The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-19
Lieutenant Commander NichOIsOn's
Testimony Concerning the Work
of the Pride of the Navy.
NO SIGNALS WERE REQUIRED
OREGON PROBABLY NEARER THE
COLON THAN THE BROOKLYN.
schIey's Flag Lieutenant and other
Witnesses acknowledgements
Of the Court Till Monday.


schley court of inquiry adjourned to-day
Attorney Rayner. counsel for Admiral
Schley informed the court that he hoped
10 be able 10 conclude the presentation Of
testimony for the applicant by the close Of
next week He added that he thus far had
not had opportunity TO consult with wit
nesses who are still TO be heard He there
fore asked that an adjournment be taken
from to-day until Monday. Speaking for
the court, Admiral Dewey said he was most
happy to grant the request. Accordingly,
the court adjourned until IL o'clock Mon
day.
The list Of witnesses examined to-day in
cluded eight names, bot the Interrogation
Of the last Of the witnesses called had not
been concluded when the day came to a
close This last witness was Lieutenant e.
w. Wells. jr., who served during the war
with Spain as Admiral Schley's flag lieu
tenant or private secretary. The other
seven persons heard during the day were,
IN the order In which they were called,
Lieutenant Commander Reginald F. Mich
olson, who was navigator of the Oregon;
Medical Director Charles NJ. De Valin. a sur
geon; Captain j. l. Hannum. retired, en-
g.neer; Lieutenant Thomas F. Carter, En-
sign w. L. Cronan. Carpenter C. H. War
and ]. E. Hanley, who was chief machin-
list on board the Texas
Lieutenant Commander Nicholson told
the story Of the battle Of July as he saw
1t from the deck of the Oregon. He said
the movements Of the Oregon had not been
controlled by signals from the Brooklyn,
and he expressed the opinion that the ore
g0n was nearer the Colon than the Brook
Ign Mr.. Hanley said that the port
engines of the Texas had not been stopped
during the battle Of July 3. From the line
OF the examination relating to the tight of
July already pursued, ii is evident that
IL Is the inten On of Mr.. Rayner TO have
Lieutenant Nt--s give a complete history OF
Admiral Schley actions during the Span
tsh war When the court adjourned he had
reached the period of the battle of July 3,
having gone quite minutely into other in
cidentS OF the campaign up 10 that time, in
GLIDING the receipt Of dispatches from Adj
mtral Sampson
NICHOLSON BEGINS HIS STORY.
When Lieutenant Commander Nicholson
was called he told the story Of the battle
OF July g. which he had observed as naH-
gator of the Oregon. He was, he said, on
the deck of his vessel and added: Occupy
ing the position 1 did during the day of the
engagement, necessarily saw considerable
of IL. The incidents Of that day commenced
about 900. or five minutes before. when the
first call TO quarters had been sounded
Then the Spanish ships were seen coming
out OF the harbOr-were seen, in fact, by
| practically the whole crew at the same
time. When the first ship started 10 go
around the cry went up, There they gOT
looked toward the harbOr and saw the
first ship. Her bow was making a turn into
the last reach of the harbOr on her way
out She was followed in succession by the
others. l went 10 my station, first TO the
bridge and then down TO the coming tower
and saw that the proper connections were
made. In the meantime the signal had
been sounded TO general quarters, and by
mi n al he
boilers and blowers were going full tilt and
Few minutes afterward Captain Clark
came up. We turned the ship, going slow
" at first, the speed increasing all the
time, turned ship with starbOard helm and
started in toward the enemy They came
out at full speed. apparently much faster
than We We're at this time BY the time we
were Strengthened out we'll TO the westward
they were all ahead of us. The Iowa start
ed in she being to the westward of US: an
| parently got IN closer 10 the enemy than
We did, because We passed under her stern.
"A few minutes after that, on our course to
the westward, we passed under the stern of
the Texas, apparently still in the water.
called Captain ClariEs attention to this. OF
course, hiring commenced on both sides at
the time the first ship cleared. probably
three and half to four miles of at that
point
when we crossed under the Texas's
stern saw the Iowa coming out of a
course nearly parallel TO a cOnverging
course with ours. L noticed her a little
abaft our starbOard beam. Captain Clark
at the same time. noticed her, and called
out and avoid collision. No collision was
very imminent, but we did change our helm
and passed on. did not see any more of
the Iowa. After the action commenced we
passed the Texas and the Iowa. The only
ship then ahead of was the Brooklyn.
. She was well off her accustomed position,
we'll on TO the westward All the Spanish
ships had got out by this time and we
were pursuing them heading for the lead
ing ships We noticed the Maria Teresa
drop astern at less speed than at first,
flames leaping up and out from her, which
convinced us she was on fire. In about five
minutes the Oquendo appeared to be COW
cred with smoke. and We concluded that
she also was on fire, which proved 10 be
fact
THE CRISTOBAL COLON.
"Just about this time the Viscaya, which
starboarded her helm, seemed TO head of
TO the southwark and westward of the
Brooklyn, and fell out Of line. 1t then be-
came evident that the Colon was pulling
out OF battle and running along the shore,
but IL developed that she was running away
and she had more speed than the other
ships. The Viscaya headed toward the
Brooklyn. She ran the course for some
time and then Strengthened out again; then
turned in shore and few minutes after
that ran ashore also. There is no cues
tion about the Viscaya pulling out of the
general Spanish line TO the southwark be-
cause a short time after this Captain Clark
turned around and called my attention to
some objects in the water that looked like
floating buOys, apparently three or four
feet above the water. We thought they
were nets with tOrpedOes between them
probably thrown out 10 inJure the ship
and L ported the helm, but before L could
do anything We passed over the spot ard
found that we were in the wake OF the
Niscaya." Commander Nicholson then de-
tailed the chase % the Colon. the subse-
quent going ashore and surrender.
The commander said he recalled some
signals from the Brooklyn on the day Of
the battle. among others one at the begin
oer
at the close Of the engagement, saving
well done. Oregon. As Tor the first sig
nal" he said. we were already closing IN
and IL did not influence Us.
In reply 10 questions from Mr.. Ravner
the witness said he could not say positively
that he had seen the Brooklyn make her
turn, but that he had seen her change her
position. lie had never seen the BROOKLYN
and the Texas when they We're closer to-
gether than mile or a mile and "A half
lie also said he did not remember any
signal from the Brooklyn 10 the Oregon to
use her thirteen-inch guns on the Colon
Ibid the Oregon use her thfrteen-inch
guns early In the action CAPTAIN IamTv
asked as his first question on cross-exam-
nation.
s-Oh. yes" was the response s.Fsut She
stopped using them during the chase of
the Colon. that vessel was so Tar away
that TO use them would have been a waste
OF amnSnitOn.'
In response 10 another question by Can
L Tain IemlV Cautafn NfenoIeou said.