The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-05
The 'sDear schIcy" Letter.

The Dear SchIcy" Letter.
Mr.. Rayner read the Dear Schley"
letter. including the following ex-
tract:
IF later it should develop that these
vessels are at Santiago, we could then
assemble off that port the ships best
suited for the purpose and complete
ly blockade it. Until we then receive
more positive information we shall
continue to hold Havana and Santia-
60"
Mr.. Rayner remarked that he sup
posed it would be conceded that the
word Santiago" as given above was
a mistake. and that it should be Glen
fuegos."
Capt. Lemly replied that he would
make no such concession, and a tilt fol-
lowed between counsel concerning the
accuracy of government publications.
1t closed with an understanding that
the original document should be sup
piled Tomorrow
The court asked a number of ques-
tions of Commander Rodgers, among
others being one as TO whether the
Brooklyn and the Texas had been in
danger of a collision on July 5.
The witness replied that if there had
been any such danger he had not seen
the two ships at the time. He had
seen the two vessels early in the en-
gagement, but they were then about
half mile apart. Later he was called
below, and if there had been such dan
ger it was at that time.
At the conclusion of Commander
Rodgers testimony the question as to
whether the word in the Dear Schley'
letter should be Santiago or Cienfue-
gos again came up on a statement by
Capt. Lemly, who said he would con-
tinue to hold to the Santiago version.
Then occurred the colloquy narrated
summon Sampson.
HOdgson's story of the Fight.
Lieutenant Commander Albon c.
Hodgson, navigator of the Brooklyn.
| then told the story of the battle of
| Santiago as seen from the bridge of
that vessel. He said:
Il heard the executive officer, Lieu
tenant Commander Mason. sing out,
Clear ship for action! and the crew
| Immediately dispersed to quarters.
having sounded the general alarm pre-
viously. The Commodore shortly ap-
peared on the bridge. We were at that
| time headed to the westward of north
west told him that there was moth
| ing doing, and he said Go ahead I
rang six bells, and asked If we had
not better hold her head steady to see
what course the Spaniards proposed
to pursue. 1 do not remember his re-
| ply exactly to that, because immedi-
| ately afterwards 1 told him they were
evidently making for us, and he said
| Go for them and l rang four bells
and put helm aport
Capt. Cook appeared upon the
bridge at this time, and I told him
that everything was connected up al
the coming tower and that we were
already going ahead, and, in fact, we
were going ahead. The Commodort
took his position on a platform he had
4 built around rthe coming tower, where
he could be in easy communication
| with the commanding officer inside, anC
1 remained on the bridge.
"The executive officer had given pre-
| viously the order to man the starboarc
batteries / sang out to him we were
going into action with port helm, anc
he shifted over to the port battery. We
were then standing for the enemy, anc
as soon as the guns were brought tC
bear Lieut.. Simpson fired, little of
the port bow, the first gun from the
| forward eight-inch turret. From tha'
time on we went considerably in to-
| ward them.
To Ram the Brooklyn.
| Inen went QONI " NllClC Tic COlli7
| modore was standing to get into the
coming tower, when 1 heard him sing
out: Lcok out, Cook, they are going
to ram your
Capt Cook said he would look after
| that, and starboarded the helm lit
| tie to parallel the course of the lead
| ing vessel, the Maria Teresa, which had
| made a broad sheer to port. He had
| hardly made that sheer, however. tc
| - r11 40 fAv~ he
| reason, apparently, that a shot was
| fired from the Brooklyn's SINGH gun.
| The Teresa got abaft our port beam
and helm was ported on the Brooklyn
| Immediately after that. We were
| swinging with port helm. heard the
| commodore sing out, Hard aportn or
words to that effect and Capt. Cook
sang out Helm is aporti' 1 saw al
| that time the crucial moment had ar
rived in making the turn, and I sug-
gested to the commodore that that turn
| would run u.s. into the Texas or very
| close to her."
what did you say and what was the
reply?" asked Capt. Lemly:
schIey Said damn the Texas"
"As near as can remember, l said
| Commodore, if you go to starboard
you will run into the Texas and he
said, Damn the Texas. / cannot help
| that. She must look out for herself
| He will take care of that And he
also said, I do not propose to go in
any closer and subject myself to a
| torpedo attack l suggested then
! that we back the starboard engine, and
he wanted to know why, and / said
Because 1t would give the Texas a
wider berth and shorten our turning
| circle. Capt. Cook objected to this
| and so did the commodore, but there
| was a moments discussion as to
! whether it would be better to turn that
shorter circle with smaller speed, OF
take the larger tactical diameter with
faster speed. 1t was decided that 4
was very essential to get around quick
| ly. as the leading Spanish ship was
then standing to the westward, and
If the Brooklyn did not stop her she
had good chance of escaping. Sc
the helm was put hard aport.
II said l would run up to top of the
bridge and look out for the Texas. AS
l was going up asked the chief quar-
termaster If he had seen a torpedo
boat, and he said he had seen one
blown up by large she'll in the rear
I said i had not seen any, as 1 told
the Commodore previously. The helm
however, was kept hard aport. The
Brooklyn swung clear of the Texas
and brought around with helm hard
aport until she brought in sight the
leading Spanish vessel which was then
the Viscaya, the Teresa having fallen
off and gone inshore, seeking a berth.
AS soon as we were around at the
proper position the helm was raised SO
that we paralleled the course of the