The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-01
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION
OF BATTLE OF SANTIAGO
BY ADMIRAL bob" EVANS

the Massachusetts, that she was going
in to engage the Colon. Describing that
engagement the witness said: About
five minutes to one | saw the first
shot from the Massachusetts fall short
long distance and supposing she was
firing at 1000 yards. l gave the range
to my guns. l saw the shots fall short
and increased the re&ge to 5000 yards.
After the Massachusetts had come to
the entrance of the harbor she turned
with port helm and steamed back, the
New Orleans and the Iowa following.
On the run back across the harbor l
| fired at 10000 yards. The shots still
fell short and the Massachusetts and
New Orleans stopped after they got
across. slowed my engines, then in
creased the range to 1000 yards and
fired two shots from the foredeck 12-
inch turret. The first one was fired by
Lieut.. VanduSer at II 900 yards
Il saw that it fell short Lieut.. Hill
had the other gun in that turret. l
gave him the range at II, 500 yards and
he fired and that shot struck very
near the stern of the Colon. Both r.
inch guns were disabled at the fire
from that extreme elevation. After
that we stood mile and a half pos
tion again. That was all 1 saw done
to injure the Colon"
The witness was then asked about
the blockade off Santiago under Com
modore Schley. He said the squadron
stood n or miles out during the day
time and a little farther out at night,
with the Vixen and the Marblehead on
the inside at night.
The judge advocate asked the wit
ness concerning a statement by a lieu
tenant of the Spanish navy, printed by
the navy department, to the effect that
at dark the American ships withdrew to
the southwark, disappearing. The in
PRODUCTION of this book was objected
to and Admiral Dewey said: THE wit
ness has already told what distance
was maintained by the fleet. We don't
care for that kind of information. Ad-
miral Evans was there and can answer
for himself We want facts, not news
paper articles"
Describing the battle off Santiago,
Admiral Evans said: when CerVera's
fleet came out of the harbor, the Iowa
was at the centre of the line, with the
Brooklyn to the left"
Admiral Lemley: DO you remember
what vessel was between the Iowa and
the Brooklyn" THE only vessel was
the Texas"
Did you have an opportunity of OBJ
serving the movements of the Brooklyn
on this occasion?"
You mean during the battle?"
q mean the beginning of the battle"
Il saw the Brooklyn when the fight
began. When 1 reached the bridge of
the Iowa, the Brooklyn was still off to
the westward, headed 1 should say
northwest. That was just as the fight
began. l saw her again possibly five
minutes afterward, when she was
steaming westward very fast, firing her
port battery, headed northwest toward
the head of the Spanish column. I did
not see the Brooklyn again until my
attention was directed to her by the
navigator calling to me: Look out,
Captain, for the Texas" I went on the
port bridge, where the navigator was
standing, and l said: Where the devil
is the TeXas2"
THE navigator said: Here she is,
sir, in the smoke" I said to myself
Capt Philip will look after the Texas"
and went below. In a few minutes the
navigator called out again: Look out,
Captain, you will run into the TeXas!'
l walked over to the port side of the
bridge and saw the BrOoklyn's smoke
stack and military masts. She was
lying directly across the bows of the
Texas. The Texas was apparently
backing and dangerously close to the
Iowa. The Brooklyn seemed to be 100
yards directly in front of the Texas.
eased the helm of the Iowa a little,
ported her a little and just at that
moment the oregon came through my
lee and passed between me and the
Texas and three beats were punched
together.
"At that time the Brooklyn was shut
out in the smoke and 1 saw no more of
her until the Colon had passed well to
the westward of me. when some one
on the bridge said: 1.-THE Brooklyn is
backed out"
II went on to the bridge to see what
had happened and she was then about
a mile and a half forward of the port
beam of the Iowa, with the Colon seven
or eight miles ahead and on her star
board bow From that time on the
firing was light and 1 could see the
Brooklyn occasionally. The Colon was
on her starboard bow. On the port
side of the Colon, astern, was the
Oregon and astern of her and well off
TO the southwark was the Brooklyn
with the Vixen off shore of the Brook
lyn. The Iowa at the time was directly
in the wake of the Colon, with the
Vixen a little on her starboard bow"
How was the Iowa headed by the
compass?"
ITO the westward, heading for the
enemy's ships. 1 do not know whether
we were headed west by south or west
by north
On his cross-examination by Mr..
Rayner, Admiral Evans said that he
had left Key West with the Iowa for
Cienfuegos on May 20, and that he
knew before leaving that port that q