The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-03-06

, Commodore Schley in responsible
command during this running fight
and chase SO far as l was concerned,
and acknowledged and repeated sig
nal 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 had been doing before saw the
Brooklyn, he did not, as 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 nor as to my speed, nor
as to my gun fire during the fight or
chase.
The Oregon always had fires under
all boilers. In spite of the speed
shown by the Oregon in this fight she
had not been and is not cla.sed as the
fastest ship; but during all her SER
vice, in order that no scale should
form in them, not one of our boilers
was used for condensing, though the
resulting discomfort for all hands was
an additional hardship for her COM
manding officer"
EVANS GIVES CREDIT TO SAMPSON.
The following is Admiral Evans
statement:
The credit for the blockade, for
the arrangement Of the ships At the
opening of the fight, and for the first
movements forward into the fight
must, of course, belong to Admiral
Sampson, whose orders we were put
ting into effect. When the fight
began Admiral SIMPSONS ship, the
New York, was in plain sight. l saw
her turning to overtake us. Through
out the fight l considered myself as
under his command, but | received
no orders from him until the Vizcaya
wa. aground. Nor did l receive any
orders whatever from the Brook yn,
nor should | have needed them if l
had received them, inasmuch as l
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 West
ward. When they thus stretched to
the Westward we all went after them
do nothing else. Until the Teresa
and Oquendo ran ashore the Iowa was
close behind the Oregon and ahead Of
the Texas, and all of us were firing
steadily at the Spanish ships. The
Texas then recovered her speed-for
she was dead in the water after hav-
ing backed to avoid the Brooklyn
when the brooklyn turned-and she
went ahead of the Iowa. Both of us
continued to fire at the Vizcaya until
she went ashore. Then l stopped,
but the Texas followed the Brooklyn
and the Oregon after the Colon.
POSITION OF THE NEW YORK.
.When the battle began the New
York was not much farther to the
Eastward of me than the Brooklyn
was to the Westward. After the Viz
caya had grounded the New York
overlook me and signaled me to re-
turn to the mouth of the harbor to
prevent any other Spanish ship from
coming out and attacking the trans
ports. l 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 har-
bor, in obedience to the orders Of Ad
miral Sampson, and then, when the
heaviest fighting was over and the
t Spanish ships were trying to escape
to the West, to follow them-and, of
course, there was no signal necessary
to tell us to follow a fleeing enemy.
The machinery::of the Iowa was not
in condition to get the best speed,
though every effort had been made
to make it so. Her cylinder heads
had not been off for more than six
, months, owing to the service she was
, performing. Her bottom was very
:, foul. as she had not been docked for
, period of II months. The Indiana
=, was unavoidably in even worse
shape.
The New York had left the block
q aiding line flying the signal, 'Disre-
gard the movements of the Com
, mander-in- Chief signal frequently
. made and we'll understood by the en-
= tire fleet. which was usually done by
7 the Commandcr-in-Ch Chief before reach
. ing the limit of signal distance when
a he proposed for any reason temporar-
. lily to relinquish his command to the
next ranking officer"
SIGNALS FROM THE NEW YORK.
o The following is Admiral Tavlor's
J.: statement:
e .'At the beginning of the fight the
# New York was about as far to tho
II Eastward of me as the Brooklyn was
y to the Westward. The only signal
i received from the New York was at
d the very close Of the fight, when she
il signaled to me to return and guard
q the mouth of the harbor, so tha,
e nothing should come out to attack
i our transports. l received no signal
It whatever from the Brooklyn, and
y should not have needed any if one
q had been made, as l considered Ad
d miral Sampson present and in com
d mand. From her position the Indians
l took full part in the actual fight a:
z the Spanish ships came out of the
l. harhor. When they ran to the West
10 ward the Indiana fell behind, bu'
d continued firing at them and the tor
pedo boats until all but the Color
F were sunk or beached. | saw th'
i. Brooklyn turn and run out seaward
- seemingly over mile, about the
:. time the rear one of the Spanisi
~, ships turned to the West; if insteae
:. Of making thi. loop the Brooklyn hae
:, stood straight in toward the Span
- iards, as the other American ship
=, did. it seemed to me that the tigh
70 would have been settled then, with
:, out need of the long cLass."
I'd SAMPSON PRESENT AND IN COMMAND
lg The following is Commander Vain
OF wrights statement:
be AT the outset of the fight the Ne'
ed York was not much farther ava
n from me in one direction than th