Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-10-17
Men From the Fighting Brooklyn and
Oregon Will be Depended Upon.
SIMPSONS SIGNALS ON JULY Sd
A Move to Show That They
Made Schley Chief.
THE SPEED or THE FLYING SQUADRON

aport' looked &C the next vessel in
our tieet--the Texas and in my ]udg-
nent We we're comp !etely clear of her,
ana as We turned We passed veil clear
of her. After the turn was completed
We found ourselves abreast or perhaps
q little abaft the beaIn OF the leading
Spanish ship with slowly CON erging
course toward tho leading ship. The
smoke at this time was very dense, but
there were two shi 10 plain sight and
occRsi ouall y we could get glintses of
the third. Shortly aiterwaru the smoke
lifted 10 the rsar and saw the Oregon
coming toward us and also got q mo
mentary glimpse OF the remainder of
our feet and the whole OF tie Spanish
fleet ] saw the togpedohoats and /
sent one OF the commodore orderlies
to the d ter guns to nusiiy them that
they might look out At that time
saw the Vixen on our port side, which
gave me q feeling OF satisfaction that
she would also protect US from torpedo
attack. The COURSE of the hattie was
continued 10 these lines with varying
distances. 1t is my impression we he'd
very straight course The navigator
was trying to maintain this course to
keep our guns to bear to the best range.
After about 10 to 70 minutes We were
very hotiy engaged with those three
vessels The Oregon was sstern of US
and the Texas astern OF her. The
Nizcaya Legan to blaze up, flames
would rise and subsioe, ana she turned
in toward shore. Shortly previous 10
this she had made what appeared TO US
change In her helm SO as to bring her
out toward the brooklyn, 1t was taken
H. 10, att 1T 80.
The Brooklyns helm was handled to
give the ship sheer toward her. This
she did I think twice, The Vizcaya
then resumed her course and We did
also.
Washington, Oct. 16.-The' Schley
Court OF Inquiry began proceedings
today, as usual. with the correction of
testimony given on the previous day,
the Witnesses summoned for this pur-
pose being Capt. CooE, and Lieutenant.
Commander Sears who testified yestsr-
day. When they had left the stand
Commander Newton IL, Mason, who WAS
executive officer on the Brooklyn dur.
ing the war With Spain, was called to
relate his observations of the conduct
OF the Santiago campaign.
1t is the purpose ut Mr.. Rayner to
| first examine officers OF the BROOKLYN
and to follow these with a number OF
those vino we're on the Oregon during
| the battle off Santiago. 1t is said that
hia entire listof witnessas is practically
confined to peraons who were on board
those two yoasels.
/ In connection with today's proceed
ings, Mr.. Rayner presented number
/ Uf questions to the court which be said
| be desired to ask one Of Admiral
Scbley's witnesses. concerning certain
signals which were sent from Admiral
SIMPSONS flagship. the New York, on
the morning Of July Sd, before TINT
| vessel left for Sibony for the purpose
of allowing the commander in oh lief
| OF the naval forces to consult with
Gen, Shafter. these signals Mr..
Rayner contends. had tine effect of
placing the entire leet under the COM
mand OF Commodore Achley, and on
this aocout he urges their relevancy.
| While Capt. Cook occupied the wit
ness stand for the purpose of correcting
his testimony, Mr. Hanna asked him !:
Referring to your item regarding the
steam required To be kept up in con.
nection with the uncoupling of the
Brooklyn's engines. that it was the
| order of the commander. chief while
lying off Santiago on the blockade; was
that a written orderY'
"My recollection il that it was n
bulletin. The exact words do not re.
member. !" Nt
1.-THE particular point was With re-.
Hpect to the uneoupling of the engines.
Was there anything in that order on
this subject and 10 pursuance of which
that was done?"
s.It ID my impression that there was.
They all, as understand 1T, had their
engines unooupled,f
"Did the Flying Squadron, when
proceeding from Cienfuegos to Santiago
proceed with all dispatch!"
Throwing out of consideration the
surrounding circumstances aud con
ditions that have already been testified
to. / should say no.
Mr.. Rayner: "But putting In the
surrounding circumstances and con
ditions you would say-yes? Would
you notY"
eyes.
"What do you mean by the sur
rounding circumstances and cnndi'
tionsP'''
~ mean that AZ l understand the
question We could have goue from Cien
fuegos TO Santiago and arrived there
the next day after we left Cienfuegos,
with some, IL not all, of the larger vea-
sells. ~
what we're the circumstances and
conditions you speak off"
1.-The coaling conditions that existed
at the time. We certainly ooul moi
have made dispatoh by turning back. y
What do you mean when you speak
Of turning bsckf"
~ mean that we went to the east
ward with the two columns and that
then being unable to coal the Texas,
as have stated before, we turned back
for that purpose. II sou had thrown
that consideration out We would have
made dispatch. mean in this sense
time rom Cienfueeos to Santiago.
Tbs court questioned Commander
Sears, who was recalled to correct testi
; mony, on various points covered by his
testimony Of Yesterday.
He said In reply to those question.
) that on the morning of July 3D., thu
{ Brooklyn bad begun turning to star
board Immediately after the enginei
[ were started; that the helm OF til,
Brooklyn had been put aport when th,
helm OF the Yizcaya has been pu
aporu. at was,'' be said, "a practi
) oally simultaneous movement. ?"
HIS also said that when he had sale
} to Commodore Schley during the battl,
, that he thought the Brooklyn wat
I about Its tactical diameter from ths
, Vizcsya, he did not mean that the dis
lance was less than had baen reported
by Yeoman Ellis. The tactical diamete
OF the Brooklyn had not then been de
2 tarminnd and he had aunnosed it to b.