The Washington times., 1901-10-04

tiago Harbor and the Colon, as sunk. by
| twelve miles, for the purpose OF bringing
his ship, the New York, tina; much nearer
| to those vessels than IT actually was at
| the time they surrendered
Sampson claimed in his first report
| the Sd of July report-that the Girls
| tobal Colon surrendered at 2 o'clock.
! Schley and all of the other officers put
the time at lis. or % minutes earlier.
Sampson. in his first report said O'Clock
because he (Sampson) did not arrive upon
the scene of action until 2:2S o'clock
Now, time is a matter Of Importance.
Sampson claimed that the New York
was making 161z knots an hour when
she reached the Colon. Suppose she were
making 16 miles at lis, when the Colon
surrendered, Sampson would have been
IL miles to the rear. Now, even Sampson
would not contend that Il miles is within
signaling distance. Despite the autocratic
authority conferred upon him. Sampson,
after twelve days deliberation, did not
have the courage to adhere in his second
report to his original proposition THAI the
Colon surrendered at o'clock But, mark
this marvellous evidence of audacity. BY
his first report he was beyond question
Il miles or more from Rio Tarquino at 1:15
.. m. In his first report he said the Colon
surrendered so miles west of Santiago.
Having been caught reconstructing the
time, he inferentially admits he was mis-
taken as to the time to the extent of i5
minutes, but to even matters up in his
second report he takes off IL miles in the
distance. In his first report he says the
Colon ran ashore go miles west OF San
tiago; in his second he says; 1T hauled
down its colors As miles from Santiago.
Inasmuch as Rio Tarquino Is SIXTY
miles west by the nearest water route, II
is not unfair to ask why Sampson
changed his statement of distance from
sixty to forty-eight miles. This Is not
case of rectifying a mistake. The nrst
statement of sixty miles is correct the
second statement is untrue. The reason
is self-evident-to make it appear that he
was much nearer the Colon than ne
actually was. If Sampson could reduce
the distance between Santiago and the
Colon by the space of twelve miles 1t
would bring him up to the Colon forty
five minutes sooner than if the true dis
tance were given
This last statement has confirmation
in the report of the Wainwright board
appointed by Sampson himself. That
rendered, SIMPSONS ship, the New York,
was nine and one-half miles away. and
that when the Colon SURRENDERED it was
the same distance to the rear.
The mysterious friends of Admiral
Sampson in the Navy Department. who
have VIGOROUSLY and necessarily wrought
to give him credit for victory of which
he was as innocent as that other victory
in Manila Bay, have depended, for the
purpose of their propaganda, upon
garbled statements and upon an assump-
tion that it mattered not whether Samp-
son was on earth at the time of the battle
Nevertheless, according TO the Sampson
ties. the battle was fought in accordance
with a programme prepared by Sampson
weeks in advance, that programme being
religiously adhered to both by the Spanish
squadron under Admiral Cervera and the
American sea force under Admiral Schley
Perhaps it would have been better for
the man with the mystic pull to have adj
hered altogether to the inspirational con-
tention But It is evident that he has not
done so. What has been above recited
goes to show that he has always been de-
terrnined to compel whatever revision In I
chronology, geography or fact might be
necessary TO prove that he not only
planned but fought the Ddttie oI SSiheS
conquest of Cervera.
Even within the sacred circle of the !
naval service there are officers and gen !
tlemen who say that SIMPSONS profess |
sionaI recollections are susceptible of be- |
ing taken cum grano salis when uncor- |
by the testimony of disinter- |
ested witnesses. One of this class of crit |
les, who. by the way is an officer of long |
experience and distinguished service, has /
suggested the following questions, the /
same being pertinent to The Times en- !
quiry:
Why did Sampson reduce the true dis |
tance from Santiago to Rio Tarquino, of |
sixty miles, to the falsely alleged distance !
Of forty-eight miles?
Why did Sampson reduce the true dis |
tance from Santiago to Asseradero, of |
twenty miles, to the falsely alleged dis
lance of fifteen miles? ..
Why did Sampson claim, in his first
despatch. that the Colon surrendered at /
p. m?
These and other questions hereinbefore !
presented are questions that will have to
be answered at the bar of American pub
lie opinion, if not before another and
more inquisitoriaI tribunal.