The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-10-31

Il Olu rot, ne SAID, understand that
this passage was TO be blocked up except
in case we should be compelled to aban-
, don the port, in which event that expedient
was TO be resorted to-"
FoIger Did Not Tell All.
He then proceeded to detail his con-
versation with Capt. Folger, concerning
which Capt. Folger also testified as witt
ness tor the department.. While satisfied
that Capt. Fo!ger had not meant to 90 any
injustice to him CHE admiraD he felt that
the captain had failed to give all the de-
tails of the conversation. HE did not
want TO explain TO this court said the wit
nes, Just what the conversation had been,
for ! had condemned the circular form of
blockade and had advocated the form
which l had established as being more
mobile and more facile for a small fleet,
such as ours was, in case of attack by the
enemy, as more easily manipulated and
handled under signal.
The captain spoke of advising me to
Keep in closer" continued Admiral Schley,
whereas on the next day he signaled that
the enemy would fire on us at the then
range. We had not changed our position"
Meeting with sampson.
Admiral Schley then referred to the time
of Admiral Sampson, commander in chief
of the North Atlantic squadron. In speak
ing of this event, and the change in COM
mand which it involved, he Yentured upon
ground which Capt. Lemly considered as
somewhat questionable. Coming to this
point the witness said: ION June / Ad-
miTal Sampson arrived. He brought with
him the New York, the Oregon and the
Maytlower, and steamed down to the west
ware a litt.e inside OF the line of blockade.
He found us at that time just in making
the turn and | was on board. He was very
cordial, very glad to see me, and l eX-
planned to him the situation and the fact
of the reconnaissance. He seemed to be
very glad TO tEd out the situation there,
and ! pointed out to him the Colon lying
in the entrance"
Dewey OverruIes Objection.
Capt. Lemly: IF the court please, we
are getting beyond the courts construc-
tiou OF the scope of the precept"
Admiral Dewey: LAS l understand, he Is
turning the command over TO the COM
mander in chief. l want to hear that.
would like to hear that part"
Continuing, Admiral Schley said: II
handed lin a number of dispatches ex-
planned to him the situation and told him
the form of blockade that | had main
tanned, and l heard no word of complaint
from him. In fact, in view of the telegram
of cOHEratulation l supposed naturally
everything was approved Admiral Samp-
sons relations and mine were always cor.
dial. l never had any difference with him."
Dewey HUrries SchIey On.
Admiral Dewey: "You have turned the
command over. Now go on"
Il turned the command over TO Admiral
Sampson, and my squadron was not broken
up until the 18th or 18th of June. l was
still in command of the flying squadron
ard composed the left half of the blockad-
ing line at Santiago. OF course, have no
criticisms to offer; merely a plain straight
story to tell Of what its operations were up
to that time"
story OF the Battle.
Admiral Srhley bepap hts %
the battle of July about 2:l5 O'clock He
said the day broke fair, with pleasant
land breeze. after had eaten my break.
fast" said the admiral, Il came up TO see
what could be observed with glasses We
were lying at that time possibly three
miles or little over from the land and l
remember to have wondered why the en-
envy permitted us to remain so close with
out firing at us. At a quarter to nine
o'clock an orderly reported TO me that
signal had been made by the flagship to
disregard her movements, and that she
had gone eastward. did not, of course
know where she had gone"
Describing the coming out of the harbor
of the Spanish fleet, the witness said: II
was sitting on deck on a hatchway when
heard a call from the forward bridge to
tell the commodore that the fleet is COM
ing out.
New York Out of Sight.
81 looked eastward to see the order Of the
ships. | saw the Texas apparently a point
or more abaft the starboard beam. The
Texas appeared to me to be heading on
some one of the easterly courses. To the
left of her was the Iowa. The Oregon was
to the eastward of the Iowa. The Indiana
was to the eastward of that position and
the Gloucester was lying in under the land.
The New York was out of sight and out of
signal distance with glasses"
The Battle Orders.
81 had. in the meantime, gone forward
on a little platform that l had had con-
structed around the battle tower as my
position in the fight. had only been there
a moment or two when Capt. Cook Joined
me. In the meantime Mr.. Hodgson, who
was on the upper bridge, sang out some
thing to the captain about being connected
up and all ready. He, at the same time,
said to me: Commodore, they are coming
right al us Well" | said, go right for
them and the helm was put aport. The
ship was started ahead first at half speed.
l remember that 1t took her away very
quickly and l said to Cook: Here's the
signal, close in for action Then followed
the signal close up and the Brooklyn, as
we'll all the other ships, charged in for
the entrance according to the original
plan. We all moved directly for the head
of the column, the idea being to arrest and
knock them to pieces they came on"
The Famous Loop.
Coming to the turn of the Brooklyn AG-
miral Schiey speaking steadily and cleaI
ly and never hesitating for a word, said
that he had never seen a ship turn more
steadily. THE turn" he said, was abso-
lutely continuous; there was no easing
of the helm, and | never saw the starboard
side of the Texas. l am sure We were
never nearer that vessel than 600 yards.
We were so distant that l never had any
thought of danger in connection with the
Texas"
He said the closest range given was 100
yards. I'VE were so close" he went on,
that I remember l could see men on the
Spanish ships running between the super
structure; l could even see the daylight
between their legs.
During the turn Lieutenant Commander
Hodgson very properly made the observa-
ton that we should look out for the Texas
but there was never any cOlloquy between
us-never any colloquy of any character
between Hodgson and myself; first, be-
cause he was too good an officer to have so
transgressed, and, second, because If he
had undertaken to do so l should have
reprlmanded him. That incident is fiction;
It never occurred"
At this point the admiral said the lead
ing one Of the Spanish ships was on the
Brooklyn's starboard bow and that not
only all of the enemy's ships but the forts
as well, were firing apparently at the
BrooklyL, ~ that moment, land the next
five moments were the most serious CT the
combat" he said, and he told how the jets
of water were seen on all sides, and how
deafening the noise of the guns.
The brooklyn II Mark.
1.-THE roar of our projectiles," he said,
was such as can only be heard once, and
once heard can never be forgotten. All
four of the Spanish vessels were firing on
the Brooklyn and none of the Spanish YES
sells at that time showed any injury. Then