Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-10-31
SCHLEY GOES ON STAND,

exposing themselves to danger from
shock which was unnecessary to them
though | was differently circumstan, ed
and | so supposed myEoIf. Com
mander Potts is entirely in error IN
saying that | took advantage Of cover.
l did not do, for I-was not concerned
about myself" Speaking of the range
OF 1000 yards, the admiral said that
Commander Potts had himself report
ed on that range and he had not known
for several days that the range had
been altered.
The moment we began firing" be
went on, "the shore batteries respond
ed Some of them used smoke ess pow
Ger. There was quite a stream of pro-
jectiles and l was impressed with the
idea that they must be from gun 6 CT
8-inch calibre. The shot from the So
capa battery evidently reached the
fleet. Some went over our ships ard
one went beyond and oyer the Vixen,
which was half a mile distance. The
strength Of tle batteries being estat-
lished it would have ben military
folly to have risked the batt,eship to
further fire from these shore batteries
under my instructions. If we had los
one or two Of our six or seven veSse.s s
the loss would have been a very g "a
disadvantage and it might have invited
attack with disastrous results.
thought it better policy to save tie
ships for wider and better service, ami
subsequent events justified the decs-
ion"
Il saw Lieutenant Simpsons first
shot and then l saw the first vessel il
the Spanish line take a rank sheer 10
the westward, leaving the V,scaya
coming straight on. Then the latter
also turned to the westward 1t was
apparent that the original plan OF the
Spaniards had failed, and that the
Spanish feet, in ord6r and Apparently
at distance, had succeeded in pa 81 &
the battleship line. A new feature Of
the fight became Immediately appaI ant
Captain Cook now gave the orde. to
port the helm. | did not | should have
done 50 in a second. | said to him, Is
your helm aport?' and he replied, 1t
is aport Or hard apOrt-I think the lat
ter
Coming to the turn OF the Brooklyn
Admiral Schloy, speaking clearly and
never hestitating for a word, said that
he had never seen a ship turn more
steadily. The turn" he said, was
absolutely continuous; there was no
casing of the helm, and | neyGr saw
the starboard side OF the Texas. | an
sure we were never nearer that yes el
than 600 yards. We were never across
her bow. She never entered into my
head at all, as a menace or Ganger.'
He said the closest range was l,lO}
yards. We were So close" he went OF,
that | remember | could see men OF
the Spanish ships running between the
supeTstructure; l could even see the
daylight between their legs. DErln9
the turn Lieutenant Commander HO g
son very properly made the Observation
that we would l1ok Out
for the Texas, but the!o
was never any colloquy betWe2-
us-never any colloquy OF any charac-
ter between HOdgson and myself;
first. because he was too good ali Off
Ger to havo SO transgresSed, AMI sec
ond, because if he had undertaken it,
l would not have permitted it. th3t IS
fiction; there was no cClioquy.
At this point the admiral said the
leading one of the Spanish ships was
on the Brooklyns starboard bow and
that not only all of the enemy's shirs
but the forts as we'll, were firing ap-
parently at the Brooklyn. That no
ment and the next fifteen minutes
were the most serious Of the combat,
he said and he told how deafentng was
the noise of the guns. Tho roar OF the
prOjectiles," he said, was such as can
only be heard once, and once heard can
never be forgotten. All four o. the
Spanish vessels were firing on the
Brooklyn and none Of the Spanish YES.
sells at that time showed any injury.
Then the thought passed through my
mind that they might get away and |
feared We should have most OF the
fight as | did not know that the bate
ships could keep up their speed. | said
to Cook that we would stay with this