The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-02-25
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY
TO THE APPEAL BY SCHLEY
AS 10 the Question of Who Was in Command He
Decides That Sampso Was Technically.
But NEITHER MAN DIRECTED The FIGHT

gagged IN the fight. Admiral Philip is
dead. ! quote extracts from his maya
zine article on the fight. written mime
diately after it occurred; closing with N
extract from his leIter 20 the SccTc
tary ol the Navy OF February q. 1898:
ADMIRAL PHILIPS STATEMENT.
IT was the blockade that made the
battle possible. The battle WIS 4 Girecr
consequence Of the blockade, aud upou
the method ana effectiveness OF the block
AIDE was very largely dependent the issue
u the battle. 3 Under the orders
Of Admiral Sampson the blockade was
conducted with 2. success ~exenpliied By
: the result. = When the Spanish
! Admiral at last made his dash 70 escape,
We We're ready-reaiy with our men. with
our guns, and with our engines. az 3
II was only a few minutes after We had
seen the leader OF the advancing squadron
that 1t became apparent that Cervera's
plan was to run his ships in columns
westward in an effort TO escape. = =
before lie had fatty found himself out
side the MORO the entire blocKadine
Squadron-Irdtana, Oregon, Iowa. brook
lyn, and Texas-Was pumping she'll into
MIN 1t such a rate as virtually to decide
the issue of the battle in the first few
moments. All our ships had closed in
simultaneously. = Then occurred
the incident which caused me for a mo-
nent more alarm than anything Cervera
nid that day, $ Suddenly a Whit
OF breeze and a lull in the firing lifted
the pail. and there bearing toward US
@nd across our bows, turning on her port
helm, with big waves curling over her
Bows and great clouds CT black smoke
no. - &. fr-1r I~- 7
iyn. She looked as big as half a dozen
Great Easterns. and seemed so near that
it 0 our breath away. Back both
engines hard! went down the tube to
tie astonished engineers, and in a twink
ling the old ship was racing against her
self. The collision which seemed inaIni-
nent, even If it was not, was averted, and
az the big cruiser giided past, all OF US
On the bridge gave a sigh OF relief. Had
the brooklyn struck US then it would
probably have been the end OF the Texas
aid her half Thousand men. : 3 " at
ten minutes 10 10 (the Spanish ships had
appeared at about $50 g , 8 the Iowa
Oregon. and Texas were pretty we'll
punched, holding q parallel course west
ward With the Spaniards. The Indiana
vas also coming Up. we'll inside Of all
the others OF our squadron, bur a little
IN the rear, owing to her far eastward
position at starting. " . = About q
Quarter past 10 the Teresa. which had
been in difficulties from the moment she
left the shelter CT the MORO, turned to
seek Il Bleaching place. She was on fire,
ard we knew that she was no longer a
Glanttty TO De reckoned with. Five min
utes later our special enemy. the Onuen-
DO, also turned Ia shore. $ 3 < The
CiSh6E9 ENOt his ring q u-o ,rtnfo,,zi- but
the pounding she got from our four ships,
more particularly the Oregon, was too
much fef her. and in half an hour she too
fe2 ded for the each. 3 : & determ-
ined 10 push Oh with the Texas. : q !"
1t gives me pleasure to be able 10 write
that. old snip as she is and not built for
speed, the Texas held her own ANA even
gained on the Colcn in that chase. : 8 60
ADMIRAL Sampson was Comn.ander-in-
Chief before, during. and after the ac-
Z, ton"
CAPTAIN CLARKS STORY.
Captain Clark's statement is as fol-
lows:
The credit for the blockade which led
Up 10 the tight is OF course Admiral
S~arnlaon's The position OF the ships on
the moaning OF the fight in a semicircle
head-en to the harbor, in consequence of
which we were able to close in at once,
was his. In closing IN. that is, In making
the first movements. we We're obeying his
Instructions: though as a matter of fact
we would all have closed III any way, in
structicns Or no Instructions. When the
Spanish ships came out OF the harbor the
navigator OF ny ship say the New York
10 the eastward. but received no sig
nal Oh any kind from the New York dur
ing the action, nor was she near enough
10 signal directly 10 me until after the
Colon surrendered
The engagement may be said to hava
been divided into three parts: First, the
fight proper. while the Spanish squadron
was coming out Of the harbor and until
it was clear Cf the Diamond Shoals and
definitely headed westward. second, the
running fight with the already damaged
vessels as they fled westward, until tbs
Teresa. Oqucndo, and Viscaya ran ashore:
ard, third, the chase OF the Colon. dur
ing which there was practically no fight
ing. During the first stage | did not see
to Brooklyn or receive any signals from
her. At the close OF this stage the Ore
gon had passed the Iowa and Texas, and
| when We burst out OF the smoke l saw
the four Spanish ships going west appar-
emily uninjlred, and followed hard after.
at the same time observing the Brooklyn
a little ahead and ofTshore. She was broad
side TO the Spanish vessels AMI was re-
ceiving the weight of their fire, and was
returning it. The Brooklyn and the Ore
yon thereafter occupied substantially
these positions as regards each ether, be-
| ing about eQuidistant from the Spanish
| ships as we successfully overlook them,
! except when the Oregon attempted to
+, close with the Oquendo. The heaviest
fighting was at the harbor mouth and while
the enemy was breaking through or pass
ing CIR line. Not long after the running
fight began the Teresa and then the
| Oouendo turned and went ashore, the
Viscaya continuing for some distance
farther before she also was beached.
Throughout this running fight tho Brook
Ign aud Oregon we're both holly engaged,
being ahead OF any OF cur other ships,
and we then constituted the western ard
what 1 regard as the then fighting divis-
ion OF our feet. l considered Commodore
: schley in responsible command during