The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-08

her flag. ! pulled out my watch IL was
exactly 1:15. We then ceased firing and
slowed down and orders were given TO
get out a boat. The captain was order
ed to go on board to make terms with or
tell the terms to the commanding OFF,
Ger of the Colon. On account of steam
having been cut off and there being some
trouble with the boat we were some little
time getting the boat out.
"In the meantime we had slowed and
as rapidly as could be accomplished, one
of the cutters was finally gotten out,
crew put in. Captain Cook went in the
boat and boarded the Colon. | think he
probably had mile and half to pull.
At any rate we had our guns trained on
the Colon all this time in case of treach-
cry or any act of that kind on her part,
although l saw her throwing breech locks
overheard, / did not suspect anything of
tht akind.'
How far was the Oregon from the
Brooklyn?"
From 900 to 1,5O0 yards on the star
board quarter"
The witness, in reply to questions, con-
tinued his report of the battle. He said
that at the beginning of the fight he had
given the range at 1,4O0 yards, but that
after the swoop it was about 2,400 or
2. 500.
Mr.. Rayner: What was the bearing of
Commodore Schley during this engage
ment in which you saw him."
His bearing and manner were natural
ly those of commander in chief of a
naval force on that occasion"
The witness said that the Commodore
Lot ,,,,d
the coming tower during the engagement.
This, he said, was a position of danger
as the Commodore was there always in
full view OF the enemy's ships.
1T has been stated here" said Mr..
Rayner, that the Brooklyn ran 1000
yards away from the enemy's ships in
making her loop"
The witness replied: ANY witness who
made that statement, although he may
have stated what he thought had oc-
Cured. was absolutely mistaken"
How far did she go from the enemys
vessels?"
.She must have gone about 600 yards
to the southwark, as that is about the
tactical diameter of the Brooklyn at that
speed"
"Did this turn interfere with the Brook
lyn's ability to keep up her fire."
"It did not. She continued to fire from
her aft turrets.'
this point Mr.. Rayner questioned
the witness at length concerning his re-
poretd colloquy with Admiral Schley dur
ing the battle of Santiago in which the
Commodore was reported to have said:
Damn the Texas"
Mr.. Rayner asked the witness if it was
not Capt. Cook who had given the order
to port helm" The reply was that
Capt. Cook might have given the order
to the man at the wheel.
Mr.. Rayner then asked: did Com
modore Schley give the order to port
the helm?'
He did," was the reply.
Continuing his statement in resopnse
to Mr.. Rayner's question, the witness
said that when his conversation with
Commodore Schley had occurred on the
Brooklyn the commodore was standing
on the platform around the coming tow
er and two or three feet from himself
(the witness), and that Capt. Cook, a
part of the time, stood in the door of
the coming tower four or five feet dis
tant He said that Capt Cook had taken
part in the conversation.
Mr.. Rayner then questioned the wit
ness very closely in regard to the lam
guage in which this colloquy was re-
ported by the newspapers and the lam
guage used by Rodgson in his CORE
spondence with Admiral Schley.
Mr. Rayner then had the witness cru
tinize the letter which he had written to
Admiral Schley on June s and drew
from him the statement that he had not
then informed the admiral that he had
used the expression Damn the Texas"
When the witness was asked if he
thought there was any suggestion of
such an expression, he replied: when
Isuggested to Commodore Schley that
there was danger of colliding with the
Texas, he said Damn the Texas He
used the expression as not in a way
condemning the Texas for being there,
but as if he were irritated as one
might be about anything
Mr.. Rayner asked then about the ex-
preston attributed to the witness "She
will cut down the Texas" Commodore
Hodgson replied that there was no such
expression in the letter and that he
never had said that the Brooklyn
would cut down the Texas. There is
a good deal in that reporter collouuy
that | did not say he added 1.-The
statement was never made,'' he went on,
''but the Commodore did say Damn the
Texas
Continuing, he said that the dialogue
as reported was fictitious and that he
had denied it's verbal accuracy, while
denying the truth of part of it.
The afternoon session of the court be-
gan with question put to Lieutenant
Commander Hodgson by Mr.. Hanna.
He asked why he had written his cate
gorical denial of the newspaper report
of the colloquy between himself and
Commodore Schley. The question was
objected TO and Admiral Dewey said
I'VE have the facts. The letters were
written. That is all the court wants
We want facts-facts. People are in
fuenced by different kinds of things.
We want the facts. Draw out the
facts
Mr.. Hanna: "All / want to find out is
the occasion for writing this letter."
Admiral Dewey: The court don't
want that information. We don't need
that"
Mr.. Hanna then changed his question
and the witness said that he had written
his explicit denial in response to a re-
quest from Admiral Schley.