The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-23
BROOKLYN ALONE FOUGHT
THREE SPANISH SHIPS
Admiral SchIeys Danger Until the Oregon Showed
Up at Battle of Santiago.
Witnesses Tell of the commodores Brave Actions and How He
Encouraged His Men.

QOre Scnley ana captain Slt3oOee on IA0
occasion of the captains visit to the
Brooklyn on May 20. as follows.
Did you see Captain Sigsbee on
board the Brooklyn on May 26?'
Yes. sir"
Did you hear him in conversation
with Commodore Schley?"
Yes. sir"
can you give Us what the converse
ton was2''
schIey's Talk With Sigsbee.
After he had reached the quarter
deck from the gangway he stepped,
and Commodore Schley said to him.
Have we got EN-, Sigsbee2 The cap
{ tain said: They are not here. have
been here for week, and they are not
here
rs that the whole of the converse
ton. as you recollect?
NO, sir. We went further aft. fur
Their back on the quarter deck, and he
continued the conversation Commo-
dOre Schley said; Are you sure they
are not in thereT He said: i have
! been very close to the harbor entrance
/ two or three times CAPTAIN Cotton
/ has been in and cut cable, and they
/ are not there. "
/ You heard Sigsbee say that?'"
Yes. sir. 1 took some part in the
! converse ton"
Did you record that conversation.
and did Captain Sigsbee know you re-
! Captain Sigsbee knew was a news
paper man, and was there looking for
/ information, and Captain Sigsbee later
| took dispatch written by me and ad-
Vised Commodore Scnley- He took it
| aboard his ship. and he was TO deliver
it to one of the small boats. or else take
it over himself"
Captain sigsbee took that dis
patch?"
yes. sir. It was open. It detailed
the fact that the fleet was not there.
! DO you remember the reconn0is-
sance of May 312"
Yes. sir. was on board the AIassa-
chusetts."
Were you present at any CONVERSE
/ ton between Commodore Schley and
Captain Higginson in the pilot house OF
J the Massachusetts, -
Bombardment of Colon
"On the Brooklyn L had p Ftf nat
they were going in to lombard, ann
| that the flag wOula- be transferred 70
I the Massachusetts I asked permission
to go aboard the Massachusetts, with
! the commodore He had just given
permission to Mr. McCauley TO so. and.
turning to me. he said: i don't think
you better 90. think you can see j.
better from the Brooklyn. She was
then cOaling- He further said thar
| they did not intend TO do anything eN-
cept find out what the batteries cen
sisted of. 7 kept urging him to let me
go, and he finally consented.
| Now, tell me regarding the CONVEX
sation between Commodore SchIey and
Captain HigginsOn."
There was some discussion about
what the Spanish fleet had brought
with them a report was current that
they had brought arms and amnun.-
I ton for the defense of Havana and
whether they had had time to mount
them, or whether from any ships in the
harbOr prior to the arrival of the fleet
they had taken any large guns and
mounted them lfOmr1O7Orn Gnr11r~
said his idea was to 90 in about Z 200
or 1880 yards and fire. simply TO drav
their fire. So far as 1 remember Cap
tain HigginsOn acquiesced in that
Later Mr. Potts came in
Didn't Hear Schley Say It.
Were you present at any converse
/ ton between Commodore Schley and
Lieutenant Potts, or were you present
at any time when Commodore Schley
made any remarks during each time
Potts was present."
NO, sir. L followed them right out
of the pilot house and down to the
coming tower. I did not hear any
conversation of that kind"
Then you don't know anything
J about the conversation about which
Potts has testified that the commodore
said: Gentlemen, we are very con
spicuOus objects here; LET'S get out OF
, it
II never heard such conversation. I
turret- The commodore called to me.
Boy, that's a bad place for you Step
in here I afterward asked why, and
, he said that the conclusion would hurt
me. I had no serious intention Of re-
! naming"
I Was Potts present at that timer
81 think he was giving the ranges at
the time"
The witness said he was with tbs
commodore during the whole OF the re-
= connOissance and did not hear either
Of the alleged conversations.
Mr. Graham alse said that he had not
heard Commodore Schley say anything
7 about 'pOtting' the Colon when the
commodore went aboard the 1dassachu-
+, sets. May 81. and that he was with the
5 commodore at the time
With Schley All the Time.
Then you heard none OF these re-
!, ported conversations? asked Mr. Ray
: nor.
None" was the response.
And you We're with him al the
: time?''
YES I was with him all the TINA
: except when he was taken in hand
by Higginson and taken TO his cabin. 3"
= After concluding his narrative OF this
u incident the witness was asked about
suspicious incidents in the harpcr at
Santiago on the evening OF July ? and
= he said he recalled that the commodore
n had sent the Vixen to investigate
e Describing the battle Of July 3, Mr..
II Graham said that Commodore Schley
% had gotten to position in front Of
n the coming tower as soon as the nose
Q OF the first Spanish ship appeared The
d Brooklyn was at that time, he said.
= pointing almost north Lieutenant
= Simpson had fired the first gun from
a the S-inch turrets. and calling 20 Com
1t modOre Schley, said
id How is that2" To this the comrno-
! dore replied: Didn't see IL, simpson.
but keen at il - -
le Continuing. the witness said that by
L the time the Brooklyn had completes
her turn land he thought the turn had
e been continuously to the right thu
a three leading Spanish ships E
Ie emerged from the harbor The witness
d thought they had come ouI IN -9n~
Il shape order.
r. .'The commodore" he Said at thts
T. point. stood ali the time on tho side
D OF the fire so he could see WhaS wa
T.