Waterbury Democrat., 1901-10-26
STORY OF THE LOOP
Admiral Sehley Made Hosts of
 Friends Yesterday.
BY THE REHEARSAL OF IT


 bility Rested Upon Him During That
 Memorable Blockade Nothing But
 Kind Words for the Men Who Went
 on the Stand and Swore He Was 2
 Coward.
 WASHINGTON, Oct. 26.-Rear Ad, miral Winfield Scott Schley, testifying in his own behalf before the court of inquiry yesterday afternoon, got down to the subject of the battle of Santiago. Resuming the stand after recess, Schley said his movement westward on May 26 was further determined by the knowl- edge contained in ordec No. 8 that Sampson was at Cay Frances, protect ing the eastward passage to Havana, and therefore he (Schley) should protect the westward passage with the flying squadron in case the enemy had gone that way.
 He said that on July he had sent a message to Sampson advising him of suspicious movements of smoke in San Jiago harbor, and he said, Il am quite sure it was answered.
 He said that he made preparations with Captain Cook regarding the Brooklyn's engines. He didn't have them coupled because he and Cook agreed that they would do well enough with steam under all boilers. He said Cook told him the Brooklyn could make eighteen and a half knots then, and he replied that would probably be two or I~1 +I, GY.ar1 1f-f1 ships. as their bottoms were foul.
 Admiral Schley gave the impression that he expected the Spaniards out. He began a detailed story of the battle at 2:15.
 He said the New York was out of sig Eal distance of the Gloucester, the east eFnmost vessel of the blockading line, when the Spaniards came out. There fore he made signals. The first was Clear ship for action," then Close up.''
 The Brooklyn headed direct for the enemy After ten or twelve minutes turning with port helm he saw the lead ing ship make a rank sheer as if to ram. 2 Admiral Schley said that when it be- came apparent that the Spanish ships had succeeded in passing our battleship line Captain Cook gave the order to port the helm.
 .'I did not" he said. "I would have done it in second I asked Cook if the helm was aport, and he said it was; hard aport, think.
 ''The turn was absolutely continuous. There was no easing of the helm. never saw the starboard bow of the Texas. We never crossed her bow. We were never within 600 yards of her.
 Some time during the turn Lieuten- ant Hodgson very properly made some such allusion to me as Look out for the Texas but there was never any col lequy of any character between us, because in the first place he was too good an officer, and in the second place would not have permitted it."
 Admiral Schley said that the Brook lyn was within 1,1G0 yards at least Of the nearest Spanish ship when the turn was made.
 .I saw men running across the deck" he said. T saw the daylight between their legs with my naked eyes"
 Admiral Schley said that at one time the Brooklyn seemed to be engaged alone with all the Spanish ships. He described the killing of Ellis in feeling language. When they were about to throw the body overheard, the admiral said, he asserted, No, not that for one who has fallen so gallantly-" He said that the Brooklyn's signal hal yards were shot away and one of the speed cones i'll falling nearly struck him It fell overheard.
 Schley said he gave orders to signal the Oregon to fire at the Colon, and he thought the order was carried out
 Before we turned the leading shiI was abeam or little abaft the beam and when we turned about she was ahead of us-that is. on the starboard bow-and all four ships and the forts were firing at the same time, and from that moment the following ten or if teen minutes were the most furious part of the entire combat l remember very distinctly seeing from time to time as my attention was attracted for mo rnent the jets of water ahead and astern and over and short. The roar of n-o1ectiles was one of the things thai can be heard only once in a lifetime and then never forgotten. It appeared at that moment that all four of those sbips were at work upon the Brooklyn and up to the moment of turning, so fai as we could perceive, there was not the slightest evidence they had even been injured. The thought passed through my mind that, after all our precautions and waiting, those fellows would get away.
 At that moment felt and thought | remarked to Captain Cook that we were alone and would perhaps have most of that fight upon ourselves, be cause I did not know then that the bat tleships could possibly keep up theii speed. But said to him we must stay with this crowd. had no idea that we would escape. Of course if they could have shot as well as our people did they certainly would have got us. When we had completely turned around on g westerly course the ships appeared to have been broken up little, although still in some semblance of formation and just at that moment I saw the Ore. gon breaking in through this cloud en- 7elope. She broke through on to the starb0ard quarter of the flagship had hoisfed the signal of Close up and then Follow the flag. feeling that a new dis positiQn was necessary. That signal