The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-20

4OAt DNalllNll A CL t.rfEIr SHOWS IiA1L
in addition 10 several score hits By
the six-pounder and one-pounder
suns of the American feet, they
were struck forty-three times by
the larger guns Of fOUr-inch caIiber
aad over. The Colon, which came
outside lie others and did compare
lively little hghting, received but
three of these hits.
The otEer three ships. which bore
the brunt Of the action. received
forty among them. or those forty,
eleven, according TO the report of
the board which examined into
them, were by fOur-inch guns, ten
by ive-inch guns four by either
four or fivc-!nch Uhe board could
not determine WhiCh), while one
was either five OF six-inch.
t'Celve were by eight-inch and two
by tWelve-incb guns.
All Of our Dig ships except the
Texas had eight-inch guns. Only
the Texas and Iowa had twelve
inch guns. The Oregon and In
diana had thirteen-inch guns. and
they and the Texas had six-incn
guns The only four-inch guns were
on the Iowa; the only hve-inch guns
on the Brooklyn. Therefore on
the three Spanish ships which did
the bulk Of the fighting, cut of the
forty lcrge caliber shots that struck
them, eleven certainly came from
the Iowa. ten certainly came from
the Brooklyn, four from either the
Iowa or the Brooklyn, and two
nom either the Iowa or the Texas
OF the three which struck the CO.
Ion, two We're fve-inch and must
have come from the Brooklyn, and
one was either a five-inch or a six
inch
American Dan .ge Small.
II must be remembered that the
four and five-inch guns were the
only quick firers above six-pound-
ers in our feet, and they were not
only much more rapidly. but much
more surely. handled than were the
larger and slower firing guns. The
damage and loss Of the American
vessels were trivial. The only loss
suffered was aboard the BROOKLYN.
where one man was killed and one
wounded In damage. the cost of
the repairs shows that the Iowa
suffered most and the Oregon least.
The American ships engaged Dos
sessed more than two-fold ma
teriSl superiority over the Spanish
ships, and the difference in the
handling Of their guns and their en-
gines was even greater. We have
Just cause to be proud of the vigil
arc and instant readiness our ships
displayed and the workman-like eff
hciency with which they we're
handled. The most striking act
was that of the Gloucester. q con-
Nerted yacht. which her COM
nander. Wainwright. pushed into
tbs fight through a hail of Droier-
tiles. any one of which would have
sunk her, i'm order that he might do
his part in destroying the two tor
pedo boats. each possessing far
more than his own offensive power.
Conflict in Minor Points.
From the statements OF the captains
d boFe. continues the president, from
the oflclai reports and from the test
mony before the court of inquiry. the
hSht can be plotted with absolute GER
tSlity In It's important outlines. though
theIe is conflict as to minor points.
aen the four Spanish cruisers
came out OF the harbOr the New York
mad left her position I'm the bIockading
lines forty or fOrty-ffve minutes he
lore. She had hOisted the signal. Dis
regard the movements of the com
hiander IN chief but had not hoisted
the signal to the second in command
10 take charge. which. as appears bv
the signal book, was 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. none Of the squadron
saw. She was in plain sight and not
very much farther from the eastern
most blockading 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 blOckaders started to-
ward 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 steadily approached one an
other and the fighting was at its hot
test. Then the already damaged Span
ish ships turned to the westward. while
at the same time the westernmost
American vessel, the Brooklyn. which
was nearest the Spanish line. turned
10 the es-tward, making a loop of a
circle, at the end. she
again headed westward, farther of
from and far-ler behind the Spanish
vessels th'n lefore the loop mad begun.
but still ahead Of any of the American
vessels, although farther outside.
Situation IF the Texas.
The Texas, the next ship to the
Brooklyn, either was or conceived her
self 10 be put in such jeopardy by the
iSFOoklyn's turn toward her that she
backed her engines, coming almost or
quite to a srandstill; SO chat both the
Oregon and the Iowa, which were orig
laaiy TO the eastward OF her, passed
her and it was some time after, she
again started before she regained her
1c-mer position relatively to the Span
ish vessels.
The Spanish vessels had straight
eyed out in column for the wess, the
Colon going inside of the others and
sIsdual,y forging ahead Of them, With
out differing much damage. The two
torpedo boats, which had followed
them out of the harbor were now de-
siroyed by the fire of the rear-most of
The American big vessels and Of the
Gloucester. which headed straight in
for them, paying no more heed To their
Quick-fire guns than TO the heavy ar
tillery of the forts TO which she was
also exposed.
IN the running fight which followed
until the Teresa, Oquendo and Niscaya
were destroyed, the Indiana gradually
dropped behind, although she continued
10 fire until the last of the three yes
sells went ashore. The Brooklyn was
ahead of any of the other American
vessels. on a course outside theirs; she
v'as nearly broadside or TO the Span
i;trdS
f'The oregon. Iowa a nd Texas were
an close together and a ctively engaged
I lToughout this running fight. The
EFoollyn and oregon, followed at some
distance by the Texas. then continued
ind chase Of the Colon. which went near
~ thirty miles farther before she also
" ent ashore. During the chase OF the