Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-10-15

Quicker than could tell it the
commodore called to me Cook hard
aport,' or Is your helm aportg
answered The helm is hard aDort.
turning as rapidly as possible. AsI
watched the Texas the bow of the
Brooklyn seemed first to point to her
port bow. | never saw the starboard
bow Of the Texas, and changing her
bearing very rapidly the bow OF the
Brooklyn passed along the port side
of the Texas until there was a clear
opening between US and the stern
of the Texas. We had made a com
plete turn 2 yerv nfSr7- fure ~
helm hard 8poTt until we came around
and paralIeled the feet on the other
side. AS we paraIleled the Spanish
fleet the Viseaya -
Admiral Dewey-May | interrupt?
How near did you pass to the Texas =
Il never thought OF a collision. 1t
never entered my head. / never for
a moment had one idea or yicissitade
in that respect. We passed, | Judge,
about 400 yards. She turned perfect
~ clear Of the Texas, came around,
and then we had the Viscaya on our
stafboard bow and about abeam was
the 0qaendo and then the Colon. At
the time thought 1t was the Teresa,
but | soon discovered this vessel was
dropping out and heading for the
beach. That was about the hottest
time OF tie action. 1t YVES a sslae.4
time There was not any time for III
decision and do not think there was
any. Ihave always felt in my mind in
studying the positions that the
chances would have been for dis
astef had we shifted helm at such a
time.
Was the starboard engine of the
Brooklyn reversed during that turn?'.
1t was not. There was some cues.
ton about that. The reason | feel
positive OF that is in recalling the cir.
cumstances; my impression is it may
have been the commodore or the nayi.
gator one of the two, said something
about backing the starboard engine.
My reply, remember very we'll was
! did not want TO lose the speed of the
ship. That she was turning all right
and rapidly, and | wanted to hee. 10
speed OF the ship"
Cooke Ordered the Loop.
81 will ask If your recollection is
clear as to whether the helm was put
hard aport by yourself or that you did
it in obedience to an order from the
COMMODORE"
Il gave the order on my own respon-
sibility. No question about that. 1t
was not after having heard the COM
modore. He called out to me as |
have stated, which | now think was
simply to confirm himself in the idea
that she was turning with a hard
aport helm.
AT that time did you hear any con-
versation between the commodore and
the navigator"
81 did not"
did you see any torpedo boats?"
81 did not
Were you afraid of being rammed
at the time the turn was being made?"
No. There was nothing said about
it, but | did not give it a second
thought from the fact that / knew
they could not ram unless they got
within my turning circle"
Were you afraid of bianketing the
fire of our fleet by turning one way or
the other
we might have done it by turning
the other way"
Had you turned with a .starboard
instead of port helm, would such
action have advanced you so far as
to bring you within the line of move
ment Of the enemy's ships?"
Provided they had taken advantage
of it; that is to say, if they had con
tinued on their course southwest
straight for us and we had turned so
as to bring them within our turning
circle it would have made ramming
possible, certainly"
Mr.. Hanna-What was the conduct
and bearing of Commodore Schley
while under fire on such occasions
that you had the opportunity Of OBJ
serving?