New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-09-17

the commander ef the second squadron. whose flag;
thus left ON tle blockadng, lines in aceoTda5,eee
with naval regulations She cOnlr a.
of the second squadron the senior officer present III
Command nm .,,s Of the navy settle that beyond
any do1bt bv fixing the responsibility Of such olIi-
Ger when The service exgencies impose such duties
I1non mir, THE unWritten customs for centuries
been s gfbarsd into a written code for the service
rniiIo The theory upon which ali military or
ganizatOn is based. whether squad or squadron.
is that no element of such organization can ever
be left without a responsible commander. and no
military exgency car occur IN war when Sue The .
dates of commission held by officers is for the pur
eTadations in the northumberland ranks are but
the continuation Of the line OF command m ca in
the commissioned grades. There must be Some Some
one upon whom the responsibility Of success or ue
From M a confidential document under the title.
Executive c. Third Session. LVth Congress. q
communication by Mr. Long respecting 'advanee-
ments in the navy it is seen dnat tne b o,ip.
in chiefs movements TO Sloohey ON tu1t s
were under orders from the depaTtment 70 meet
General Shafter. This order then furnishes an OK
pianatiOn Of the commaad'r IN SiISi SIsiiS n
subsequent movements eastward on July . ~ ~
q, new duty, t.Ks MN II fixes inrontestabIy also
ID - s~ of the second squad
senior officer present in command DeIoie
Santiago after SIMPSONS withdrawal -
If the battle here related had mlsCarrled. or u
through mismanagement CerveTa or any OF MS
no difficulty Whatever about who was in command
effort 20 prove that the New-fork was Wltnln
battle nor any other OF the sophistries that were
invented in the aftermath OF controversy ABOUT inns
No instance is recalled where great success was
won in battle where every participant not aux-
ious to share in the glory but no instance is
membered where any subordinate ever desired 70
share with his superior the odium of defeat san
tagO alone would be unique as one or the worlds
great battles won without ANYBODY being IN CON- n
the second squadron would have had To take MS
medicine just the same
The BrooISlyn's turning manoeuvre in the battle
is thus described:
The Brooklyn was steering a course dametricaHy
opposite to that steered by the Spanish fleet and
vas Splsren, ma a bis 1Ia1Ton was energing
from the channel and sink it,; had failed TINS
and passed the battIeship line thereby creating
new situation in The Tight and one that hao TO 2e
position. therefore. had TO be made instantly IN
Of the first plan Cook. under his general instTuc-
TONS had perceived the situation and gave the
similar order the commander of the Second
MAS ordered 10 hoist signal Follow the faG''
which Clark saw. oheyed and repeated
around to the westward through little more than
half her tactical diameter to tI
circle she would have turned through II she had
which she was started The order to port the helm
given by the commander of the Second
manruvre under the circumstances. II met with
ing rapidly TO starboard the inquiry was made
aport' The PROXIMITY of the Brooklyn. at the
me Of the n s s 10 Eae IS 5P
from the fact that number OF men We're ruRhlng
forward turret' and that daylight was observed by
the naked eye between their legs as they ran; any,
character. with any at the time about the turn
ga nom s, was one Of many fctions that grew
mp among others six or eight months after me
ship Was MAS R roev g pmTn The turn her distance
was
from the Brooklyn.
This extract indicates the admiraIs view Of the
part played at the close OF the battle by the New
York
interest in ne vessels following prompted surve,
Of the horizon with glasses The nasts OF two
Answered 10 he tbe Texas and the vixen The
third whose smoke was visible. proved be the
New York, which arrived ON the scene at 2;3 p m:
ended II the New-York making at that time
the speed OF seventeen knotS as aBta'n ISoo
commander In chief az Guantanamo then al the
been nearer than about nineteen niles-too FAR 10
be within seeing distance and too tar away 10 Dr.
battle ended.
About the incident Of the uusent telegram TO
Washington Admiral schley writes:
From the signal made 70 N. brooklyn; IS a. she
commander in chief 20 remain by the tolon- IN
was clear Therefore after the duty assigned had
been completed. the Brooklyn proceeded TO San
The absolute humiliation Of the spanish squadron.
with the capture of its entire personnel. was ~
fun Of consequence and 50 important 70 the nation
that the thought occurred that II ought 20 pe
cahled home. with the added information tnat the
Colon. but would transmit details later. mis-
arrival
With This idea in view Flag Lieutenant James
with telegram 20 that end His Instructions
nouncng the victory had been sent he was TO
send the one he bore; but II such message had
already been sent he was 60 return without send
When Lieutenant Sears returned he brought
back the above telegram and reported that he had
telegram from the commander ia chief, and had
accompanied him To the cable station: at SibOney;
not sent the one intrusted to him
When Mr.. stanton read the telegram. which
afterward much criticised. Mr.. Sears
gested correction in the time OF the CoOu's sur
render, which occurred at Is D. m; Instead Of
suggested that Ellis. the only man killed in the
American squadron IN the action. ought 70 be men
Commodore Watson. impressed alike with the
commander Of he second squadron. felt that She
the nation that ne ought 20 transmit as nc did
earlier in the day, a telegram
In explanation Of his personal relations at that
time with Admiral Sampson. the author says:
In that same spirit of generous fairness to share
the honors and glories of that great victory with
ia degree. the telegram which follows was trans
mitted the afternoon Of that day. through Admiral
Flagship BROOKLYN
on Santiago, Cuba. July 10. 1898
Feel some modification that the newspaper ac-
almost entirely to me. Victory was secured bv
the force under command commander in chief
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