The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-07-26
SAMPSON-SCHLEY
CONTROVERSY
Originated Over Schley'S
Course at CienfueguS

The Sampson-schley controversy
began as the result Of the dispatch
from Admiral Sampson announcing
the victory al Santiago. "The aact
under my command" it said OFFERS
the nation as Fourth of July present
the destruction Of the whole OF Ger |
vera'a feet" From this message the /
nation inferred that Sampson was I'm |
the thick Of the battle and he was re-
garded as the hero of the day. When |
it was learned shortly afterward that
the flagship New York. with Sampson
on board mad been absent from the
engagement and that Schley had been
the ranking officer on the squadron.
a revulsion of sentiment set I'm. It was
declared that schley had woa the
victory and that Sampson was trying
to rob him OF the credit.
The controversy so started was ex
tended by the friends Of Admiral
Sampson 90 cover the course Of schley
in the operations Of the flying squae-
ron and in the battle itself schley
left Key West May 10 with a powerful
squadron to intercept Cervera. whose
destination was supposed to be Glen.
fuegos, on the south coast of Cuba.
Before the squadron arrived there the
Navy department learned that the
Spanish fleet had reached Santiago.
Sampson sent a cruiser with orders
to Schley to proceed at once to San
tiago and blockade the port. Schley
had been blockadlug Cienfuegos two
days before he received the message.
He waited another day, during which
Captain McCalla learned definitely
that Cervera was not the harbor.
and then started for Santiago. The
distance is 500 miles bur Il took the
squadron four days instead of one to
cover it, Leaving Cienfuegos May
"a the fleet arrived thirty miles from
its destination on May 26. The next
day Schley turned westward again,
signalling the squadron that it was to
return to Key West for coal rhen
he changed his mind and on May 2S
began the blockade During the nights
the fleet lay ten miles out to sea un-
til the arrival Of Sampson June !.
when 1t moved up to within a mile of
the harbor entrance
On the day of the battle the New
York had started TO take Admiral
Sampson to a conference with Gener-
al Shafter when Ceryera tried to es-
cape, The flagship returned at fun
speed, but did not get into the en-
gagement, although a court of claims
has held that it was near enough SO
that Sampson was technically to be
considered in command
Schleys course in the battle which
was criticized was in relation 70
maneuyer of the Brooklyn to escape
being rammed. The Maria Teresa
headed for it and the cruiser turned
to the east and south to escape In
/ TINS maneuver Il narrowly missed col
lidng with the Texas The captain
of the Texas reported that the action
Of the Brooklyn was the proper one
under the circumstances. Admiral
Schley, however was apparently made
nervous for fear It would be taken for
cowardice. He gave out two or three
statements about it that conhicted.
He was also led into securing the de-
nial of an interview on the subject by
his executive officer although the Of
fcer later said the interview was sub
stantially correct. He had been urged
on several occasions to ask for a
court Of inquiry but had declined. as.
he said, on account Of the hostility
to him in the Navy department.