Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-10-19
GOOD. ||l VIEW OF BATTLE.
: -" s5. -.
Commander Nicholson of the Oregon
> Had First Rate View Of Battle
of Santiago.
|
Saw the Spanish Cruiser Pull Out of
Line Toward Brooklyn on Sew
eral Occasions.
Conditions of the Engines and Boilers
on July 3 Told by the Ships
Engineers.

Engineers.
Washington, Oct. 19.-The list Of
witnesses recalled before the Schley
court of inquiry at the beginning Of
the days session for the purpose of
correcting testimony was exceptional
ly long. comprising eight persons.
There were, however, not many new
questions asked Of any of them and as
the testimony was mparatively brief
In each case, the time consumed in
hearing them was not great.
Lieutenant Commander Nicholson of
the Oregon was then called and began
Of July g, which he had observed as
navigator of the Oregon. He was, he
said, on the deck of his vessel and
added:
"Occupying the position did during
the day of the engagement necessar-
lily saw considerable of it. The Incl
dents of that day commenced about
$3.50, or five minutes before, when the
first call to quarters had been sounded.
I looked toward the harbor and saw
the first Spanish ship. Her bow was
making a turn into the last reach of
the harbor on her way out. She was
followed in succession by the others.
T. went to my station, first on the
bridge, then down to the coming
tower, and saw that the proper con-
nections were made. In the meantime
the signal had been sounded to gener-
al quarters and by this time steam
was coming up, all the boilers and
blowers were going full tilt and a few
minutes afterwards Captain Clark
came up. We turned the ship, going
slowly at first, the speed increasing all
the time, turned ship with starboard
helm and started in toward the enemy.
They came out at full speed, apparent
1y much faster than We were at this
time. By the time we were straight
ened out we'll to the westward they
were all ahead Of us. The Iowa start
ed in, she being to the westward of us,
apparently got in closer to the enemy
than we did, because we passed under
her stern. A few minutes after that,
on our course to the westward, we
apparently still in the water. I called
Captain Clark's attention to this. OF
course, firing commenced ON both
sides at the time the first ship cleared
the mouth of the harbor. We returned
the fire at long range, probably three
and half or four miles off at that
point.
''> Only the Brooklyn Ahead.
when we crossed under the Tex
as stern, we saw the Iowa coming out
on a course nearly parallel to con.
verging with ours. 4 noticed her a lit
tie abaft our starboard beam. Captain
Clark at the same. time noticed her
and called my attention to her and
told me to look out and avoid a COLI
sion. No collision was very imminent
but we did change our helm and pass
ed on. I did not see any more OF the
Iowa. After the action commenced we
passed the Texas and Iowa. The only
ship then ahead of us was the Brook
lyn. She was we'll off her accustOmed ed
position, we'll off to the westward. Al
the Spanish ships had gotten out by
this time and we we're pursuing them
heading for the leading ships. We no
ticed the Maria Teresa drop astern al
less speed than at first, saw flames
leaping up and out from her. Wn1cf
convinced us she was on fire; a few
minutes after that the Oquendo5 ap
reared to be covered with smoke anc
we concluded that she also was on hre
, which proved to abe a fact. Just abou
this time the Viscaya, which star
i boarded her helm, seemed to head or
Ia the southward and west toward thu
Brooklyn and fell out of line. 1t the1
h became evident that the Colon Was
y pulling out of battle and runn1ne
4 along the shore, but It was developed
Is that she was running away and hat
more speed than all the other ships
The Yiscaya headed toward the BROOK
Ivn. She ran that course for some
& time and then straightened out again
3#5 then turned inshore and few minutes
after that ran ashore also. There i
no question about the Viscaya pulInt
n ont of the general Spanish line TO tn.
southwark, because a short time afte
z y this Captain Clark turned around ant
Sssf called my attention to some object
HI Ii, the water that looked like floating
b,,oys. apparently three or four fee
above the water. We thought the.
a5 were nets with 81 torpe edoes betWeel
s5si them. i probably thrown out to- injur
the ship. 7 ported the helm and befor'
could do anything we passed owe
5s the SPOT and found that we We're in th
5.55 wake Of the Viscay a. + 81
Commando AJi olson then detaile'
S 4 tha chase Of the Colon, the subseQuen
s5 s going ashore and surrende lei.
Recalls Brooislyfs's signals.
commander Nicholson said that ;
III recalIed some signals from the Brool
lyn on the day of the battle, anon
otl,ers; one at the beginning Of tn
battle i'd close tiD ana another ct "a