The age-herald., 1902-02-20
Declares Neither Sampson Nor Schsy Was in Command During
 Battle Off SandagO But t Was Captains Aght

the issue of the battle.
 ''Under the orders of Admiral Sampson the blockade was conducted with suc- cess exen1plified by the result.
 
 "When the Spanish Admiral at last made his dash to escape we were ready ready with our men, with our guns and with our engines.
 Tt was only a few minutes after we had seen the leader of the advanced squadron that 1t became apparent that Cervera's plan was to run his ships in column westward in an effort to escape
 
 Before he had fairly found himself outside the Morro the entire blockading squadron-Indiana, Oregon, Iowa, Brook lyn and Texas-was pumping shell into him at such rate as to virtually decide the issue of the battle in the first few moments. All our ships had closed in simultaneously.
 "Then occurred the incident which caus- ed me for a moment more alarm than anything Cervera did that day.
 
 Suddenly a whiff of breeze and lull 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 bow and great clouds of black smoke pouring from her tunnels, was the Brooklyn. She looked as big as half a dozen great Easterns and seem- ed so near that it took our breath away back both engines hard went down the tube to the astonished engineers and in a twlnkling the old ship was racing against herself. The collision which seem or Inn Yfoinpnt oPf wards averted and the big cruiser glided past, all of us on the bridge gave a sigh of relief. Had the Brooklyn struck us then 1t would probably have been the end of the Texas and her half thousand men.
 Admiral Sampson was commander in- chief before, during and after the ac- tion.''
 Captain Clarks statement is as follows:
 Credit Is Sampson's."
 "The credit for the blockade which led up to the fight Is, of course, Admiral Simpsons. The position of the ships on the morning of the fight in semi-circle, head-on 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 were obeying his instructions, though as a matter of fact we would all have closed in anyway, in- structions no instructions. When the Spanish ships came out of the harbor thesssavigator of my ship saw the New York to the eastward, but I received no signal of any kind from the New York during the action, nor was she near enough to signal directly to me until af- ter the Colon surrendered. The. engage ment 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 1t was clear of the Diamond shoals and definitely headed westward second, the running fight with the already damaged vessels as they fled westward until the Teresa. Oquendo and Viscaya ran ashore; and third the chase of the Colon, during which there was practically no fighting During the first stage I did not see the 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 I saw the four Spanish ships going west .ap- parently uninjured and following hard aft, at the same time observing the Brooklyn a little ahead and off shore. She was broadside to the Spanish vessels and was receiving the weight of their fire and was returning 1t. 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 overlook them except when the Oregon attempted to close with the Oquendo.
 Heaviest Fighting.
 "The heaviest fighting was at the har- bor smouth and while the enemy was breaking through and passing our line. Not long after the running fight began the Teresa and then the Oquendo turned and went ashore. the Viscaya continuing for some distance further before she also was beached Throughout the running fight the Brooklyn and Oregon were both hotly engaged, being ahead of any of our other ships; and we then constituted the division, and what I regard as then fighting division, of our fleet. I consid- cred Commodore Schley in responsible command during this running fight and chase so far as was concerned, and ac- knowledged 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 be- fore, l say the Brooklyn as a matter of fact did not exercise any control over any movement or action of the Oregon, nor did 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 following is Admiral Evans state ment:
 "rhe credit for the position of the ships and the first movement forward into fight must of course belong to Admiral Samp- son, whose orders we were putting into effect. When the fight began Admiral Sampson's ship, the New York, was in plain sight. I saw her turning to overtake us. Throughout the fight I considered my- self as under his command. But I re- ceived no orders from him until the Vis- caya was aground. Nor did I receive any orders whatever from the Brooklyn, nor should I have needed them if I had re- ceived them, inasmucn as I considered Admiral Sampson to be present and in command
 ''The heavy fighting was during the time when the Spanish vessels were com ing out of the harbor and before they had stretched fairly to the westward. When they thus stretched to the vest ward we all went after them without or ders-of course we could 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 having backed to avoid the Brook lyn when the Brooklyn turned, and she went ahead of the Iowa. Both of us continued to fire at the viscaya until