New-York tribune., 1904-08-12
SCHLEY'S OWN STORY.
His account of Battle of Santiago
Admiral Sam pson's absence.

Ito hCSO~St VI 0UCttC " DUItGtOssO
Admiral Sam pson's absence.
A personal account Of the destruction of the span
ish feet on Santiago July 8, 1885 from the pen
Of Rear Almiral Winfield Scott Schley appears in
this weeks issue OF "The Saturday Evening Post
under the title The Fight on Santiago
Admiral Schley writes as follows in regard 20 the
credit for the success OF the operations;
At aooVt S4o Of July ,, 1SsS, the hag orderly
made froH iga FsP0E{sa tne5 sga LaG 0 GTT
s; as-e-ts; q the commander IN cnle1 anu lAat ti.e
uagsnlp had gone eastward high speed; also,
blockade during the middle watch u to a M
and had gone eastward Where either ship had
safed TO the couaudndec OF The second squadron.
accordance with the naval regulations Constituted
me commander OF the secoGu squadron the senior
officer present command
The regulations Of the navy settle thaS eeyoad
Ger when the service exlgencles impose such duties
upon MIN. Ihe EnwrItlen customs LOT cen INJURIES
been gathered into a written cooe Ior tne service
ganzation is based whether a squad or a squadron.
IS that no element OF such organization can ever
De left without responsible co~nnnlaEaer, ~ ana no
military exigency can occur II war Wnen sucn a
force is ever left without some one IN control he
purpose Of fixing this very question The dl1erenc
the continuation Of the Inc Of command in case
the ravages OF battle remove one after anolher IN
upon whom the responsibility Of success or defe@I
From confidential document under the title,
Executive c, Third Session. FIIty-hfth Congress,
communication by Mr. Long respecting advance
ments in the navy il is seen that the commander
in chiefs movements SlOoney that morning
under orders from the department TO meet
General shafter. This order then. furnishes an ex
subsequent movements eastward on J4
a new duty taking him on shore TO me neadquar-
ters OF the army. IL fixes lucoujestably, also, the
az senior officer present in command before San
tago after SIMPSONS withdrawal
After referring to Nelson's victory at Abouklr
Bay in 179s. when his command was division or
Sir John Jelviss feet he continues
From that day to this no military man has ever
claimed that the glory Cf AbOukir Bdv, or, rs bet
ter known. the Battle of the Nile, was in any re
was Nelson's commander in chief. II made diff
mander in chief be eleven miles or eleven hundred
miles away from the scene OF an action in which he
guerdon OF victory TO that commander VINO nights
had rniscarried. or IT, through nismauag cement
CeIvera or any Of his ships had escaped that ray
who was in command, or VINO would have had 20
tbat there Would have Been nc nr, 10 prove tht
the New-York was within signal distance, no claim
sophistFies that were invented the aftermath OF
controversy about this great victory
No instance is recalled where great success was
won in battle when every participant was not
remeni5ered Where any Subordinate ever desired 10
share with MS superior the odlun OF defeat san
great battles won without anybody being in com
the second squadron would have had TO take his
medicine just the
While the sQuadron's strength was thus reduced
We know to-day from the contrl9 rl9utlonS OF l. L@ 5ls
OF Naval Intelligence, and. therefore official that
Captain Concas made reconnaissance at the
in order to learn the disposition Of the American
meet Inc aosGnce OF Ll.e OI A anu " se.
the most oppOrtune moment he had had fo-
when the Spanish squadron. regardless OF the tor
pedoes in the channel. was discovered fling out
Admiral schley. in writing Of the details Of the
fight says OF the course of his flagship. the Brook
lyn.
opD0s BF4o TO 5 seer9s T e spa 5
apparent that the original plan TO rush IN upon
sGgaaron had practically broken through and passei
the battlsshIp line. thereby creating a sItua-
ton the night and that had - be met at
befeto 90 bsd 10 made m nan9 IN order 20
the new condition after the failure OF the trst
had perceived the situation. and gave tae
seconds a similar order by the commander OF
the second squadron. Flag Lieutenant sears was
Clark saw obeyed and repeated
The 9CoGsya 81 Pka sgn$ < TsgGg and 5, @
half her tactical diameter. TO west soULhWesC-Jhe
circle she would nave turned through II she mad
returned 70 the course. northeast by north from
not given by the commander Of the second
squadron. though It vas me proper military ma
approval ana saved the DAY beyond any doubt
But. observing Jhat the BroOklyn'S DOW was swing
ing rapidly 10 starboard, the inquiry was made Z
Captain Cook whether the helm vas hard apOrt-'
The proximity Of the Brooklyn at the time OF the
turn 70 the second Ehi'' afUerward recognized as
the Nizcaya Is oered distinctly the fact
thar number OF men were running Ca heT daC<s
between the superstructUre and her forward tur-
ret, and that daylight was observed by the naked
eye between their legs they
There was coloqUy OF any kind OF any
character with any AZ the time about the turn
and would have been permitted with any
officer. That OF many actions that grew
up, among others SIX eight months after the
fight Among them was the Texas incident. That
ship never for moment in the least danser
from the Brooklyn. During the turn her. distance
was never nearer than five hundred or six hundred
yards from the Brooklyn Some testimony be-
fore the court OF inquiry. in 1901. placed her AZ
much greater distance. During the turn the star
board side Of the Texas was never seen from the
Brooklyn at all
the Spanish ships, he goes on 10 say.
The hghS having ended lis Q. m a natural
interest in the vessels following prompted survey
OF the horizon with glasses The asts OF two sh ps