The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-10-05

until We then receive more positive in
formation We shall continue 10 hold Havana
and Santiago The then In the letter. a.
printed. refers back 10 other matters. rclat-
| ing To Santiago. and the punctuation woulr
appear TO give II the meaning: therefore
| intended. but ii means really until We
then after the arrival of cervera at san
| liaso. receive further information. etc.
The original however. will still he forth
| coming
Mr. Rayner. after securing captain Lem
| lys permission. read two or three sentences
from Admiral SIMPSONS letter. 80 follows
| please send Scorpion to communicate
| with these vessels at Santiago and direct
one Of them 10 report TO The department
| from st. Nicholas Mole or Cape Haitien
! The changes which have made in ih"
| plans stSonsiy advised by ih" department.
| As soon as this vessel nas communicated
| with the department on her return Ia th-
| vicinity "f Santiago. learn the condition OF
| affairs and Immediately report at Havana
| or CienfuegoS a. he may think most ad-
| TantageOus.
| S(HIEY SAID:
| go FOR THEM"
! Commander Hodgson took the oath. lie
| said h. had been navigator or Commodore
| Schley's flagship. the Brooklyn. during th.
! war with Spain. and was on the bridge ih.
| day Of the battle of July .. Detailing the
| particulars of that engagement. he said.
| II heard the executive officer. Lieutan
| Comma nder MasOu. sing out. Clear ship for
| action and the crew Immediately dispersed
10 quarters. | having sounded the general
| alarm previously. The Commodore shortly
| appeared on the bridge. We were. at that
| time headed about west northwest or Ia the
westward OF northwest. / told him that
there was nothing doing and he said Go
ahead ! rang six bells and asked if he
should not better hold her head steady 10
| See what cours. the Spaniar'is proposed TO
pursue. ! do not remember his reply exact
| ~ to that because Immediately Afterwards
| | told him they were evidently making for
us. and he said. Go for them and / rang
four bells and put helm aport."
Captain Cook appeared upon the bridge
at this time and told him that everything
was connected UP the coming tower and
that We were all ready TO go ahead: in
fact. that We We're going ahead. The COM
Inander took his position platform ne
had built around the coming tower where
he could be in easy communication with the
n aimed on the bridge.
The executive officer had given previous
ly the order to man the starboard bat
teries. i sang out to him were going
into action with port helm and lie shifted
over TO the port battery. We were then
standing for the enemy. and soon
the guns We're brought to bear Lieutenant
simpson fired n little or the port bow the
first gun from the forward s-inch tur-
ret. From that time OIL. We went con-
siderably in toward them.
Il then went down to where the Com
fnodore was standing, to get into the con-
ming tower. when heard him sing out.
Look out, Cook! They are going 10
you.
Captain Cook said he could look after
that. and he starboarded the helm Il little,
To parallel the course of the leading vessel.
the Maria Teresa. which had made broad
sheer TO port.
He had hardly made that sheer. how
ever. to port before he fell off again. for
fired from tie Brooklyns S-inch gun
The Teresa got abaft our port beam and
the ts,ia,n helm was ported on m the BROOKLYN i'm
with port helm. ] heard the Commodore
sing out: Hard aport" or words to that
effect, and Captain Cook sang out Helm
moment had arrived In making the turn
and suggested TO the Commodore that that
turn would run us into the Texas. OF close
to her -
COMMODORE SCHLEY SAID,
"DAMN THE TEXAs."
What did You say. and what was the
reply" asked the Judge Advocate.
As near as can remember, said:
will run into the Texas and he said Damn
the Texas. ! cannot help that She must
look out for herself. He will take care of
that" and he also said: 4 do not propose
TO go In any closer and subject myself 10
a torpedo attack" | suggested then that
We back the starhoard engine: and he
IL would give the Texas a wider berth and |
shorten our turning circle"
Captain Cook objected TO this. and did |
the Commodore. but there was moments
discussion as to whether 1t would be better !
to turn that shorter circle with smaller |
speed or take the larger tactical diameter |
with faster speed. 1t was decided that II |
was very essential to get around quickly. as
the leading Spanish ship was then standing |
to the westward. and " the Brooklyn did |
not stop her she had good chance of cs- |
Gaping. so the helm was put hard aport. |
"Th" Brooklyn swung clear of the Texas |
and brought around with helm hard aport |
until she Drought in sight the leading Span |
ish vessel, which was then the Niscaya the |
Teresa having fallen off and gone in shore |
at the proper position the helm was eased |
SO that we paralleled the course of the Nis- |
caya. which at that time was about 2,49p or |
25OO yards on our starboard bow. The Colon /
was probably on the beam or a little for
ward of the beam: the Oquendo was abaft |
the starboard beam. The Oquendo very |
soon fell ont and ran ashore on IRE. and |
then We devoted our attention solely to the |
Colon and Niscaya."
DISTANCE BETWEEN THE
BROOkLIN AND TEXAS.
The Judge Advocate: How near was the |
Texas TO the Brooklyn. when the latter |
crossed her bow
II suppose ii was about 80 or 800 yards"
Have you ever given this estimate as
Yes sir"
What have YOU given befcre?,'
One hundred and fifty yards.
Why do you change it now:
Because have read from my notes writ !
ten the day after the battle, and from
icon concluded from tho those that my estimate at |
that time. when l gave 1t lis to go yards. |
was too near. Also 1 Was very much in /
fuenced by the though, that the navigating
officer of the Texas would not think 1t ,
less than $50 yards
DO You remember whether anything was /
said about blanketins the fire of the Texas |
at that time?"
II told the Commodore / thought We
would run into the Texas; l think ! did
her big guns
The Judge Advocate then questioned ]
Commander Hodgson about the changes In
the log of the Brooklyn giving the account
of the famous loop. The witness said that
Lieutenant Doyle had written 1t. but wit 1
ness had given Doyle all the data for 1t.
DO You remember any discussion on
board the Brooklyn as to the direction that !,
the helm was put when she made what is
known as the loop'?'
Well. I think I remember the fact of
putting an fnterlineation in this log, be-
cause an erasure was made of that word
'starhoard.' and suggested putting in the
explanatory words that we cleared the
Texas"
DO you remember whether change was
made In tie logbook in the recording of fhe
direction In which the helm was originally