The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-18
COURT OF INQUIRY TESTIMONY
BECOMES INTERESTING.
GRAPHIC STORY OF THE FIGHT
the Oregon, Eye Witness and Ac-
tive Participant, Describes
Battle in Trial.
(By Associated Presa.)

Washington, Oct. 1S.-The list of yes
terday's witnesses called before the
schley court Of inquiry today, included
Lieutenant Commander Reginald r.
Nicholson, who was navigator of the
Oregon during the campaign of 1888; DR..
Charles M. Dev alin, passed assistant sur
geon; Capt. ]. l.. Hannum, retired, who
was chief engineer on the Brooklyn dur
ing the war with Spain: Lieut.. T. F.
Carter, Ensign W. p. Cronin, Carpenter
J. H. Warford, all of whom were on the
Brooklyn: Mr. Hunley, who was chief
machinist on the Texas and Lieut.. b. w.
Wells, Jr., who was Admiral Schley's flag
lieutenant 1t is expected that Captain
Clark Of the Oregon will be among the
witnesses to be heard early next week.
schley-sigsbee Conversation.
While Ensign Marble was on the stand
for the purpose of correcting his former
testimony, he was further interrogated
by Judge Advocate Lemly, concerning
the conversation between Captain Sigs-
bee of the St. Paul, and Commodore
6chley, overheard by the witness when
Captain Sigsbee came aboard the Brook
lyn off Santiago, May 26. Nothing i'm
portant was brought out by the ques-
tioning.
Lieutenant Commander Nicholson Of
the Oregon was then called and began his
recital Of the story of the battle of July
8. which he had observed as navigator of
the Oregon.
He was, he said, on the deck of his YES
sci and added:
Story of the Fight.
Occupying the position 1 did, during
the day of the engagement, 1 necessarily
saw considerable of 1t. The incidents OF
that day commenced about $3.50, or hve
minutes before, when the call to quar-
ters had been sounded. Then the Span
ish ships coming out Of the harbor were
seen, in fact, by the whole crew at the
same time.
"When the first ship started to go
around, the cry went up There they go!
I looked toward the harbor and saw the
first ship. Her bow was making turn
into the last reach of the harbor on her
wav out. She was followed in success
sion by the others. / went to my sta
tion first on the bridge. then down 10
the coming tower and saw that the
proper connections were made. In the
meantime the signal had been sounded
to general quarters, and by this time
~~-~~
blowers were going full tilt, and few
minutes afterwards Captain Clark
came up.
Starts Toward Enemy.
1--WE turned the ship, going slowly at
first, the speed increasing all the time;
turned ship with starboard helm and
started In toward the enemy as they
came out with full speed, apparently
much faster than we We're Steamlng at
this time
'By the time we We're Strengthened out
we'll to westward they were well ahead
of u.s. The Iowa started in, size being
to westward of us, apparently got IN
closer to the enemy than we did; be-
cause we passed under her stern. few
minutes after that, on our course to the
westward, we passed under the stern or
the Texas, apparently still in the water
I called Captain Clarks attention to
this.
Firing Was Simultaneous.
"Of course. firing commenced On both
sides at the time the first ship cleared
the mouth of the harbor. We returned
the fire at long range, probably from
, three and a half to four miles off at that
point. When we crossed under the
Texas stern we saw the Iowa coming
out on course nearly parallel to con-
yerging course with ours. noticed her
a little abaft our starboard beam. Cap
tain Clark at the same time noticed her
and called my attention to her and told
me to look out and avoid a collision No
collision was very imminent. but we did
change our helm and passed on. I did
not see any more OF the Iowa. After
the action commenced we passed the
Texas. The only ship then ahead of us
was the Brooklyn; she was well off her
accustomed position-well Off to the
westward.
Chasing the spaniards.
"An the Spanish ships had gotten out
by this time, and we We're pursuing them,
heading for the leading ships. We mo-
ticed the Maria Teresa drop astern at
less speed than at first saw flames leap
ing up and out of her, which convinced
US she was on fire. A few minutes after
that the Oquendo appeared to be COW
cred with smoke and we concluded that
she also was on fire. which proved to be
q fact. Just about this time the Viscaya.
which starboarded her helm. seemed to
head off to the southwark and west
toward the Brooklyn and fall out of line.
1t then became evident the Colon was
pulling out Of battle and running along
the shore, but it was developed that she
was running away and had more speed
than all the other ships.
Viscaya Heads For Brooklyn.
1.-The Viscaya headed toward the Brook
lyn. She ran that course for some time,
and then Strengthened out again; then
turned in shore and in few minutes
after that ran ashore also. There Is no
question about the Viscaya pulling out
of the general Spanish line to the south
ward, because short time after that
Captain Clark turned around and called
my attention to some objects In the
water that looked like floating buoys, ap-
parently three or four feet above the
water. We thought they We're nets with