The age-herald., 1901-09-11

the official records, as published. or in the unpublished log-books of the ships of the flying squadron, so much as one scin- tilla of evidence to prove that the ships withdrew at night distance of twenty five miles from the coast. This charge is pure fabrication, erected by Admiral Sampson upon the flmsy basis of the fact that Commodore Schley directed that, in the event of a storm compelling the ships to separate for sea room, they shoud rendezvous twenty-five mile south of Santiago. No such storm occurred, and the log books of the ship show that dur ing the time Commodore Schley was in command of the blockade the ships were day and night at distance of from four to six miles from the entrance to the har- bor of Santiago. <This disposes of all the specifications of the precept except that one dealing with the battle. In that the department, in the precept, submits noth- the Brooklyn Eifd the possibility of there by endangering the Texas The care with which it avoids raising the question of who was in command of the American forces that day Is quite remarkable.
 The Loop Was Necessary.
 As for the loop, it is only to state that had 1t not been made at the moment it was the Brooklyn would, in less than two minutes more. have been rammed and sunk by the Viscaya. or, escaping such a fight, would have placed herself squarely between the Spanish ships and the other American vessels, thereby mak- ing it impossible for the latter to fire at the enemy, while the Spaniards could have pummeled the Brooklyn Into scrap iron. Nor was there ever. any danger of colliding with the Texas. The two ves- sells were fully half mile apart at their nearest point of contact These facts will all be established, together with many more which may not, for various reasons, be mentioned here. They show very conclusively that at all times Com modore Schley acted intelligently. promptly, zealously and effectively in the discharge of his duty. It is because of these facts, and because of others of equal pertinence and strength, that the friends of Admiral Schley expect him to be completely vindicated. As for the the charges of cowardice that have been hurled at him. the accompanying illus trations bear eloquent testimony. The diagram off the Brooklyn shows that that vessel suffered more damage from the enemy's gunflre than was sustained by all the other American ships com bined; shows that the Brooklyn inflicted about 72 per cent. of the total damage done those ships by the fire of the Amer ican gunners. The Brooklyn was the only vessel of the American squadron armed with flve-inch guns, and one only need count the number of shots recorded from guns of that calibre to know how effective and accurate the fire from the Brooklyn was. Where the record is as it is in this instance any assertion of cowardice is of the most unwarranted type. Cowards never fight as did the men on the Brooklyn on that fatal 3rd of July, and those men went only where Commodore (now AdmiraD Schley led them.
 But one thing more need be said. It is to be regretted that the petty nature of few men made necessary this public laundering of the Navy's soiled linen, but now that the work is about to be begun, 1t is not too much to hope that when it Is over the friends of the one man who saw in the victory enough glory for all, and who was quick to give the credit for the triumph to the men behind the guns, will have no fault to find with the yer dict.