Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-10-24

cident. Admiral Dewey, for the first |
time during the sessions of the court,
found it necessary to pound his gavel
on the table and admonish the audi
ence against such demonstrations.
Continuing his story the witness said:
HE, was as calm, cool and collected
as he is at this moment. His only
thought was of his men. He called
constantly as the different events oc-
CURED, saying, edo the bulHes below
know this; do they know that; that
this ship has gone ashore and that ship
has gone ashore?' His whole idea
seemed to be that he wanted the peo-
pie below to know as much about it as
those Of us on deck"
Continuing his account of the battle
Mr.. Hill said that before the Viscaya
went ashore she had made a turn to
ram the Brooklyn. He was proceeding
to say that he knew this to be the
case because an officer of the Spanish
ship had told him so, but this testi-
mony was ruled out. The witness,
then said that he himself knew that
to be her purpose. -
The Chase After the Colon.
Speaking of the Oregon he said that
sells that vessel could always be seen
and was the only American vessel
that could be. She was, he said, from
one-quarter to one-half a mile in shore.
He also said that at the time the Wis
caya turned in the Colon was 5000
yards ahead. Later in the chase of
the Colon he said that Captain Cook
had put his head out of the coming
~ l..
Don't you think we had better close
in little?" and said the witness,
II thought so myself"
"But," he went on, 'the comm Odore
replied, No. don't you see that point
ahead? Just as soon as that fellow
starts to come out, I am going to head
him off. I'll get him yet. Damn him,
I'll follow him to Spain If have to-
This testimony was given in clear
and distinct tones and was heard dis
tinctly throughout the large court
room. Like previous statement it
was received with burst of applause
but the demonstration was quickly
suppressed by Admiral Dewey, whose
words of reprobation to the audience
were followed by a word of admon-
ition from Mr.. Rayner to the witness.
| The admiral rose and raised his hands
in depreciation of the demonstration,
| his face flushed and he saiC Stop,
stop. Let's have none of that"
"Give us the facts, simply" said MT.
Rayner.
"These are the facts" said the wit
ness.
The court asked two questions
which witness answered as follows:
did the Texas stop and back dur
ing the Brooklyn's turn"
"No, sir; saw the Texas distinctly
when the turn began and during the
turn, and she did not make any back
water and she did not STOP"
did you hear any conversation be-
tween Commodore Schley and any
other officers during the early part of
the agement of July 50"
"I heard none before or during the
turn There was no officer with the
commodore on my side Of the ship
Oregon Gunner Testifies.
Witness Hill was then excused and
Lieutenant A. A. Ackerman called.
Lieutenant Ackerman was in CON-
mand of the after 13-inch turret and
the after 8-inch turrets of the Oregon
on the day of the battle off Santiago
and in response to a request from Mr..
Rayner gave a running account OF
that engagement.
The witness said that from the be-
ginning of the fight the Oregon was
held right on her course, evidently to-
ward the head of the enemy's column
and he described her passage between
the Texas and the Iowa.
"I had a very good opportunity"
said the witness, "for seeing both Of
those ships We were very close to
the Iowa On our starboard hand; the
! Texas was little off on the port hand.
I did not see the Brooklyn but I knew
she was farther on ahead of the Tex
as; that whole ships length was be-
tween my position and the Brooklyn
wherever she was. AS we passed be-
tween the Iowa and the Texas these
ships seemed to be practically at
| anchor. We were going very fast then
| and forced draught was covering our
| quarterback an inch Or more deep with
| cinders. many of them red hot. Water
was running from every hydrant we
| had, to keep the decks from burning.
| At that time the fire Of the enemy and
of our ships was very heavv. The
| water was whipped up in all direc-
tons; shots few overhead. I think it
was the most exciting time Of the
| whole engagement"
| Il At this point the witness va'~aed
! from his narrative to criticise the nav
| igators' chart, saying that it showed
| the position of the Oregon at that time
| to be four miles to the westward Of
| where she actually was. The wit
ness then described the burning Of the
Maria Teresa and the Oeuendo. So
! ing that the Teresa. which was A1-
! miral Ceryera's flagship, was such .
| mass Of flames that it seemed impos-
sible for any one to live on her. He
1 considered 1t a waste of ammunition,
| he said, to fire at the vessel. szl
/ Effect on Rrooklyn's Guns.
| Lieutenant Ackerman was succeed
ed on the stand BY a. z. Applegate,
who was gunner on the Brooklyn dur
! Ing the Santiago battle. He was inter
rogated by Mr.. Rayner. In reply to a
question the witness said
1 &. Before the battle the guns and aux
Hilary machinery attending them were
/ IN excellent condition. After the bat
/ He we found all of the 5-inch guns on