Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-08-02

the movements of the Commander.in-
Chief, and moved away from the line
with the New York. The New York was
the only other ship, beside the BROOKLYN,
In The line with the accredited speed of
the Spanish ships, and there were pres
ent the Gloucester and the Vixen, two
converted yachts, either OF which won Id
have made a special dispatch boat, with
out weakening the line When the battle
call was sounded Admiral Schley made
the signal, The enemy is escaping" and
then, determining that the New York
was out of sight, made the signal, Sims
close ill.,"
With good, strong pair of field glass
eS. and standing upon the exceptionally
high bridge of the Brooklyn, I looked for
Sampson and the New York, but Ec was
out of sight. We never saw him again
until one long hour after the sur ender
of the Colon.
1t is claimed that the BROOKLYN ran
from the enemy during the fight and
that in that movement Schley DISPLAYED
cowardice. At the outset let me say that
the movement OF the ship showed the
greatest good judgment. and probably
saved the cruiser from being sunk or dis
abled. When the enemy was sighted
coming out the Brooklyn moved straight
Tor the entrance at the rate of about seven
knots an hour and continually increasing
her speed.
The ships Of the enemy were moving
out toward MS at the rate Of about ii KNOBS
an iour and tn distance to traverse was
only live miles. We had opened fire
with our port battery, the guns being
trained almost directly forward The
turning circle OF the Brooklyn is 1000
yards, and II we had turned in toward the
shore that would have allowed the Viz
caya TO have gone between us and the
Texas, and would have opened our I'M
protected side to the concentrated fire of
the spanish vessels, and also have inter-
cepted the fire of our own ships. / stood
on the top of the forward eight-inch tur-
ret looking directly over the bow and l
know That we were never near enough to
the Texas to hurt her, and we did not
block her fire for an instant.
II captain Phillips backed his engines
when he saw us turning, it was because
through the smoke no could not quite
tell how we were moving, and he knew
that he had to follow the motions of our
ship and not do as he pleased. The flag
ship always has the right of way. Up to
the time we turned we had been hit only
twice. After we turned we were hit u
times 10y projectiles and Is times by flying
pieces, and after we turned we left the
marks of five-inch shells upon every
Spanish ship.
To those who criticise Schley's turn, on
the ground of cOwardice, 1 commend the
statement of Captain Eulate, of the Viz
caya: If the Brooklyn had not made
eh". COoutiiul NuducuNtT Ill turning i
could have rammed and sunk her"
10 those who criticise upon the ground
that the Texas was stopped for a minute
or so. let me say that little later the Or
egon crossed the bow of the Texas and
BANKED her fire for 10 minutes, but GER
tainly no one will say that the Oregon, in
view of her splendid fight and chase. was
not justified
When the battle was over .Schley
thanked his men and signaled his thanks
10 every commander under him. When
sampson arrived he offered no congratu-
iatlonS to any man or any officer. al
though he did condescend to offer con-
gratulations to the public for the splen-
d!d manner in which the fight that he
dld not take part in was conducted.
Let me close with, perhaps, a new
statement. The men who are response
BILE for these vicious attacks are Captain
r. K: Chadwick, who commanded the
New York the day of the fight she failed
to get in; Rear admiral Robley D. Ev-
ans, the only Captain in the fight who
hid in the conning-tower; Rear.Admral
Crowninsheld, of the Bureau of Naviga-
ton, and indirectly, because he dare not
come in the open; Rear-Admiral William
r. Sampson. who should be court-mar-
tailed for his action before Santiago July
3, 1893, in weakening our battle line.