The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-10-17
VIVID STORY OF BATTLE
Officer on the Brooklyn Relates History
of that Ships Part in .ii'fair at San.
tiago Under SchIey's Command.

nearu III The Ocnley Urldl Was
that given yesterday by Lieuten
ant Commander Sears, who was
flag lieutenant on the Brooklyn
at the time of the engagement.
Mr.. Rayner told Commander
Sears to tell the court what he
knew of the battle of Santiago
on July 8. Admiral Dewey lean
ed forward and again listened to
the story of which he appears
never to tire.
After giving the preliminary
incidents he said:
81 was in my room when /
heard the cry of the executive
officer to Clear ship for action.
| knew what that meant and ran
to the quarter deck. / looked
aloft to see if the prescribed
signal, Enemy is escaping, was
up and saw that it was. | met
the commodore on the quarter
deck. He directed the signal,
Clear ship for action followed
by the signal to close in, all of
which were made.
"From my position l had a
good view of the entrance. Our
ship was heading at the time, L
should say, to the westward of
north, not on her regular head
ing, which was about northeast
by north. The engines had been
started by the time l got on deck
and she was gaining way and
swinging toward the enemy. The
first vessel, which proved to be
the flagship Maria Teresa, came
out. She was directly on our
bearing from the entrance to the
port.
'As the ship swung toward
the Teresa she swung slowly
around. To me the Teresa ap-
peared to not mold an exactly
steady course, and the helm of
our ship was eased one way or
the other to keep our ram point
ing toward the Teresa. The
Teresa slowly turned squarely
toward the westward, and as she
did SO / got view of the next ship
following in her wake. 1t was my
observation that the Brooklyn
was then held up to meet the Sec
ond ship approaching. Of course,
we ported helm.
"The second ship passed in
the wake of the first one, and /
said to the commodore that it
looked as if the second one was
going to try and ram us. He, l
assented. At any rate,
the Brooklyn was held toward
her and she appeared to me to
be uncertain in her course. The
Brooklyn was handled by the
and quartermaster. She
turned after she had passed to
the southwark of the Teresa's
wake and followed her, and then
it was generally remarked on the
tower bridge they were all going
to try and escape to the west
ward.
"Just about the time the Viz
caya turned, Yeoman Ellis, who
was a trained observer with the
stadimeter, came to me on the
platform and said that his stadi-
meter showed 900 yards to the
i Immediately took an
look at the Vizcaya with |
hat in mind, and my Judgment
confirmed the stadimeter.
81 said to the commodore, I
,hink we are about our tactical
liameter from that ship now,
md he said: 4 think so, too,' or
we are.' Then the order was
Hard aport.' / am not positive
Who gave that order. I think
he commodore said Hard aport,
md Capt. Cook said: 1t is hard
lport.' The helm was kept hard
Iport and the ship swung rapid
y in her turning circle. When
he order was given. Hard
Iport!' l looked at the next ves-
el in our feet. the Texas, and
S we turned we passed well
lear of her. After the turn was
ompleted we found ourselves
'breast or perhaps a little abaft
he beam of the leading Spanish