Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-03-01

6-inch. II must be remembered that
the 4-inch and 5-lnch guns were the
only quick firers above ~six-pounders
In our feet, and that they were not
only much more rapidly, but much
more surely. handled than were the
larger and slower firing guns.
The damage and loss to the American
vessels was trivial. The only loss suf-
fered was aboard the Brooklyn, where
man vas killed and n wounded.
In damage the cost of. repairs shows
hat the Iowa suffered most and the
Oregon least.
The American ships engaged pos
sessed q more than twofold material
superiority over the Spanish ships,
and the difference in the handling OF
the guns and their engines vas even
| greater. We have just aus TO be
proud OF the vigilance n instant
readiness our ships displayed and the
workmanlike efficiency with which
they were handled. The most strik-
ing act was that of the Gloucester, a
converted yacht, which her command
err, Wainwright, pushed n the fight
through a hail OF projectiles. any one
OF which would have sunk her, In or
der that he might do his part In de-
s~troying the two torpedo boats, each
DOEBtSSluB ldi ilOiN 1i"' 49, y
fenslve power.
Fought on SIMPSONS Pian.
From the statements Of the captains
above, from the official reports, n
from the testimony before the court
OF inquiry. the fight can be plotted
with absolute certainty In its import
ant outlines, though there is conflict
as 10 minor points. When the -FOUR
Spanish cruisers came out OF the mar
Dor the New York had left her position
I'm the blockading line forty or torty-
FIVE minutes before. She had hoisted
the signal, Disregard the Movements
OF the Commander In Chief but hao
not hoisted the signal to the second IN
command to take charge, which as
appears by the signal book, vas some
times but not always used when the
command was transferred. AS soon as
the engagement began the New YORK
turned and steamed back, hosting
signal to close in, which, however, none
OF the %squadrons saw. n was In pam
sight. and not very much farther from
the easternmost blockading ships than
the latter were from the BROOKLYN
which was the westernmost OF the Inc:
AS o az the Spanish ships appeared
the five big American start
ed toward them in accordance with the
standing orders OF Admiral Sampson.
After this first move each acted
purely on his own initiative. For some
minutes the Spanish and American YES
sells steadily approached m another
and the fighting was al It's hottest. Then
the already damaged Spanish ships
to the westward, while at the
same time the westernmost American
vessel, the Brooklyn, which was near
est the Spanish line, turned To the
..,I ,n O. 1nnn mr. IN Fnn=nIl1r-
tercircle, at the end OF which she again
headed westward, farther off from and
farther behind the Spanish vessels
than before the loop had been begun,
but still ahead of any OF the American
vessels, although farther outside.
The Texas In Peril.
The Texas. the next ship to the
Brooklyn, either was, or conceived her
self to be put In such jeopardy by the
Brooklyn's turn oward her that she
backed her engines. coming almost or
quite to II standstill, so that both the
oregon and Iowa, which were origin
ally to the eastward Of her, passed her,
and Il was some time after she aSain
started before she regained her former
position relative to the Spanish ves-
sells. The Spanish vessels had straight
med out in column for the west, the
Colon going inside or the others n
gradually forging ahead OF them, with
suffering much damage. The two
torpedo boats which had followed them
out of the harbor were now destroyed
by the fire Of the rearmost OF the Amer
lean big vessels and the Gloucester,
which headed straight in for them,
paying 10 more heed to their quick fire
guns than to the heavy artillery Of the
forts, TO which she was also exposed.
In the running fight which followed
until the Teresa, OQuendo Niscaya
we're destroyed, the Indiana gradually
dropped behind. although she continued
to fire until the last Of the three YES
sells were ashore. The Brooklyn was
ahead OF any OF the other of the Amer
can vessels on n course outside the
others; she was nearly broadside on
10 the Spanish ships. The Oregon, Iowa
md Texas were all close together n
actively engaged throughout his run
ming fight. The Brooklyn and Oregon,
followed at some distance by the Texas,
continued In chase of the Colon,
which went nearly thirty miles farther
she also went ashore. During
this chase OF the Colon there was prac-
ticully no fighting.
These are the facts, as set forth
above, in the statements of the cap
and elsewhere in their official re-
ports and testimony. They leave no
room for doubt on any important point,
A Captains Fight.
The question of command is in this
,ase nominal and technical. Admiral
SIMPSONS ship, the New York, was
seen at the outset OF the fight from all
he ships except the Brooklyn. Four
these five ship captains have testi-
led that they regarded him as present
in command. lie signaled Close
n to the iieet as soon as the first
ship appeared, but his signal
not seen by any American vessels.
lie was actually under fire from the
'orts, and himself fred a couple of
'hots, at the close OF the action with
he torpedo boats, in addition to sig
Ealing the Indiana just at the close of
he action. But during the action not
single order from him was received
~ any Of the ships that We're actively
Engaged.
Admiral Schley, at the outset OF the
engagement, hoisted the two signals OF
Clear ship" and CLOSE in," which was
imply carrying out the standing or
lers of Admiral Sampson as TO what
be done If the enemy'S ships at
emptcd to break out of the harbor.
Until after the close of the first por-
of the fight at the mouth of the
arbor, and until after he had made his
oop and the Spanish ships We're fleeing
q the westward, not another American
hip noticed a signal from him. When
he western pursuit had begun the Ore
ron, and the oregon only, noticed and
epeated one of his signals OF com
nand. The captain OF the Oregon then
egarded him as I'm command, but did
in any shape or way execute any
Movement or any action of any kind
whatsoever in accordance with any or
.er from him
In short, the question as TO which
( the two men, Admiral Sampson or
Schley, was at the time in
ommand. is of merely nominal char
Cter. Technically Sampson COM
the fleet, and Schley, as usual,
western division. The actual fact,
iunrrtnut fupt is that after tbo