The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-04

Inc entlfe spanish neet was destroyed
or surrendered. Schley being the sec
ond in command in the absence of
Admiral Sampson. conducted bat
tie. SIMPSONS flagship at The time
being hull down below the horizon
A couple OF years after the battle.
McClay'S "History of the United
States Navy was published. and in
it the author i'll discussing the battle
of Santiago called Schley Il "%caitiff,
paltroon and coward" Schley re-
uueSted a naval court of inquiry and
the secrets of the battle were laid
bare. Admiral Dewey was president
of Ii the other two members.
Rear Admirals Benham and Ramsey.
neither of whom had ever won more
than desk honors.
In the trial Schley was represented
by lsador Raynor. now Il United
States senator from Maryland. and
II trial was noted for both its bril-
liancN and its bitterness. Two acts
were especially pressed against
Schley. one was that while on the
hiockadins station and before the ar
rival of Sampson, he had started for
Key West with his fleet to coal, thus
49, ~ way PPGu u bIS cSldtC
of Cervera and his fleet. The fleet
was coaled at sea and Schley'S de-
Tense was thai without coil his ships
could not have engaged the Spaniards
and that he thus took what he be-
liered was the wiser of two courses.
The friends of Sampson, who in
truth. We're the movers of the prose-
cution in spirit ii not in fact, con-
tended that the fleet could have been
coaled without leavins the station,
the gist of the matter being whether
such coaling were possible in a rough
sea or O When the fleet left the
station the sea was rough and Schley
claimed the golfers could not be held
alongside the vessels without danger.
The controversy was never settled.
but the naval department from that
time began the construction of larger
coal storage on the new vessels.
The other act upon which much
stress was placed vas the turning of
Schley's flagship during the battle by
his command which threw ii so that
its curse lay directly across that of
another Vessel II to avoid a collis-
ion IL was necessary to reverse the
engines n the Spanish vessel which
the threatened vessel was pursuing
gained considerable space during the
delay. The captain O. the New York,
Schley's flagship. testified that the
vancouver was necessary in order to
bring the vessels batteries into play
and that had not Schley given the
command To change the curse of the
vessel he himself would have done
SO.
h majority of the court of in
uuiry censured Sclley for cowardice
in leaving the hlockading station and
for lack of iudgmen, in battle for
ordering the change of course of his
flagship. Admiral Dewey refused to
concur in the findings of his two as
sociates and praised Schiey for
promptness n efficient service. The
majority report was approved by
the secretary of the navy and the
minority report by the general public.
Admiral Sampson died Il few wears
later of a broken heart Owe the harsh
criticism thai was heaped upon him
for the part he had taken in seeking
TO strip Schley of the credit for the
victory and the part his friends had
taken in prosecuting him in the trial.
The trial proved nothing so far as
n real merits of the controversy
was concerned. Now hat both the
principals are dead the matter will
end except as il shall become a part
of the history of the nation.
His rescue of Lieutenant Greedy
and his party in the tpolar regions
was one of the remarkable exploits
If the civil I-rt1- rf tl,- ->- .xl
MS conduct, perseverance m daring
on that expedition will forever silenc.
his critics who shall attempt to cast
asperslons upon his character. He
will stand out in history as a true
American to whom great opportu-
nifty came and was successfully met.
His fame was made in an hour but il
Will not perish in a century.