Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-06-03
URGES HELP FOR
SCHLEY'S WIDOW

WASHINGTON, June 3.-Senator Ray
ner, of Maryland, told the Senate
today that the famous order for what
is known as the loop of the cruiser
Brooklyn, in the battle Of Santiago
| given upon the spur of the moment ana
in the heat of battle, decided that con-
| fict and saved the day for American
| arms. Senator Rayner sought to make
this point clear in a speech accom-
| panying an amendment he offered to the
| pension appropriation bill SO as to pro-
vide a pension of $3.50 a month, instead
| of $50 a month. to the widow of Admiral
Schley.
The Senate finally agreed to the in
crease. During the debate it was SAID
that Mrs. Schley's present income Is
about $500 a year.
Senator Rayner said that the govern
ment is now paying nearly S2OO,0oo,Vo a
| year in pensions. He said that Admiral
Schley's widow was In dire need OF the
pension and lacked even the means Tor
erecting a suitable memorial to the ad-
miral's grave. Mr.. Rayner excoriated
critics of Admiral Schley, saying that
a critic generally is a person without
reputation, who expects to rise in pub
lie estimation upon the ruins of those
he attempts to humiliate.
Describes schIey's Maneuvers.
He said dmiral Schley was univer-
sally idolized. and challenged the ad-
miral's enemies to point to a single IN
stance where he ever wavered when
duty summoned him. Senator Rayner
said Schley was surrounded at Santiago
by a. band of heroic captains. Referring
to the %Brooklyn's loop as saving the day
at Santiago, he said:
'Then came the Viscaya, and she
made a desperate turn toward the
Brooklyn and the Oregon, that were
pursuing her, but as she did this she
was struck by a. shell from one OF the
vessels. and. hauling her colors down
she was beached at A~cerraderos. Inc
Colon. the last of the ships, then was
making toward the Torquino river.
Schley signaled the Oregon. under the
command of Clark, to try his l5-incn
guns upon her, and with the combined
fire of the Brooklyn n the oregon
upon the ship, and with no possible
chance of escape, and with her human
cargo doomed to certain death II the
fighting continued. her commander ran
his ship ashore at the mouth of the Tor
ouino river, fired his leeward gun, low
cred his flag. and the colors of Spafn
went down before the colors of the
union upon the western continent.
Disobedience of Orders.
"There is another charge that Schley
had TO meet tina | desire briefly to refer
to. and that was that in the conduct of
the fleet along the Cuban coast he had
disobeyed order of the navy department.
This was not the first time that Schley,
in his military career, had found 1t neces-
sary to disobey the orders of his superior
officers. During the Civil War, at the
siege of Port Hudson, when he was In
charge OF the M~onongahela, the signal
was raised upon Farragut's vessel to re-
treat. The quartermaster reported to
Schley that 1t was impossible for him to
see the signals. The order had been
previously given to storm the battery.
This was the signal that Schley saw, and
instead of retreating he leveled his guns
against the fortifcations. He was reprl-
Inandeu Dy fHrrhRutt Dut hiterWniu Inv
admiral called him into his private cabin
and congratulated him.
schley's Greatest struggle"
1.-The time has passed when secretaries
of war or secretaries of the navy wbp
perhaps have never observed any military
tactics except n dress parade, and who
could hardly tell the difference between
a revenue cutter and a battleship, can
fight battles with lead pencils and rulers
and india rubber thousands of miles away
from home.
"And now all of these transactions nave
closed md Schley is gone He delivered
his country as great a victory as she
ever gained upon the sea, and she &C
cepted it with ingratitude, The greatest
struggle he ever passed through was not
amid shot and shell at Santiago: it was
when the shafts of malic and hatred were
leveled at his breast, but he stood with
head erect"