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-29

a dash through the Yucatan passage.'
 The Department at Washington did not accept the explanation, nor has It ever. Schley was not interfered with in his command but he was given to under stand that his delay at Cienfuegos was rnaccount able: that his leaving Santlago after once arriving there was strange. ana that his failure to turn pack nntlI ne gos ready to was a practical disobedience
 His critics were busy at Washington and elsewhere while he remained on san tiago. They found fresh material Tor at tack when on May 31 with the Massa- chusetts, Iowa and New Orleans, he en- gagged the Colon in the entrance to the harbor and the shore batteries ,.s Lns th eho gagement lasted about an hour, with the loss of eight men on the Reina Mercedes and no damage to the American vessels. Gchley asserted that this was put put a ,.,h, re, connoissance, but Washington askeo why the Colon was not destroyed. ,
 Admiral Schley was very much Tn ols- favor at Washington all during the month of June and throughout the blockaoIng or Crryera at Santiago. Admiral Sampson was in charge of the blockade' ana ue- yised all the plans for 1t. and gave the orders indicating how the vesseis snouao o,,t
 It was perhaps the irony Of fate or something else equally unexplainable that on the morning of July 3, 1S9S. Aomlrat cer of the fleet at the moment when the first Spanish vessel poked her nose out of Santiago harbor and started on the When the Spanish fleet came out the flagship New York. having Admiral Sampson on board, was four miles east of her blockading station and seven miles from the harbor entrance. The New York was steaming rapidly for si- boney where Admiral Sampson was to have a conference with General Shafter. ton, to the east of the harbor and a mile and a half from land. The Oregon, Iowa, Texas and Brooklyn were two miles from shore and west of the harbor. The Glou- cester was just east of the harbor en-
 The Spanish vessels came out at speed ranging from eight to ten knots an hour, the Maria Teresa leading. They began firing the instant they sighted the Amer icen vessels. As their course was direct ed they were most directly headed for where the Brooklyn with Ini, Admiral cscy scn1ey afterward stated. they intended to sink the Brooklyn if possible. :.
 The Brooklyn and the Iowa were the first two American vessels to discover me oncoming of the Spanish fleet. The Brook lyn lay west of the Texas. Her first move after starting to engage the spanish yes sells was to describe loop rom lett 10 right, which loop enabled her to use her guns on both sides and which also re- turned her to her original position and on a parallel course with the one taken ny the Spaniards during their night.
 It has been claimed that Admiral schlev in taking thls loop exposed the Texas to great danger of being ramIned by him. that he told his own GaptalnT p.1sa Ta1o anu the navigator of his vessel that the rex as must take care of herself when ms at- tention was called to her danger, ana that tactically at least, his loop was a dangerous and uncalled for proceeding.
 This may be true. It does not, however. account for the fact that the brooklyn was hit oftener than any other American vessel; that she suffered the only loss Of fife: that she was the first in the night. and with the Oregon, last to quit' Schley's official report to sampson or ms pa t in the battle states:
 'I congratulate you most sincerely upon this great victory to the squadron under vour command, and am glad that had an opportunity to contribute in the least all of us From Captain Eulate of the Vizcaya and the second in command of the Colon. Commander Contreras, learn ed that the Spanish adniraIs scheme wisg to concentrate all fire for a while on the Brooklyn, and the Vizcaya to ram her in hopes that if they could destroy her the chance of escape would be in- creased as it was supposed she was the swiftest ship of your squadron"
 Admiral Schley has always maintained | that hls loop prevented the Vizcaya from ramming him; that he divined the inten- tion to so attack him; that he expected his vessel to be sunk, but took the brunt of the fighting, believing he could check the SpaniardS until the entire American fleet had closed in. The Brooklyn was in action from 9:s0 o'clock in the morning until after o'clock in the afternoon. The New York was not in the fight. The Oregon was the only other vessel that equaled the Brooklyn's record for length of engagement.
 In his official report Admiral Sampson did not mention the name of Admiral Schley. The partsans of Admiral Schley picked this report to pieces and insisted that it gave more attention to the opera tions of an insignificant captain after the battle was over than it did to the fine work of the Brooklyn, Oregon and Tex of the country to the other that Admiral Sampson had deliberately ignored Schley at moment when the latter had fought