The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-16

him were conspicuous objects In their
white uniforms. To questions by MIR.
Rayner the witness said he was with Mr..
Potts par Of the time that day. but did
not hear any conversation between that
officer and the Commodore.
ms STORY or 1HE RATTLE
Q Coming TO the day Of the battle the
third Of July-givo an account Of your
personal observation Of that battle.
A. | was In my room when the nen were
called 10 quarters and ! heard the cry Of the
executive officer to clear ship for action.
| ran to the quarter deck and took a rapid
glance aloft to see IL the prescribed signal
Enemy IL escaping was up and saw that
II was. ] met d Commodore on the quarter
deck. he directed to signal clear ship the
Tor action and 'closc in all % which were
made. ] got To the platform around the
oonning tower about the time that the
Commodore did. From there ! had a com
plete view Of the entrance. Dur ship was
heading AT tho time, Il should say). TO the
west of north. The engines had been started
about the time | got thore and the ship
was gaining way. steering toward IN"
enemy The first vessel that came out
proved to lie the flagship Teresa. Ger
vera's vessel. She was steering south
by southwest. directly On our bearing a.
wa directed our course toward the entrance
10 tho hsrbor. Tho Teresa appeared not TO
hold a precisely steady course. and tho
helm OF our ship was eased one way or the
other. 90 as to keep her ram pointing To
the Teresa
After a little she turned squarely toward
the westward and ! got a view OF tho next
ship following In her wake. IL was my
ohser walton that the Brooklyn was then
held up To- NEE, the second ship. or course,
We ported helm. The seound ship crossed
the wake OF the first ship AZ she turned
a. the westward spoke 20 tho Com
modore and said hat the sccond one was
HIaHE a =
sented A. any rate the Brooklyn was
headed toward her and she appeared 70
me- to he uncertain IN her course. The
Brooklyn wus handled by her captain
and q-uartermhater 10 meet that uhcef,
tAinty She turned after she had pass'd
20 the southwark Of tho Tere~a's wake and
then u was generally remarked on the
tower bridge That all the spanish vessels
were irving 10 escape 90 the wer Jus'
about the time the Eiscays TUNED. leoinan
Ellis, who was a trained observer Win
the stadimeter. cane TO me on the platform
and said Ia presence OF the ~Coninodoro
tha, the range was taken by the stadimeteT
and was e0o yards from the Niscaya
Immediately took n special view OF IN"
Niscaya and nv Judgment confirmed tho
s,adimeter | said 20 the Commodore
i think we are about our tactical diameter
FROM that ship now He said i think
30, too
Then the order was given. Hard airport
4 uul W lrlNlNf w ANt " 80 49,
I think that tho Commodore said Hard
airport ard that Capt Cook ssid " are
hard a-Iort." The helm was kept hard
s-port and he ship swung rapidly IN her
turning circle. When the order WAS gwen
| looked 20 the ne ut vessel OF our fleet, IN"
Texas. In nov Judgment we were COM
pletely clear OF her. A. We turned VIZ passed
well clear OF her
After the turn was completed we found
ourselves abreast OF perhsps a little back
81 ~. Lean, ~ tka 49, aiding lnanlSh NfHaplS
with "A slowly ~conNerging course toward
tho leading ship The smoke Rt hat time
was very donse, hut there wer' Two SHIPS
IN plain sight Of us, and occasionally Nc
could get y plain glimpse Of n third. shortly
~sfterward tbs smoke lifted to the rear and
] saw the Oregon coming toward us
also got "A momsntary giImps" OF the re-
main1sr Of our feet and Of the who's of the
spanish fleet. snN the spanish torpedo
boa's. and by tho C~ommodoro's orderly l
sent word 20 have ihe after gunner look
out for them. Al that time l saw the vixen
on our port side. and | knew that she would
IT, a satisfactory protection against torpedo
attacks. The course OF battle was con
tinu.d on these lines with varying distances,
] think that the distances were varied moro
by the spanish vessels than by our own
II is my impression that We kept a very
straight course. Our navigator was on
the bridge, up and down. trying To main
tan tho course to the best range.
For about ten 20 twenty minutes We
were hotly engaged with those three wee
sells. The Oregon wa astern OF US the
Nisoaya astsrn Of her. III Niscaya began
20 blaze up az some distance on and nnsiy
turned In toward the shore, but previous
90 that she appeared Ia make a change IN
her helm 90 come out toward the Brooklyn,
which was taken bv us to mean an attempt
a. ram vs. and the Broohyn's helm was
handled To- give q sheer toward her. lhls
she did, I think. twice. Then she turned
into the shore. was In doubt M 10 whether
che had hauled down her flag and the Com
modore spoke Of tho advisshihty OF sig
mailing "a the Oregon and Texas 10 ensure
the surrender or destruction OF the Wis
caya, but after "A moments thought he
said Philip will know enough TO look
out for that and then we proceeded.
Mr.. Sears ended with a description OF
the chase OF the Colon He said hat
when a shot from the Oregon went over the
Colon and a shot from the Brooklyn APP
peArcd to pass over her wake, she turned
ashore.
rHE sCHIIY DESPATCH or VICTORY.
Mr.. RAyner made an lnefectual Effort TO
get Ia evidence the despatch which
Schley san, ashore by Mr. Sears TO be filed
At Siboney. reporting that tho Spanish
despatch which Lisutenant-C Commander
stanton. Admiral Sainp-on's assistant
chief Of staff. who met Mr. Scans IN the
Sihonev cable office. objected 20 having
nltt ana. lnrteau, UNeu hutniihl NoHhi~eA
despatch. beginning The feet under
my command Admiral Dewey said the
Court thought that ss this despatch had not
le.n sent II should not 60 in.
But SUPPOSE Commodore Sohley was
prevented from sending itS' asked Mr..
hSyner.
We are not prepared TO go into that
said Admiral Dewey
-Bu suppose | offer evidence that he
was prevented from sending it'-
The Court u not here 60 answer ques-
tons. We are not In the witness box,
Commodore Schlcy'- report will be In EVIL
denre. hat j. MI that appears "a Oe neces-
sary.- Admiral Dewey remarked, and MIR.
Rayner sai down.
10 Mr. Rayner I.ieutcnant-Co Commander
Sears said that when the Brooklyn began
her turn there appeared Co lie 40 possi-
hili'y - a collision with the Texas. There
Wa "a vide gap 90 water between the two
ships When IN" Brooklyn turned. tho
ships might nave come nearer, but when he
cav tie feNas they we're not nearer than 600
yards lie could not see her starboard side,
he said.
When the battle ~ July : began. the
BROOKLYN was In her usual position, 5000
yards from the MORO, Mr.. Sears said.
-Did Commodore Schh"y take refuge be-
hind the coming tower In the
sance of NAV an asked MIR Rayner
lie was behind and In front, indircr-