The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-11-15

OF course the actual conditions under which the Vc,0y
was won and the fact that two ships OF all the
feet were entitled to the credit for destroying the enemy
SQUADRON have been known Admiral Sehey and Capan
Clark of the Oregon since the battle was fought
fact that thew have preserved silence for three years. anu
have never claimed the honors which they had larry Won
speaks volumes for their magnanmity their mouesy' i
their pride in the service Surely 1t has not oeen ,o
proves in battle and Of the great things when 'hy wv
of provocaon that they have refused to speak oneeis
who as the testimony has shown we're insienhoant ia.
in the fight have boosted Of their prowess in battle a W "
great things which they did Admiral Schey ieS'neu on
Monday that the commander OF one OF the ships wnion
could only creep along nine knots hour imagined ha
he performed prodges Of vaor and dealt destruction gh
and left among the enemys fleet cruisers Everybody VINO
was in the memorable Santiago engagement seems TO nave
claimed greater glory than the two men who did more win
ships than all the Of the American heet to oe
disaster and defeat upon the Spaniards.
When the Spanish warships were destroyed in the oate
near Santiago July 1893 the American people were
left under the impression by the official reports that inc
victory by the combined forces of the North Az
antc squadron and Admiral Scheys flying squadron The
testimony before the of inquiry has proved concusVey
the destruction of Cerveras feet practically the
work OF American warshipsthe Brooklyn and the
Oregon The plan of battle prepared by Admiral Sampson
as ponted out by correspondent of the New York Times
provided that the Spanish ships should be attacked and sunk
the mouth of harbor OF Santiago when they attempted
to escape This plan failed The testimony at the court OF
inquiry established beyond dispute the fact that all the Span
sh cruisers except one the Maria Teresa got safely away
from the harbor despite Admiral SIMPSONS prearanged
plan Cervera ships faster than the vessels of the
American fleet with the exception the Brooklyn and the
Oregon These two vessels with such assistance the
able render them pursued the enemy rddled
Spanish ships with shot and shell and sank them But
for the dash and OF Admiral Schey and Captain
Clark the superior speed of their vessels and the skill with
which they handled their ships Cervera would have escaped
from Santiago with the loss of only of his four fine
cruisers
Admiral Schley is be congratulated that he has not
only demonstrated the aburdy and goundessness of the
charges which his detracor preferred again him. but that
he has given the country interesting insight into the
way in which history is sometimes made. In view of
the revelations at the court inquiry skepc may well
doubt whether there anything like pure and unaduerated
truth in historical literature Naval officers of high rank
have testified that the official chart of the battle utterly
worthless and that it known be misleading by the
experts who prepared it. That chart evidently made
for the purpose only of minimizing the Admiral
Schey played in the battle but give color the preten-
officers who have deceived themselves into the be-
lief that they promirnt factors in the fight A ship
which numbered along the of mile in six minutes
credited this extraordinary official chart with steam
ing the speed Of mile in three minutes Hereafter the
reading public will look with suspicion upon history based
upon official reports and the charts OF navgators wise
that he did who made the laws of
the country provided he permitted make its ballads
Upon the principle naval officers who hungry
for glory which they entitled may who
leads the fight and wins the victory provided they
bled make the charts after the battle has been by
heroes modest boast of their vaor and proud
to claim credit which they justly entitled It
possible write history this deceptive plan before
Schley of inquiry But the historian who now
writes the battle in which Admiral Schey and Captain
Clark carried off the honor respect the truth elected
by the court of inquiry Vague insinuaons misleading
charts and deceptive official reports have had their day AID
mral Schey has provided all the material for history
based facts and recording the truth whole truth and
nothing but the truth.