The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-25
THE FAMOUS LOOP EXPLAINED.
Captain Cook Tells Why The Brook
Iyn'> Course Was Changed.

of Admiral ScbI-y-s flying squadron
save in an interview here last evening a
clear and Interesting description Of the
BroOklyn's famous loop az Santiago,
which is again the subject of contro-
versy- He also talked III reference to
the statement which has been made that
the Brooklyn wa not in possession Of the
code Of signals improvissd for use be
tween the Cuban insurgents and the
American ships during the war
His description and explanation of the
Brooklyns loop are at variance with
much that has been said and written re-
EaTduE the Incident II IS his opinion
that the SO-caIIed loop is question of lit
tie Importance.
There is nothing in the loop" he said
1t had nothing whatever TO do with the
battle. but was due to circumstances. 1t
was purely q tactical and natural move
nent.
We had come from the west. and it
was necessary to 20 back again So We
ported our helm L hold of the Spanish
fleet and the Spar sf turned to the west
ward while we were turning rapidly to
starbOard-
The Spanish fleet stood out Of the har-
Dor about southwest. and It did not turn
at once We feared that it was heading
in between the Brooklyn and the Texas
I said 10 Admiral Sehley: We may get
cross-ffre here It looked very much
TO US as if we would"
According 10 the captains story. the
situation at the time with reference to
the possible CTOss-fre was delicate in the
extreme.
But then.-' he continued, the Brook
Iyn made a beautiful turn and yve were
able to fire directly into the bows of the
leading ship Of the enemy Our helm was
put aport to heed on the Spanish feet and
the Brooklyn turned rapidly and beauti-
fully I remember distinctly giving the
order to the quartermaster- You see
clearly the head OF the leading ship. I
said to him. The IDEA is TO get directly
ahead of her That was the order.
I thought we might sacrifice our ship.
but I believed we would hold the feet for
our battIeships- This I told Admiral
Schley.
when the Spanish feet turned 70 the
westward and the BroOklyns helm was
pat hard apOrt she was swinging beauti-
fully She turned until she Strengthened
upon her course exactly parallel To the
Spanish ships. keeping up all the time q
continuous fire from her pct battery un-
til the staTboar5 battery could be brought
into use
The statement has been made that the
, Brooklyn in turning ran two miles south
. This is outrageOusIy incorrect. The Brook
Ign turned as rapidly as possible and was
after the enemy as fast as any ship could
] have been
To indicate exactly his meaning Captain
Cook said.
The Oregon when she joined the
-
! the Texas and must have gained distance
to the Rorth-Jbat is. in the direction of
the enemy and still on a parallel course
with the Brooklyn. She was not more
than 6og yards from the westward course
/ Of the Brooklyn, showing concIusiveIy
/ that the Brooklyn could not have gone to
the southwark
Captain Cooks statement that he
/ thought he might sacrifice the ship and
/ told SchIey so. but that ne believed in
( doing so he would leave the enemy q
/ prey Of the American battIeshIps adds
new interest 10 the BrookIyu's expert
] ence at Santiago and indeed, to the dis
( CUssion Of SChIey-s motives during the
I engagement
So far as known the idea SchIey and
/ Cook had. that they might have TO sac
( rifice their ship for the sake of winning
u
! time through Captain Cooks statement
/ Besides. according 10 Captain Cook. the
. famous loop which the Brooklyn made
/ at that point was tactical movement
made necessary by the position in which
/ the BROOKLYN found herself by the head
ing off of the Spanish fleet and the pur-
! pose Of SchIey 10 follow the flying enc
my in its U8I0okcd-fOr movement in turn
ing sharply westward
/ Speaking OF the signals withheld from
/ Schley. Captain Cook said.
/ The Brooklyn was not put in pos
/ session OF the code Of signals that had
/ been arranged for Use hy the insurgents
and the ships Of our navy On account Of
4 our rack of knowing them we were great
y InysJified by certain signs We observed
on the beach al Cieufuegos- We saw one
night the date of which / cannot give
without my notes. three horizontal Ian
/ terms ON the beach there A. We after
ward learned. they We're "a sign from the
! insurgents that they wished to commune
. cate with us buJ we. having no kuowI-
! edge of their import. thought the Ian
/ terms trap Of some sort. and we acted
. accordingly.
AT that time continued Captain
, Cook we had no knowledge whatever Of
the whereabouts Of Cervera- We had
I been informed bs che captain of vessel
/ the Adula-tlIat The Spanish deet had
. been seen going into Santiago, but had
. also been seen coming out again The
3 commander -iu-chief- Admiral Schiry
thought possibly they had gone past US
and had gotten into Havana. When We
. observed the lights on the beach at Glen
/ fuczos the conamauder-iu-chief believed
they indicated the presence Of the Spanish
[ ships there
/ Not knowing that any signal code had
been arranged. We looked for no signs on
the beach in the daytime, but the second
night we again observed three horizontal
lights on the shore. 1t was not until the
. next day. when Captain McCalIa came up,
. that We learned any signals had been pre-
. arranged. and the lights We had seen for
TWO nights ON the beach expressed a de-
. sire Of the insurgents TO communicate
( with US
Captain AIcCalIa explained that as he
+ had some explosives for the CUuauS he
would so in and investigate. lie did so.
and as soon IS he was able TO inform us
{ he said that tine lights had really Teen
signals from thu. insurgents. VINO desired
to communicate with us. Captain Mccall
N also informed us that the Spanish ships
( were not in CjenfueE0s- That was the
point We were after
Lord Miners PeernEe-
tFroua the London Chroniclc)
Referring TO the statement that Lord Miner,
D