Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1901-10-30
SCHlEY TELLSOF SEA FIGHT.
Gives the Court Of Inquiry His Yer.
sion Of the Battle Of Santiago.
EXPLAINS THE BROOKLYN'S LOOP
The Hrar-Adm!ral Denies tho Story That
He Showed Fcar-Dcscribss uow the
brooklyn and Oregon Destroyed tho
Spanish Ships-neclnres the HodSson
Col1oquy IA FIction-CiarL's Testimony


Colloquy FIction-Ciark's Testimony
Washington, - C.-"And that ended
the battle OF Santiago. on the third
| day OF July, 1898. | would like 10
say that L was very much impressed
on that day with the fact that the Off
GERS and the men who were engaged
in that struggle fulfilled in the very
highest and the very noblcSt degree
the traditions of the American Navy"
| With these words uttered slowly,
gravely and impressiyely, Rear
Admiral Schley concluded the most
absorbing and thrilling story Of the
Santiago fight that has ever been told.
| The story began with the day before
the fight, when Schlcy saw suspicious
| movements in the harbor and sent
/ the Vixen 10 notify Sampson. Earlier
In the do : Lieutenant Harlow OF the
| Vixen had testified that he received
the order from Schlcy and that the
| Vixen carried The message.
| When the SpIniards came out
| Schley determined to head for them
! and hold them until the slower battle
| shpS could come up. liut this plan
| ialicd, and the SpaniardS got away.
Schley instantly determined TO Try
new plan. and hence issued the order.
TO Close up and Follow the tia-"
! Captain Clark, he said knew very
| well that it wasn't iEteudcd Tor him.
| because ne was following the dag, aud
40 he repeated il 20 the other shius."
At the time of the loop ;hp BROOK
lyn WAS SO near The Spanish ship that
Schley Saw. with the naked eye Span
| iSh S1ilnp. r.ltnninr Il.
to the SuperstructurS. and" he said.
Il could see the daylight between their
! legs as they ran" During the earn
( lie never SAW the siarboard side OF
z the Texas and never crossed hcr bows,
ana never was nearer than COO yards
| She was so distant that the thought
! of collision never entered his head.
The Hodgson colloquy never occurred.
In the lirst place. said Schlcy, "hc
was too good an officer to transgrcss
one OF the pluincSt duties OF an officer
at such times, and. secondly. if he
had undertaken 1t 1 would not have
permitted it COR II second. 1t Is fiction.
| There was no colloquy."
w hen they got OUT on the ocean and
Were engaged by the four leading
Spaniards, Schlcy believed that the
brooklyn would have To conduct the
fight alone. because the battlcShipS
could not catch up. an, remarked 10
| COOK: we mus, stay Wi that
| crowd Then the Oregon came up,
ana Schlcy said he never before rea-
| llZcd what rapid Suntirc meant. The
ships were q sheet OF flames. Smoke
came out of the h:tches of the Spau-
lards and streamed up iii almost per-
pendicular column. When the Colon
surrendered Schley sent Cook aboard
| with orders To give no terms but un-
conditional surrender
He said that he was delighted 10
have Sampson send hiin and the
oregon after what was supposed 40 bc
| CamaraS fleet. because after what
| those two ships had done he fcl, that
they could meet anything that car
ricd the Spanish colorS." = he Oregon
went back and Schlvy went ON alone.
| III got up To within lSO0 yards of inc
! stranger bcl )re lie found thar she
was an Austrian. His starnoard ba;-
,ery had been entirely disabled curing
the battle, ana he was manoeuvYir2
10 get her with his port battery.
! Without any trace OF feeling Admiral
4 Schley denied Lieutenant Potts S;ory
! that he showed fear nj the affair ot
| May 81. Mr.. Potts" h2 said Slowly
ana quietly. lis entirely in error III
thinking that | tCoi advantage al any
protection ut thar time. ii is not "A
Iact. He paused. and then added.
we were going head ON and thcvc was
no protection IOT anybody"
y notable utterancc of Schlcy'S ,iI~-
ing the day was. The fact ina: this
blockade. both ut Santiago and Ctru-
fueGos. was sufficient is proved by
the fact that no veaSei entered the nar-
| Dor or escaped"
Captain Clark. wEo commanded .,e
Oregon. testified on the previous DAY.
lie said when the Oregon joined the
Brooklyn during thc battle. Schley was
engaging four Spanards nj once. He
testified that SIMPSONS plan of bat
tie was not followed. and the battle
was not fought III accordance with any
squadron orders previously issued.
1T made Il deep impression on me-"
he said. Ito find the Brooklyn there.
and l felt that We should mutually
sustain and support each other In
| fact. all the testimony OF that day
| was To the effect that with some
| slight assistance from the Texas. Tie
whole battle was fought and won ~
| the Brooklyn and the Oregon
| When Major Murphy was recalled
to correct his testimony. Ee added an
interesting story about the battle.
| " lrn IL was over "ud Schley nII sent
Captain Cook aboard the Colon 10 re-
| Ceivc the surrender. he addressed his
officers and men, cautioninc them not
10 cheer when the Spanish captain
came on board. Schlcy said The Span
! lard had fought Gallantly and mace q
/ good fight and must be treat ri
| any cheering Later when the Brook
\ Chivalrously and not humila;cd by
| lyn came alongside the Iowa. where
| Cervera was. Scnley repeated this.
| Cervera heard 1t and appreciated 1t
very deeply.