Evening journal., 1904-08-12
SANTIAGO FIGHT
AGITATED AGAIN
Admiral Sohley Stirs Navy by
Written Article.
BE SAYS SIMPSONS PLAN FAILED

Refers to Battle Of the Nile In Which
History Gives Laurels to Nelson, Not
to Jervis-Denies colloquy About the
Loop"
Washington, Aug. 12-Naval circles
have been deeply stirred by an article
on the naval battle of Santiago dur
ing the Spanish-American war which
appears in the Saturday Evening Post
Of Philadelphia today and which was
written by Rear Admiral Schley, re
tired.
In this article the rear admiral gives
his personal account OF the destruc.
ton Of the Spanish feet" and I'm II
makes several statements regarding
the old questions which the naval bat
tie brought about and which even an
exhaustive court OF inquiry did not
fully settle.
The admiral accentuates the cabled
orders from the navy department
which had sent Admiral Sampson to
seek a conference with General Shaf-
ter on that historic morning Of July
This withdrawal Of SIMPSONS Gag.
ship, he declares. determines his own
status as senior officer in command OF
the blockading feet lie then refers
10 the battle OF the Nile, which Lord
Nelson won over the French and re-
counts that history has acclaimed Mel
son as the victor Of that battle al
though Nelson's superior, Sir John Jer-
Wis, had sent him out in search OF the
French fleet some three months before
Describing the position OF the Ameri
can ships blockading Santiago. Admiral
Schley tells Of the sortie. and. asserting
that the formulated plan for destroy
ing the Spanish ships had failed
makes the statement that the enemy's
vessels practically forced their way
through the line Of blockading battle.
ships. and that created an unlocked
for situation and one which II was nee
essary TO meet at once.
i To Captain Cook of the Brooklyn
he gives the credit Of having anticipat.
ed his order Hard aport," and fatty
denies that there was any colloQuy
about this order-the allegation that
there was such colloquy and that the
cruiser swinging away from the bat
tie under a port helm. had endangered
the Texas. speeding to the fray, being
largely responsible for the court Of in.
quiry which sat IN Washington witt
Dewey as its president.
Texas Not Endangered.
The admiral further says that all talk
Of the Texas having been endangered
is a fiction.
Continuing, the admiral says that
while the Socapa battery and all four
of the Spanish cruisers concentrated
their full fire upon him, and. while he
felt that he was alone in the battle
he determined 70 fight it TO the last
let the consequences be as they might
He then tells of the Oregon's appear
ance and the signal follow the flag
and how terrific was the spectacle and
how one after the other the Spanish
ships turned and sought the beach, all
except the Colon. and 10 which the
Brooklyn and the Oregon give chase.
The futile plight Of that vessel and
her surrender is told, and then the ad-
miral relates az considerable length
how strange vessel was seen and re-
ported to be Spanish battleship and
how the Brooklyn was sent out to in
vestigate her character and how nearly
he came TO firing upon the Austrian
battleship Infanta Maria Teresa be.
fore he discovered what she was.
Friends Of Rear Admiral Sampson in
the navy deeply deplore the way in
which Rear Admiral Schiey has con.
trasted Admiral Sampson with Admiral
Jervis, who took Lord Nelson into his
arms after the great naval victory al
st. Vincent.
An opinion was expressed that, al
though Rear Admiral Schleys action
was apt 10 irritate old wounds. it was
best TO leave his article without an
sWer