Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-10-15

| Quicker than could tell it the
! commodore called TO me Cook hard
aport' or Is your helm aport.' | an
swered The helm is hard aport, turn
| ing as rapidly as possible AS |
watched the Texas the bow of the
Brooklyn seemed first to point to her
port bow. ] never saw the starboard
how of the Texas. and cnanglng her
bearing very rapidly the bow of the
Brooklyn passed along the port side
of the Texas until there was a clear
! opening between us and the stern of
tne Texas. We made a complete turn.
very quick turn. with helm hard
aport until we came around and paral-
leled the fleet on the other side. AS
we paralleled the Spanish feet the
Nlscaya---"
Admiral Dewey: May | interrupt?
How near did you pass to the Texas"
Il never thought of a collision 1t
never entered my head. | never for
moment had one IDEA of yicissitude in
that respect. We passed, | judge,
about 400 yards had handled the
snip under all circumstances and got
so | could judge pretty correctly and
my impression was that we were
about the distance we sailed in squad
ron. But collision | never thought of.
She turned perfectly clear of the Tex
as. came around, and then We had the
V1scaya on our starboard bow and
about abeam was the Oquendo and
then the Colon. At the time thought
il was the Teresa. but | soon dis
covered this vessel was cropping out
and heading for the beach. That was
about the hottest time of the action.
1t was a critical time, There was not
any time for indecision and | do not
think there was any. | have always
felt in my mind, in studying the posi-
tons. that the chances would have
been for q disaster had we shifted
helm at such time. However, we got
around and we had those three ves-
sells. | looked and could see nothing
but smoke astern and vessels seemed
enveloped in this smoke. could not
understand it. l could not understand
exactly how we got there. They were
all three firing on the Brooklyn, when
almost Immediately, faster than I
could tell 1t, saw a large white bone
in the water and through this smoke
saw the bow of vessel. ! exclaimed
Mt the time What was that The
navigator, who was near me, said it
was the Massachusetts or something to
tnat effect. I said she was away and
he then said That is the Oregon |
FELT perfectly assured from that mo-
ment She came up very rapidly She
was making more speed than we were
at that time. She nau all her boilers
on, had shifted boilers that morning
from forward TO aft. She had steam
and hot water on"
w mere NdS lHe cSOu with iNSfNNI
to the Brooklyn at that time?'
Il estimated 500 yards. She passed
in between the Texas and the Iowa.
She got between that opening, came to
the northward OF the Texas and came
out about 800 yards from us, ] mean a
perpendicular course, and that would
account for just what We made to t-.e
southwark in turning. We made more
than the tactical diameter because we
passed part of that distance with helm
half aport."
What is the tactical diameter of the
Brooklyn"
About $50 yards
WAS it easy to handle the ship I'M
der such circumstances"
II never have seen one equal to
her"
WAS the starbosrd engine of the
Brooklyn reversed during that turn"
1T was not. There was some ques-
ton, about that. The reason feel pos
tive Of that is in recalling the circum-
stances, my impression is it may have
been the commodore or navigator, one
of the two, said something about back
ing the starboard engine. My reply |
remember very well. was did not
want to lose the speed OF the ship; that
she was turning all right and rapidly
and I wanted to keep the speed of the
ship"
At 2:35 p. M. Captain Cook was ex-
cused, counsel for Admiral Schley an
nouncing that they had no questions
to ask the witness at this time.
At $3.50 o'clock the government rest
ed in the Schley court OF inquiry and
! Nunez, the Cuban Pilot, was the first
witness called by counsel for Admiral
Schley.
90 IL Now the Rouud Trim Rat