Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1901-10-30

either with the naked eye or with
| night glasses. He never went to bed
without looking for them and there
| was not night when he could not
distinguish the land and the MORO.
In concluding his description of the
! blockade that had been maintained
the admiral said: THAT it was suffi-
cient IS shown by the fact that dur
ing ITS existence no vessel entered or
escaped from the harbor''
referring to the reconnaissance of
May 81, he said it was made to devel-
op the strength of the Spanish shore
batteries, which was ut that time I'M
determined, and incidentally get a
shot at the Colon, which was then w.
ing exposed. He denied that he was
unduly excited. He said his anxiety
was Tor his men who were standing
on the turrets. He continued: "The
strength Of the batteries being estab-
lIShed it would have been military fol-
ly to have risked the battleships fur
ther to fire from these shore batter
les. If we had lost one or two of our
SIX or seven vessels the loss would
have been very great disadvantage,
and 1t might have invited attack with
disastrous results. / thought it better
policy to save the ships for wider and
better use, and subsequent events JUS
titled the decision
Admiral Schley began his descrip-
tion of the battle of july 8 about 2:15
o'clock. Describing the coming out of
the harbor of the Spanish fleet, the
witness said: Il was sitting on deck
on hatchway when L heard a call
from the forward bridge to tell the
commodore that the feet is coming
out. L looked eastward to see the
order of the ships. L saw the Texas
apparently point or more abaft the
starboard beam. The Texas appeared
TO me to be heading on some
one of the easterly courses. To
the left of her was the Iowa. The
Oregon was to the eastward of the
Iowa. The Indiana was to the east
ward of that position and the Glou-
cester was lying in under the land.
The New York was out of sight and
out of signal distance with the
glasses. l looked for her in order
to determine what my position in the
action was to be. OF course if the
New York had not been out of dis
tance | would have given or made a
signal. Then followed the signal,
close up and the Brooklyn, as well
as all the other ships charged in for
the entrance according to the original
plan. We all moved directly for the
head of the column. the idea being to
arrest and knock them to pieces as
they came on
Coming to the turn OF the Brook
lyn ne said that he had never seen a
ship turn more steadily. The turn"
he said. was absolutely continuous;
there was no easing of the helm, and
/ never saw the starboard side of the
Texas. | am sure we were never near
er the vessel than 600 yards. We were
so distant that [ never had thought
of danger in connection with the Tex
as He said the closest range given
was LOO yards. I'VE were so close"
he went on. that | remember / could
see men on the Spanish ships running
between the superstructures; | could
even see the daylight between their
legs"
Admiral Schley denied that he had
ever used the words on the bridge of
the Brooklyn. attributed to him by
Commander HOdgson. ''To hell with
the Texas; let her take care of her
self
At this point. the admiral said the
leading one of the Spanish ships was
on the Brooklyn's starboard bow and
that not only all of the enemys ships
but the forts as well were firing ap-
parently at the Brooklyn. at that mo-
ment. and the next five minutes were
the most serious of the combat. "The
roar of our projectiles.'' he said.
was such as can only be heard once,
and once heard, can never be for
gotten. All four of the Spanish yes
sells were firing at the Brooklyn and
none of the Spanish vessels at that
time showed any injury. Then the
thought passed through my mind that
they might get away, and I feared
we should have most of the fight. as
| had not thought up to that time
that the battleships would be effect
i've in a chase. | said to Cook that we
would stay with this crew. Tell
ing of the coming of the Oregon dur
ing the chase. Admiral Schley said he
had never before realized that such
rapid fire was possible as was emitted
from these two vessels Both looked
to him. he said, like sheets of flame.
At $40 p. m. the court of inquiry
adjourned until Monday. Admiral
Schley, who had been on the stand
most of the day. complained of an ir-
ritation in the throat and the ad iourn-
ment according was taken.