Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-10-04
VOL. 40.

west They steamed right towards US;
that is when | first saw them they were
on our starboard bow"
Capt. VIM. c. Dawson. of the U. s.
Marine Corps was the next witness.
He was the signal officer on board the
hattleship Indiana, during the battle
off Santiago and said that he had no.
ticed the Brooklyn when that vessel
turned to the southwark. He had sup
posed the ship was injured and had
gone out of action. He thought she
went 1000 yards or more to the south.
Capt. Dawson said that during thu
battle he had had place on the fiy-
ing bridge beside Captain Taylor and
had been able to see we'll. The 1ndi-
ana had, he said, occupied position
At the EASTERN Extremity
of the arc of the bloekadlng circle while
tho Brooklyn had been at the west end
of the line. The Indiana" he said,
was heading approximately north and
the Brooklyn northerly and easterly.
The Texas was first east OF the Brook
Ign and was heading in the same gem
eral direction as that vessel. | had
clear view of all the vessels up to the
time the Indiana was directed to re-
turn during the chase of the Colon"
In reply to a question from Captain
Lemly the witness said at this point
ha hoH M oil ha
Brooklyn directory of the movements
of the fleet during the battle.
Continuing his narrative he said: "At
the beginning all the ships turned In
toward the Spanish fleet. which was
emerging from the harbor. Tho
Spanish vessels came out in south
westerly direction and ported helm.
continuing to the westward practical
ly parallel to the coast line. Our
ships then not having as great speed
| as the enemy 'ssbegan to fall behind. so
that Indiana. Oregon, Iowa, and Tex
as, starboarded helm and made all the
| speed they could In a parallel course
with the spanish Squadron.
did not see the exact movement OF this
| Brooklyn. The first l noticed her was q
| or rs minutes after the action began.
when | turned my eyes to the westward
and SAW the Brooklyn apparently due
southwark directly at right angles to tina
course we and the other American ships
were steering. This struck me so forci-
bly, because the other ships were In coz
umn aud steaming westward. The Brook
| lyn was In close proximity to several oth-
ers of our ships. They appeared punched.
| but the Brooklyn .'as steaming SOUTH
| ward and firing with her stern g4ps.
while some of the others, ! could notiusS'
| tnguish which, were close to her. Tho
spectacle was 80 remarkable that report
cd the fact TO the commanding officer Of
our ship saying / feared the brooklyn
was injured and was going out. She.
however changed her course and went
west on a line well outside that OF the
other ships / think the oregon was then
in the lead. either the oregon or the
Texas, with the Iowa directly following
and the Indiana In the rear. The Brook
Ign steered
A Course Parallel
but mile or mile and half to the
southwark, skirting along the column
formed by the fleet. BY that time the
chase was well under way and the rela-
tive positions of the vessels were not
changed.
Mr.. Raynor's cross examination OF Cap
tain Dawson was directed toward show
ing that his testimony was based upon
recollection and that consequently he waz
liable to be inaccurate. The witness adj
mittad that he testified only from meme
DRY, but he said: Il was on deck as sig-
nal officer and It was my duty to observe
closely and make report" He said thai
the Brooklyn had gone about 1000 yards
to the southwark.