Evening journal., 1901-10-16
SCHERY HAS
FAVORABLE DAY
Lieutenant Sears Proves a
a StrORg Witness
Admiral Was Model for AlI-COOk
Asserts That Officer Was Cool
and Brave

schley's flag lieutenant during tn,
Spanish war.
He gave a detailed account of tn,
entire Cuban campaign, including th,
brief siege Of Cienfuegos. the retro
grade movement of the flying squad
ron in search Of coal, tho blockade
Of Santiago. the reconnaissance of the
Santiago shore batteries and the bonn
bardment Of the Cristobal Colon on
May 81 and the battle of Santiago
on July 3, when Cerveras feet was
destroyed
He placed the distance out of the
blockading line at Cienfuegos at from
one to four miles and at Santiago at
from three to six miles. He expressed
the opinion that in the battle of July
3 it had been the Viscayas intention
TO ram the Brooklyn.
When asked What was Schleys
bearing while under hro?" Command.
er Sears answered. "He was a model
for anybody. His conduct was worthy
of emulation at all times. His facul.
ties were. if anything, clearer when he
was in personal danger He was al
ways putting himself in exposed po-
sitions. and ] was continually begging
him to be more careful"
Sears Story Of the Battle.
The witness described the engage.
ment Of July g. After relating the
preliminary Incidents, he said: Il was
in my room when l heard the cry Of
the executive officer: Clear ship for
action! ! knew what that meant. and
ran to the quarterback I looked aloft
to see if the prescribed signal Enemy
is escaping was up, and saw that It
was / met the commodore on the
quarterback. He directed the signal
Clear ship for action, followed by
the signal to close in, all of which
were made. From my position I had
n good view of the entrance Our
ship was heading at the time, I should
say to the westward of north, not on
her regular heading, which was about
northeast by north. The engines had
been started by the time l got on deck,
and she was gaining way and swing.
ing toward the enemy. The first YES
sell which proved TO be the flagship
Maria Teresa. came out. She was di-
rectly on our barring from the entrance
TO the port
"As the ships swung toward the
Teresa she swung slowly around To
me the Teresa appeared to not hold
an exactly steady course, and the
helm of our ship was eased one way
or the other to keep our ram pointing
toward the Teresa. The Teresa short
" turned squarely toward the west.
ward, and as he did so / got a view
of the next ship following in her wake.
II was my observation that the Brook
lyn was then held up to meet the
second ship approaching. OF course
we ported helm
"The second ship passed in the
wake of the first one, and / said to the
commodore that it looked as if the
second one was going to try and ram
us. He. ! think, assented. At any
rate the Brooklyn was held towards
her, and she appeared to me to be un-
certain in her course. The Brooklyn
was handled by the captain and quar-
termaster She turned after she had
passed to the southwark of the Te-
resa's wake, and followed her and
then it was generally remarked on the
tower bridge they were all going to
try and escape to the westward
Brooklyn Put Hard Aport.
"Just about the time the viscaya
trained observer with the stadimeter,
came to me on the platform. and said
that his stadimeter showed 900 yards
70 the Vlscaya. I Immediately took
an especial look al the Viscaya with
that in mind, and my Judgment con-
frmed the stadimeter. I said to the
commodore. I think we are about
our tactical diameter from that shin
now. and he said I think so. too OF
We are Then the order was Hard
aport ! am not positive who gave
that order. 7 think the commodore
said Hard aport and Captain Cook
said 10 IS hard aport' The helm was
kept hard aport, and the ship swung
rapidly in her turning circle. When
the order was given Hard aport' ]
looked at the next vessel in our fleet
the Texas-and in my judgment VIC
were completely clear OF her. and as
we turned we passed well clear of her
After the turn was completed We
found ourselves abreast, or perhaps q
little abaft the beam Of the leading
Spanish ship with a slowly converglnl
course towards the leading ship Thl
smoke at this time was very dense. bu
there were two ships in plain sight
and occasionally we could get glimpse
Of the third. Shortly afterwards thl
smoke lifted 10 the rear, and 1 saw thl
Oregon coming towards us, and alsl
got a momentary glimpse Of the re
malnder of our fleet and the whole o
the Spanish fleet. I saw the TORPEDO
boats and I sent one Of the commo
dores orderlies 10 the after guns 4
notify them. that they might look out
At that time ] saw the Vixen ol
our port side which gave me a feelin
Of satisfaction that she would also pro
tect us from torpedo attack. Tn