The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-20

alarm than. anything Cervera did that day. Suddenly . whi1 of breeze and . Hull in the firing lifted the pail. and there bearing toward us and across our bows, turning on her port helm, with big waves curling over her bows and great clouds of black smoke pouring from her tunnels was the Brooklyn. She looked as biz as half dozen Great East erns and seemed 50 near that 1t took our breath away. Back both engines hard went down the tube to the aston ished engineers. and in twtnkling the old ship was racing against herself. The collision which seemed imminent. even if 1t was not was averted as as the big cruiser glided past all of us on the bridge gave a sigh of relief. Had the Brooklyn struck us then 1t would proba- bly, have been the end of the Texas and her half thousand men. Ad- miral Sampson was commander-in-chief before, during and after the action." Captain Clarks statement Is as fol- lows:
 .'The credit for the blockade which led up to the fight is of course Admiral Sampson's. The position of the ships on the morning fof the fight in semi-circie head onto the harbor in consequence of which we were able to close in at once, was his. In closing in, that is, in mak- ing the first movements, we were obeying his instructions, though as a matter of fact we would all have closed in any way, instructions 6r no instructions. When the Spanish ships came out of the harbor the navigator of my ship saw the New York to the eastward, but receiv- ed no signal of any kind from the New York during the action, nor was she near enough to signal directly to me until hA Crlnn cflFrpn6efad
 "The engagement may be said to have been divided Into three parts: First. the fight proper, while the Spanish squadron was coming out of the harbor and until it was clear of the Diamond Shoals and definitely headed westward: second, the running fight with the already damaged vessels az they fled westward until the Teresa, Oquendo and Viscaya ran ashore; and, third. the chase of the Colon. during which there was practical ly no fighting.
 During the first stage. did not, see the Brooklyn or receive any signals from her. At the close of this stage the Oregon had passed the Iowa and Texas and when, we burst out of the Anukoi n saw the four Spanish ships going west apparently unipjured and followed hard after, at the same time observing the Brooklyn a little ahead and off-ehore. She was broadside to the Spanish vessels and was receiving the weight of their fire, and was returning it. The Brooklyn and the Oregon thereafter occupied sub stantially these positions as, regards each other, being about equally distant from the Spanish ships as we successfully over took them. except when the Oregon at- tempted to close with the OQuendo.
 "The heaviest fighting was at the har- bor mouth and while the enemy was breaking through or passing our line, Not long after the running fight began the Teresa and then the Oouendo turned and went ashore. the Viscaya continued for some distance farther before she also was beached. Throughout the running fight, the Brooklyn and Oregon was both hotly engaged, being ahead of any of our other ships: and we then constituted the eastern. and what I regarded as the then fighting division, of our aeet. l con- sidered Commodore Schley In responsible command during this running nght ana chase so far as l was concerned and acknowledged and repeated signal he had flying for close action or something of the kind. As, however. the problem was perfectly simple, namely, to pursue the Spanish ships as I had been doing before I saw the Brooklyn, he dtd not as a matter of fact exercise any control over any movement or action of the Oregon nor did l perform any action of any kind whatever in obedience to any order from the Brooklyn. neither as to my course or as to my speed, nor as to my gun fire. during the fight or chase"
 The following is Admiral Evanss state- ment:
 'The credit for the blockade for the arrangement of the ships at the opening of the fight and for the first movements lxz%1 Rrtt rYf hH- long to Admiral Sampson. whose orders we were putting into effect. When the fight began Admiral Sampson's ship, the New York, wa sin plain sight. l saw her turning to oyertake us. Throughout the fight I considered myself as under his command. But I received no orders from him until the Viscaya was aground Nor did l receive any orders whatever from the Brooklyn nor should have needed them If 1 had received them, inasmuch as I considered Admiral Sampson to be present and in command. The heavy fighting was during the time when the Spanish vessels were coming out Of the harbor and before they had stretched fairly to the westward. When they thus stretched to the westward we all went after them without orders-of course we could do nothing else. Until the Ieresa and Oquendo ran ashore the Iowa was close behind the Oregon and aheao or the Texas and all of us were firing steadily at the Spanish ships. The Texas then recovered her speed-for she was deao in the water after having backed 10 avoid the Brooklyn when the Brooklyn turned-and she went ahead Of the Iowa. Both of us continued to fire at the Vis- caya until she went ashore. Then stopped but the Texas followed the Brooklyn and the Oregon after the Colon
 When the battle began the New fork was not further to the eastward of me than the Brooklyn was to the westward After the Viscaya had grounded the New York overlook me and signalled me to- return to the mouth of the harbor to prevent any other Spanish ship from com ing out and attacking the transports. II received no signals of any kind from the Brooklyn. All we had to do was to close in on the Spanish squadron as it came out of the harbor in obedience to the orders of Admiral Sampson and then when the seVerest fighting was over ans the Spanish ships were trying to escape to the west to follow-and of course there was no signal necessary to tell us to follow a fleeing enemy.
 ''The New York had left the blockading line flying the signal Disregard the movements of the commauder-in-chief.' a signal frequently made and well under stood by tho entire fleet. 1t did not