Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-14

beam
 Before midnight of May "A, owing to heavy rolling, the forward compartment
 of the Eagle filled with water which re- duced her speed.
 On May 25 the wind was fresh from the eastward, the weather was bad and the sea heavy for small vessels. The squad
 ron reduced it's speed to enable the Eagle to remain with it.
 On May 26 the weather improved the wind veered to the westward and became light, and the sea moderated
 At 1:3o p. m Commodore Schley sent the Eagle to Port Antonio to coal and then to
 return to Key West. At noon Of May 26 the Eagle had sufficient coal to steam ten
 knots per hour for three days.
 At 5:30 p. m the squadron stopped about twenty-two miles to the southward of the
 port of Santiago and was joined by the scouts Minneapolis Yale and St. Paul At p. m. May 26 the engines of the collier Merrimac were temporarily disa-
 bled. The engines were changed to work 'compound, and at APO D. m. of May 27 she was able to make six knots with her own steam. The broken parts of the en- zines were repaired on board the flagship. all repairs being completed at midnight of May 28. The Yale lowed the Merrimac while disabled.
 The commanding officer of the St. Paul visited the flagship in obedience to signal took with him Cuban pilot and had a conversation with Commodore Schley
 
 with the senior commanding officer of the scouts and obtained no positive informa- ton frem the scouts regarding the Span- iSh squadron
 At 7:45 p. m. May 26 Commodore Schley changed the course of the flying squadron
 to the westward and signaled to his squadron, Destination Key West via south side of Cuba and Yucatan channel
 as soon as collier is ready; speed nine knots" The squadron proceeded westward elgntGPn StODDp6 a n m VI ha tow lines of the collier having parted),
 drifted until 3:f0 p. m. May 27, resumed it's westward course for twenty-three
 miles, stopped again at 715 D. m and drifted until 1 D. m. of May 2S. At 9:30 a. m. May 27 the Harvard joined the flying squadron, and her commanding officer delivered to Commodore Schley the following dispatch, dated May 25 address ed by the department to the Harvard at St. Nicholas Mole, Haiti:
 Proceed at once and inform Schley and also the senior officer present off Santiago de Cuba as follows: All department in- formation indicates the Spanish division is still at SarWago de Cuba. The depart ment looks to you to ascertain fact and that the enemy, if therein, does not leave without decisive action.
 Then follows the history of the coaling of the squadron.
 Commodore Schley made no effort to as-
 certain whether the Spanish squadron was in the harbor of Santiago. He left
 said harbor entirely unguarded from 6 D.
 m. of May 26 to p. m. of May 27 and guarded only by the scout St. Paul from
 5 D. m May 2 until about p. I'll. of May
 The flying squadron arrived off the har-
 bor of Santiago de Cuba, seven miles south of the Morro, at p. m. May 28 and established q blockade.
 The distance from Cienfuegos to San- tiago is 3l5 miles.
 Commodore Schley did not proceed with all dispatch from Cienfuegos to Santiago
 de Cuba.
 Early on the morning of May 29 the Cristobal Colon and other vessels of the | Spanish squadron were discovered at an- chor in the harbor of Santiago about 1,200 yards from the entrance. No attempt was made by Commodore Schley on May 29 or May 30 to capture or
 destroy these Spanish vessels. At I:30 D. m May 30 the cruiser New Orleans and the collier Sterling joined the 1 flying squadron.
 At 1O:55 a. m. May 31 Commodore Schley | shifted his flag to the Massachusetts. 1 At 11.1O a. III. the flagship Massachu- l setts signaled: .tThe Massachusetts, New l Orleans and Iowa will go in after dinner I to q distance of 1000 yards and fire at 1 Cristobal Colon with eight, twelve and l thirteen inch guns. Speed about ten | knotS-''
 l At 1:3O p. m. the three vessels designated l steamed in column toward the entrance to | l eastward, at about ten knots speed. The l ships passed the harbor entrance about l 1000 yards distant from the Morro, firing | at the Colon and the shore batteries with ranges varying from 1000 yards to 1 B200 yards All projectiles fell short. l When the ships had passed to the east
 ward of the entrance, the flagship turned ! offshore, followed in succession by the l other ships, repassed the entrance and | fired as before, but with ranges varying l Q uq rdS n nf | these projectileS fell near the Colon. I The fire was returned by the ships in 1 the harbor and by the land batteries, but I no large guns were used by the batteries I Several projecties passed over our ves- l sels but no injuries were sustained. The flying squadron did not withdraw I at night from the entrance to Santiago I harbor to distance al sea. The blockade I was maintained at an average distance of about six to seven miles from the harbor l entrance during the day and probably l somewhat nearer during the night. Two l vessels performed picket duty at night l two miles inside of the line of vessels I The Spanish squadron was discovered to | be in the entrance to Santiago harbor l steaming out about 9:30 a. m. July g. 1898. l The Brooklyn at that time was heading l to the westward of north, about $500 I yards southwest three-quarters southwest | from the Morro, which was practically I her blockading position.
 Large vessels coming out of the harbor I of Santiago were obliged to head about l southwest by south, and the Spanish yes sels therefore in coming out until clear of sI the Shoal to the westward were obliged to I head directly for the position of the l Brooklyn. When clear of this shoal, the | Spanish vessels turned in succession to l the westward and took course nearly | parallel to the land.
 l The Brooklyn stood toward the Spanish l vessels with varying helm, fired one shot l from her forward turret at $500 yards I range, which proved short, and then en- l gagged with her port battery. When about | 1, 400 yards distant from the leading Span ish ship, the Teresa, the Brooklyn turned to starboard, with her helm hard aport. and continued so to turn until she headed | to the westward, parallel to the course of sl the Spanish ships. The commanding off, l cer of the Brooklyn put the helm hard | aport, and at almost the same instant l Commodore Schley gave the order Hard l aport."
 When the Brooklyn's helm was put hard | aport the Teresa was about l, 400 yards to I the eastward of north from the Brook lyn the Viscaya was ito the eastward of the Teresa, and the Colon was to the | eastward of the Viscaya. When the | Brooklyn completed the turn and was 1 heading to the westward. parallel to the | course of the Viscaya, the Viscaya and the Colon were about 2, 400 yards to the 1 northward and westward of the Brook lyn.
 The turn of the Brooklyn was toward the Texas. The Texas stopped and backed her engines.
 On July 8, 1898, about the time the
 Brooklyn began her turn to Starboard, a
 conversation regarding the proximity of
 the Texas took place between Commodore