The age-herald., 1901-08-13
ADMIRAL scHLEY's PLAN.


 ADMIRAL sCHLEYs PLAN. From the New York Herald.
 Newport, R. I.,-Captain Francis A Cook, who commanded the cruiser Brook lyn, then Rear Admiral Schleys flagship, today made a statement concerning the Brooklyn's famous '1oop'' at the battle of Santiago, which is at variance with much that has been said and written regard ing that maneuver.
 It is a statement which, if repeated be- fore the board of inquiry, which is to consider the whole Santiago campaign, will be likely to weigh much In consider ing the charges of cowardice against Rear Admiral Schley; for, according to Captain Cook, the loop resulted from plan which, for the sake of stopping the progress of the escaping Spainsh fleet, de- liberately put the Brooklyn at a risk of destruction.
 'There is nothing in the loop itself said Captain Cook today. "1t had noth- ing whatever to do with the battle. There was no strategy in it, it was pure> ly a tactical and a natural movement.
 "We had come from the west, and it was necessary to go back again. We ported our helm to hold off the Spanish fleet and the Spanish turned to the westward, while we were turning rapidly to starboard."
 To explain more fully he gave an ex- planation of the situation which led up to the turning of the Brooklyn.
 "The Spanish fleet" he said, "stood out of the harbor about southwest, and it did not turn at once We feared very much that 1t was heading in between the Brook lyn and the Texas.
 q said to the commodore, We may get cross-fire here.' It looked very much to us as If we would. The situation was del- icaIte in the extreme.
 But then," he continued, "the Brooklyn made a beautiful turn, and we were able to fire directly into the bows of the lead- ing ship of the enemy. Our helm was put aport to head off the Spanish fleet, and the Brooklyn turned rapidly and beauti- fully. r
 "I remember distinctly giving the order tofthe quartermaster, You see clearly the head of the leading ship said to him. The idea is Ito get directly ahead of her
 "I thought we might sacrifice our ship, but believed we would hold the fleet for our battleships
 Coming now directly to the matter of the loop. Captain Cook said:
 The Spanish fleet turned to the west ward; the Brooklyns helm was put hard aport. She was swinging beautifully upon her course exactly parallel to the Spanish ships, keeping up all the time a continu- ous fire from her port battery till the starboard battery could be brought into use.
 The statement has been made that the Brooklyn in turning ran two miles south. This is outrageously incorrect. The Brooklyn turned as rapidly as possible, and was after the enemy as fast as any ship could have been. The Oregon, when she joined the Brooklyn, steamed be- tween the Iowa and the Texas, and must have gained distance to the north--that is, in the direction of the enemy-and still was not more than 600 yards from the westward course of the sBrookyn. showing COuCiuSiFciy LHdt tic DfoOhiyh GOulu NOL have gone to the southward."
 Captain Cooks statement today is the first that he has made publicly concern ing the Brooklyn's loop.
 Captain Cook spoke also of the state ment which has been made that the Brooklyn was not in possession of the code of signals which had been improvised for use between the Cuban insurgents and the American ships during the war.
 "The Brooklyn" said Captain Cook, "was not put in possession of the code of signals that had been arranged for use by the insurgents and the ships of our navy. and on account of our lack of knowledge of them we were very much mystified by certain signs that we ob- served on the beach at Cienfuegos,''
 we saw one night. the date of which cannot give without my notes. three hori- xontal lanterns on the beach at Cienfue- EOS. As we afterward learned, they were a sign from the insurgents that they wished to communicate with us. but we, having no knowledge whatever of their import, thought the lanterns trap of some sort, and we acted accordingly.
 At that time we had no knowledge whatever of the whereabouts of Cervera. and the commander-in-chief believed the lights indicated the presence of the Span- ,ish ships there. The second night we again observed three horizontal lights on the shore It was not till the second day. when Captain McCalla came up. that We learned that any signals had been pre- arranged.
 Captain McCalla explained that as he had some explosives for the Cubans he would go in and investigate He did so. and as soon as he was able to inform us of the matter he said that the lights had really been signals from the insurgents. who desired to communicate with us. Captain McCalla also informed us that the Spanish ships were not in Cien- fuegos''
 JERRY SIMPSON HAS NEW BEE. From the Chicago Record.