The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-02-25

CT and i-pOuD0eE 2uAS o. Ahe
feet, they were struck forty-three time
BY the larger gzIns Of four iHenea caiipF'
and over. The CoIon which came out
inside the others and did comparative
rttia fighting. received but three OF these
hits. The other three ships, which bore
the brunt OF the action. received forty
among them. OF these forty, eleven. &C
cording to the report OF the board Wncn
examined into them, were by 4-inen guns,
ten By 5-inch guns. four b. either l or J
irch fthe board could not determine
which,. while one was by sithr 2 , or Q
inch, Twelve were by s-inch. and two by
I2-inch guns All OF u big ships ex-
cept the Texas had 8-inch guns. only
the Texas and Iowa had 12inch guns
The Oregon and Indiana had l3-incn
guns: and they and the Texa had e-inch
guns. The only 4-inch guns were on tie
Iowa: the only 5-lnch guns on the
Brooklyn. Therefore on the three span
ISL ships which did the bulk OF the nght-
ing, out OF the forty large-calibre shot
tha struck them. eleven certainly caElo
from the Iowa, ten certainly came from
the brooklyn, four from either the Iowa
or the Brooklyn, and two from either the
Iowa Or the Texas. OF the three which
struck the Colon, two were o-inch and
must have came from the one
was either q 5-inch or a G-inch. 1t must
be remembered that the I and D men
guns were the only quick frers above
6~-pounders in our. fleet, and that they
were not only much more rapidly but
much more surely handled than were
the larger u slower-firing guns. The
damage and loss of the American vessels
were trivial. The only loss suffered wa
aboard the Brooklyn, where one man was
killed and one wounded. In damage, the
cost Of the repairs show that the Iowa
suffered most and the OREGON least. The
American ships engaged possessed a
more than twofold material superiority
over the Spanish ships. and the diner-
erce in the handling of their guns ana
their engines was even greater We
ave just cause TO be proud OF the vlgt-
lance and instant readiness our ships dis
played, end the Workmanlike efficiency
with which they were handled. The mos
striking act was that of the Gloucester,
3 converted yacht, which her
der, Wainwright, pushed into the light
through a hail Of projectiles, any one OF
which would have sunk her. in order that
nc might do his part IN destroying the
torpedo boats, each possessing Tar
more than his OWL offensive power.
A SUMMING UP.
From the statements OF the captains
above, from the Official reports. and
from the testimony before the Court OF
Inquiry, the fight can be plotted with alb
solute certainty IN its important outlines.
though there is conflict as to minor
points. When The four Spanish cruisers
came out OF the harbor the New York
had left her position in the blockading
line forty or fOrLy-five minutes before.
She had hOisted the signal Disregard
the movements Of the COmander-in-
Chief" but had not hOisted the signal to
the second in command TO take charge.
which, as appear by the signal book.
was sometimes but not always used
when the command was transferred. AS
soon as the engagement began the New
York turned and steamed back, hosting
a signal to close in. which. however.
non Of the squadron saw. She vas in
plain sight, and not very much farther
from the easternmost blockading ships
than the latter We're from the Brooklyn,
which was the Westernmost of the line.
As soon AS the Spanish ships appeared
the FIVE big American ~blockaders started
lONdIu tNtm LII accordance Win the
standing orders OF Admiral Sampson.
After this first move each acted purely
on his own Initiative. For some minutes
the Spanish and American vessels stead
lily approached one another, and the
fighting was at its hottest. Then the
already damaged Spanish ships turned to
the westward. while at the same time
the w~esternmost American vessel. the
Brooklyn, which was nearest the Spanish
line, turned to the eastward. making q
loop Or three-quarter circle. at the end
Of which she again headed westward,
farther off from and farther behind the
Spanish vessels than before the loop had
begun, but still ahead OF any of the
American vessels, although farther out
side. The Texas. the next ship to the
Brooklyn, either was or conceived her
self to be put in such jeopardy by the
Brooklyn's turn toward her that she
backed her engines. coming almost or
quite 10 q standstiil: so that both the
and the Iowa, which were origi-
nally TO the OF her, passed her,
and it was some time after she again
started before she regained her forrner
position relatively TO the Spanish ves-
sells. III Spanish vessels had s~traighten-
ed out in column for the west. the Colon
SOiiiS ihSiQc - / luc OlucES anu gradually
forging ahead of them, without suffering
much damage. The two torpedo boats,
which had followed them out of the har-
Dor, were now destroyed by the fire OF
the rearmost OF the American big yes
sells and Of the Gloucester, which headed
straight in for them. paying 40 more
heed to their quick-fre guns thar to the
heavy artillery of the forts. to which she
was also exposed.
In the running fight which followed,
until the Teresa, Oquendo and Viscaya
were destroyed, the Indiana gradually
dropped behind, although she continued
to fire until the last of the three vessels
went ashore. The Brooklyn was ahead
Of any OF the other American vessels on
a course outside theirs; she was nearly
broadside Oh to the Spaniards. The Ore
gon, Iowa and Texas were all close to-
gether and actively engaged throughout
this running fight. The Brooklyn and
Oregon, followed at some distance by the
Texas, then continued in chase of the
Colon, which went nearly thirty miles