The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-20

lines 10Tty OF uIly minutes DetOr0. SAG
had hoisted the signal, Disregard the
movements of the commander-in-chief,"
but had not hoisted the signal to the Sec
ond in command to take charge, which,
sometimes but not always used when
the command was transferred
AS soon as the engagement began
the New York turned and steamed back
hoisting signal to close in, which, how
ever, none of the squadron saw. She
was in plain sight, and not very much
farther from the eaSternmost b1ockading
ships than the latter were from the
Brooklyn, which was the westernmost Of
the line: AS soon as the Spanish ships
appeared the five big American bIockad-
ers started toward them in accordance
with 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
lly 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
Westernmost American vessel-the Brook
iyn, which was nearest the Spanish line
turned to the eastward making loop
or three-quarters of circle, at the end
or which she again headed westward,
Spanish vessels than before the loop
had begun, but still ahead Of any of the
side.
4"The Texas, the next shin to the Brook
lyn. either was or conceived herself to be
put In such jeopardy by the Brooklyn's-
turn toward her that she backed her en-
g1neS, coming almost or QUITE tn a
standstill so that both the Oregon ana
the Iowa, which were originally to the
eastward OF her, passed her, n it was
sGlne time after she again started before
she regained her former position reIa-
lively to the Spanish vessels The Snan
lsh vessels had Strengthened out in col
osnn "a 1l LOT the west, the Colon going inside
OF oe me others and gradually forging ahead
OF them without suffering much dam
age: The two torpedo boats, which had
Ioilowed them out of the harbor were
now destroyed by the fire of the rear
the Gloucester, which headed straight
~ III Ior them. paying no more heed to
thelr qu1ck-flre guns than to the heavy
aTtIIlery OF the forts, to which she was
also exposed. .;sSv
SEES NO DOUBT LEFT
OF FACTS ABOUT FIGHT
I'm the running fight which followed
@ untll the Teresa, Oquendo and Vizcaya
We're destroyed, the Indiana graduaIlv
dropped behind, although She confinued
70 IRE until the last of the three vessels
went ashore. The BROOKLYN was ahead
oi any OF the other, American vessels on
a course outside the others; she was
nearly broadside-on to the Spaniards Tha
oregon, Iowa and Texas Fwere all close
together and actively engaged throughout
49,. eii1tlIis q NJ HSHl.# 1ne& Brooklyn and
oregon, followed at some distance by the
ddexas, then continued in the chase of the
colon, which went nearly thirty miles FAR
;ne tner PEI PeIore she also went ashore. Dur
practlcally no fighting.
Ihese are the facts as set forth above
IN the statements of the captains, and
eiseWnere in their official reports and
on any important point.
Inc question of command in this case
sonlo - nolhai nbin and technical. Admiral samp-
the outset of the fight from all the shins
except the. Brooklyn. Four of these five
SNIP captains have testified that they re-
ffaesga fTa nun nid1 as present and in command.
as the first Spanish ship appeared, but his
siSHdi was not seen by any American
xessel lie was actually under fire from
the forts, and himself fired couple Of
Shots at the close of the action with the
L0rpedo poats, in addition to signaling
me tIle li19lana 1ust at the close OF the ac-
tlon. but during the action not a single
oroer from him was. received by any of
the ships that were actively engaged.
AidrniraI schley at the outset Of the
snip and close in which was simply
carrying out the standing orders of Ad-
IA n1lral taa SAMPSON as to what should be done
out of the harbor. Until after fba elose sse
: OF the frst portion of the fight at the
mouth OF the harbor and until after ne
I,se1o naa mace a his loop and the Spanish ships
were fleeing to the westward not an
other American ship noticed a signal
from him. When the western pursiiit,
oegan. the Oregon, and the Oregon only.
OF command The captain Of the Oregon
then regarded him as in command but
dld not IN any shape or way execute any
movement or any action of any kind
whatsoever in accordance with any or1
der from him.
WHOLE QUESTION rs
DECLARED MERELY TECHNICAL.
I'm short. the question as to which of
the two men, Admiral Sampson or Adj
mIral Schley, was at the time in com
ID mmland' is OF merely nominal character
Technically, Sampson commanded the
feet. and Schley, as usual, the western
division. The actual fact. the important
I2ct, Is that after the battle was on not
81 q nelln was shlfted, not gun was fired,
not a pound of steam was put on in the
engine room aboard any ship actively en-
gdSeu, IN oped1ence. to the order of either
ssampson or Schiey, save on their own
Two vessels 1T was a captains fight
therefore, the credit to which each OF
tue Two is emitted rests on matters apart
from the claim of nominal command over
the squadron; for SO far as the actual
light was concerned neither one nor tho
other, IN fact, exercised any command
sampson was hardly more than techni-
cally IN the fight. His real claim for
credit rests upon his work as commander
ln-chief; upon the excellence of the block
ade. upon the preparedness of the squad
L; ron; upon the arrangement of the ships
nedo-on IN semi circle around the har-
Dor, and the standing orders in accord :
ance with which they instantly moved ia
the attack Of the Spaniards when the lat
ter appeared. For all these things the
credit is his
Admiral Schley is rightly entitled-as
is capt, Gook-to the credit of what the
Brooklyn did in the fight. On the whole
she did we'll but 1 agree with the unanf,
nous hnding of the three admirals who
composed the court of inquiry, as to the
Ioop. It seriously marTed the Brook
!Sn otherwise excellent record, being
IN fact, the one grave mistake made by
any american ship that day. Had he,
Brooklyn turned to the westward, that
Is; IN the same direction that the Span
lsn shlpS were going, instead Of in the
contrary direction, she would undoubted-
~ nave been in more dangerous posi-
tlon for them as well as for her. This
klnd OF danger must not be too nicely
Welgned by those whose trade is to dare
greatly for the honor of the flag. More
over, the danger was certainly not as
great as that which in the selfsame
moment he menaced Wainwright's fragile
fee'' a 10
LAYS HEAVY BLAME ON
SCHLEY FOR THE LOOP.
1T was not, in my Judgment, as great
as the danger to which the Texas was
exposed by the turn as actually made 1t
certainly caused both the Brooklyn and
the Texas materially TO lose position
compared to the fleeing Spanish vessels
But after the loop had been taken Ad-
n2irad Schley handled the Brooklyn man.
fully and well. She and the Oregon were
thenceforth the headmost Of the Amert-
can vessels-though the Iowa, certainly,
and, seemingly, the Texas also, did as
much In hammeringf toma StaRdStill the
Vizcaya, Oquendo and Teresa. While the
Indiana did all her eastern position and
crippled machinery permitted. In the
chase of the Colon the Brooklyn and
Oregon share the credit between them.
Under such circumstances it seems to
me that the recommendations of Presi-.
dent Mckinley were eminently proper.