The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-10-31
SCHLEY GOES ON STAND.

exposing themselves to danger from
shock which was unnecessary to them,
though l was differently circumstanced
and l so supposed myself. Com
mander Potts is entirely in error in
saying that l took advantage Of cover.
l did not do, for l was not concerned
about myself" Speaking Of the range
of 1000 yards, the admiral said that
Commander Potts had himself report
ed on that range and he had not known
for several days that the range had
been altered.
"The moment we began firing" he
went on, "the shore batteries respond
ed. Some of them used smokeless pow
der. There was quite stream OF pro-
jectiles and l was impressed with the
idea that they must be from gun or
S-inch calibre. The shot from the So
capa battery evidently reached the
feet. Some went over our ships and
one went beyond and over the Vixen,
which was half a mile distance. The
strength Of the batteries being estaD-
Eshed it would have been military
folly to have risked the battleship TO
further fire from these shore batteries
under my instructions. If we had lost
one or two of our six or seven vessa!s,
the loss would have been very great
disadvantage and it might have invited
attack with disastrous results.
thought it better policy to save the
ships FOR wider and better service, ami
subsequent events justified the decis-
ion."
II saw Lieutenant Simpsons first
shot and then | saw the first vessel II
the Spanish line take rank sheer 10
the westward, leaving the V;scaya
coming straight on. Then the latter
also turned to the westward. 1t was
apparent that the original plan OF the
Spaniards had failed, and that the
Spanish fleet, in order and apparently
at distance, had succeeded in passing
the battleship line. A new feature o.
the fight became Immediately apparent
Captain Cook now gave the order to
port the helm. did not. should have
done so in a second. said to him, Is
your helm aport?' and he replied, 1t
is aport or hard aport-I think the lat
ter
Coming to the turn Of the Brooklyn
Admiral Schley, speaking clearly and
never hestitatng for a word, said that
he had never seen a ship turn more
steadily. "The turn" he said, was
absolutely continuous; there was no
easing of the helm, and | never saw
the starboard side Of the Texas. am
sure we were never nearer that vessel
than COO yards. We were never across
her bow. She never entered into my
head at all. as menace or danger.
He said the closest range was l,l0J
yards. I'VE were Sd close" he went on.
that remember l could see men on
the Spanish ships running between the
superstructure; l could even see the
daylight between their legs. During
the turn Lieutenant Commander Hoig-
son very properly made the observation
that we would look out
for the Texas, but thers
was never any colloquy between
us-neyer any colloQuy Of any cha7ac-
ter between Hodgson and myself;
first, because he was too good an off,
Ger to have so transgressed, and sec
ond, because if he had undertaken it.
would not have permitted it. That is
fiction; there was no colloquy.'
At this point the admiral said the
leading one of the Spanish ships was
on the Brooklyn's starboard bow and
that not only all Of the enemy's ships.
but the forts as well, were firing ap-
parently at the Brooklyn. THAT mo-
ment and the next fifteen minutes
were the most serious Of the combat,
he said. and he told how deafening was
the noise OF the guns. THE roar OF the
projectiles," he said, was such as can
only be heard once, and once heard can
never be forgotten. All four OF the
Spanish vessels were firing on the
Brooklyn and none Of the Spanish YES
sells at that time showed any injury.
Then the thought passed through my
mind that they might get away and |
feared we should have most OF the
f,sht as did not know that the bate.
ships could keep up their speed. l said
to Cook that we would stay with this
crew