The age-herald., 1901-10-16
HIS BEARING UNDER FIRE A MODEL WORTHY OF EMULATION FOR EVERY ONE AT ALL TIMES'
 

think we are about our tactical diameter from that ship now, and he said: think so, too, we are.
 Order to Turn.
 'The order was hard aport.' l am not positive who gave that order 1 think the commodore said hard aport.' Captain Cook said it is hard aport.' The helm was kept hard aport and the ship swung rapidly In her turning circle. When the order was given hard aport' I looked at the next vessel in our heet-the Texas and as we turned we passed well clear of her. After the turn was completed we found our vessel abreast or perhaps a little abaft the beam of the leading Span ish ship. with a slowly converging course toward the flying ship. The smoke at this time was very dense, but there were two ships in plain sight, and occasionally we could get a glimpse of the third. Shortly afterward the smoke lifted to the rear and I saw the Oregon coming toward us and also got momentary glimpse of the remainder of our fleet and the whole Spanish fleet. 1 saw the tor pedo boats and I sent one of the commo- dore's orderlies to the after guns to notify them that they might look out. At that time 1 saw the Vixen on our port side, which gave me a feeling of satisfaction, knowing that she would also protect us from the torpedo attacks. The course of the DaIIlo was continued on IneSe lines with varying distances.
 While we were engaged on the beam of the Vizcaya- the Colon had passed inside of the Vizcaya, firing, but grad ually drawing away. We were increasing our speed as rapidly as the fires could be forced, and after the Vizcaya had gone in we continued the chase after the Colon. When we began to gain upon the Colon the Commodore directed the Ore frU har af OrGQOn and Brooklyn fired deliberately at the , Colon. After our fire she began to waver in toward the shore.
 Her course was unsettled and the Commodore said he thought she had enough of it and was looking for a soft spot to lie up which proved to be the case. She fired occasionally at us, rather rapidly at first, then it became weaker. She was close into shore at that time, and at 1:15 hauled down her flag. Cap tain Cook and Lieutenant Wells were sent on board the Colon to receive the sur render"
 SchIey's Dispatch. When Mir. Sears had concluded his de- scription of the battle. MT. Rayner asked him if Commodore Schley had given him dispatch to be sent to the Navy De- partment, making a report of the battle. The witness replied in the affirmative. Admiral Dewey then asked if this dis | patch had been sent, and was informed by MT. Rayner that it had not been for 1 warded to the department, although 1t had been taken to the cable office. The court decided that as the dispatch had not reached the department it could not appear. 9~.-.
 suppose it was not Commodore Schley's fault that the dispatch was not forwarded?" asked MT. Rayner
 Admiral Dewey: "You can't ask ques- tions Of the court. We are not in the witness box. Commodore Schley's wit ness Is in evidence and that Is sufficient" MT. Rayner then passed to other points | or the inquiry, asking as to the distance between the Brooklyn and Texas when l the former made her turn. The witness 1 replied that he had only given sufficient attention to see there was no danger of a collision between the two vessels and did not feel able to give exact figures j He was sure 1t was deep gap of water possibly 600 yards.
 MT Rayner questioned the witness again concerning his association with Lieutenant Commander Potts on the Mas sachusetts, and asked if he had heard the commodore say on the occasion of the Colon reconnoissance anything in the l presence of MT. Potts concerning the con- l spicuousness of the uniforms of the of | ficers as they stood on the turret during the firing of the enemy's batteries.
 The witness replied in the negative
 Was the commodore behind the con- ming tower on that occasion?"
 He was both behind and in front of it. | He was moving about
 | In reply to a question Commander Sears said he had been with Commodore Schley in five engagements all told. He was then asked as to the bearing of that officer under fire, and replied:
 Schley's Bearing a Model.
 His bearing to me was a model for anybody, worthy of emulation at all | times. Under fire his faculties if 1t was possible, so<ned to be clearer and he was more fn possession of them than at any other time"
 Was he in any state of excitement?"
 Not the slightest He was absolutely cool and calm
 How about points of danger; would he get away from them or did he expose himself to them?
 ''He was always putting himself in ex- posed positions. I requested him many times not to expose himself as it was use- less to do SOL
 On cross-examination, the witness said that he had reached the understanding that Cienfuegos was a Spanish strong hold early in the war. He also said that | beyond the standing of the American fleet at Cienfuegos and the sending of the | Adula no effort had been made before Captain McCalla's arrival to discover whether the Spanish fleet was in the | harbor.
 The afternoon session of the Schley court began with the recall of Captain | Francis A. Cook for the purpose of cor recting the testimony given by him yes- l terday. While he was on the stand the judge advocate asked the following ques- tions
 What conversation, if any, did you have with Commodore Schley about the | retrograde movement, either before or after the signals were made or given on | May 26 to run to Key West?"
 "As near as recolect the circum- stances, there was conversation after | the message had been brought to me that signals had been made Bound for Key | West by Yucatan channel I did not un- derstand the signal and do not recollect that at that time anything had been said about that I went into the cabin to see l the commodore about 1t. I asked him what the signal meant and he said that he must coal the ships that he must seek | some place to coal them and that he was 1 going toward Key West until he could l find an opportunity to coal from the collier, and if he did not find that he must be near coal base to keep the ships | coaled. I made some remark concerning | the weather conditions, and that I thought they would be more favorable later. He said. Until they are and until I am able to coal from the collier. I must keep within striking distance of coal schley Felt Responsibility. 'T said that I recognized that he felt the responsibility as no one else did. and l that it was a serious. uYeattor, ua ,,,