The Topeka state journal., 1902-02-20

to prevent any. other Spanish ships from
coming out and attacking the transports.
i,9 4 received no Slgnais OF any KIND from the
| IN on the Spanish squadron as it came out
of Admiral Sampson, and then, when the
heaviest fighting was over and the Span
west to follow them-and, of course, there
was no signal necessary to tell to follow
The machinery of the Iowa was not in
condition to get the best speed, though
Her cylinder heads had not been OF for
more than six months, owing to the ser
vice she was performing. Her bottom was
very foul, as she had not been doeked for
period of II months. The Indiana was
unnxoida6ly Tbe Ga Io in even en- worse & & shaPe
line line, flying m the signal -.Disregard the move
nal frequently made and well understood
by the entire fleet. 1t did not transfer the
second in command to assume command
OF the fleet, which was unusually done by
limit of signal distance when he proposed
for any reason temporarily to relinquish
ADMIRAL TAYLOR QUOTED.
The following is Admiral Taylors state
AT the beginning of the fight the New
York was about as far to the eastward of
The. only signal 1 received from the New
York was at the very close of the fight.
guard the mouth of the harbor, so that
nothing should come out to attack our
L
from the Brooklyn and should not have
needed any II one had been made, as |
in command; From her. position the Indi-
took full part in the actual fight as
When they ran to the westward the In
diana fell behind but continued firing at
the Colon We're sunk or beached. l saw
the Brooklyn turn and run out seaward.
rear one of the Spanish ships turned to
the west; II, instead of making this loop;
the spaniards, as the other American ships
did. it seemed to me that the fight would
have, been settled then, without need OF
-, coMMANDER wAINwRIGHT;
The following is Commander Vain
wright's statement:
AT the outset of the fight the New York
one direction than the Brooklyn was in
the other, and was in plain sight sig
with my moving forward to attack the
torpedo boats was the only signal L re-
before the last torpedo boat sank. The
New York at the time was coming up un-
fired a couple of shots at the torpedo
boats. OF course Admiral Sampson was
signals from the Brooklyn, and would not
have noticed her at all had it not been for
the fact that when the other vessels closed
in she made what has been since called
the loop, so that my attention was not
she stopped, and by not seeing the Brook
lyn because she went to seaward, away
the left or westward part of our line was
confused, and this attracted by. attention,
that this permitted the Spanish vessels to
try to escape to westward.
1OWA'S GOOD SHOOTING.
Spanish war vessels showed that, in addi-
der and one-pounder guns of the American
fleet, they We're struck forty-nine times
and 'A over. M The Colon. Which li came ei'-ot out
inside the others and did comparatively
hits. The other three ships, which bore
the brunt of the action, received forty
according to the report of the board which
examined into them, We're by four-inch
four or fve-inch (the Board could not de
termine which, while one was by either
inch and two by twelve-inch guns All
of our big ships except the Texas had
had twelve-inch guns. The oregon and
Indiana had thirteen-inch guns: and they
only four-inch guns were on the Iowa; the
only five-inch guns on the Brooklyn. There
the bulk of the fighting, out of the forty
large caliber shots that struck them, elev-
tainly came from the Brooklyn. and two
from either the Iowa or the Texas. OF the
five-inch and must have come from the
BROOKLYN; one was either a fve-inch or a
the four and fiVe-inch guns We're the only only
quick firers above six-pounders in our
more rapidly but much more surely han
died than were the larger and slower fir
The damage and loss on the American
vessels were trivial. The only. loss suf-
one man was killed and one wounded. In
damage, the cost of the repairs show thar
the Iowa suffered most and the Oregon
wAINwRIGHT's BRAVERY.
The American ships engaged possessed a
more than two fold material superiority
over the Spanish ships and the difference
engines en- m Sss- Was even greater. We have ~ Just
cause to be proud of the vigilance and
instant readiness our ships displayed and
the workmanliSe efficiency with which
they We're handled
The most striking act was that of the
commander, Wainwright, pushed into the
one of which would have sunk her, in
order that he might do his part in de-
sessing far more than his own offensive
power.
From the statements of the captains
above from the official reports and from
the testimony before the court of inquiry.
tainty in it's important outlines, though
there is conflict as to minor points When
harbor. the New York had left her po-
sition in the blockading lines forty or for
the signal: Disregard the movements of
the commander-in-chief but had not
mand to take charge, which. as appears
by the signal book was sometimes. bur
not always, used when the command was
transferred. AS soon as the enga cement
began the New York turned and steamed
back hoisting Il signal to close in, which.
however, none of the squadron saw. She
was in plain sight and not very much
farther from the outermost blockading
Brooklyn. which was the westernmost of
W sCHLEY's FAMOUS LOOP.
AS soon as the Spanish ships appeared.
the five big American blockaders started
toward them in accordance with the
standing orders of Admiral Sampson. AZ
ter this move. each acted purely his
own initiative
For some minutes the Spanish and
American vessels steadily approached one
another and the fighting was at it's hot
test Then the already damaged Spanish
ships turned to the westward. while, at
the same time. the weSternmost American
ret