out of the way on other duty, and Schley has been
charged with an evasive movement of the New York just then that lost
valuable time. It is related by the Washington staff correspondent
of the Chicago Times-Herald that just after the battle of Santiago,
Commodore Schley went aboard the Iowa and hailed Captain Evans with
the remark that it had been a great day for the American navy.

"But why didn't you obey orders and close in on the mouth of the
harbor instead of heading out to sea?" inquired Evans.

Commodore Schley's reply was that he was afraid the Vizcaya would
ram the Brooklyn. This colloquy referred to a striking maneuver of
the flagship Brooklyn early in the engagement at Santiago, which has
been commented on before. In justice to Commodore Schley the navy
department officers admit the Spanish officers after the battle
said that it had been their purpose, on emerging from the harbor,
to have the Vizcaya ram the Brooklyn, believing that the Spanish
cruisers could outrun the remaining vessels in the American fleet,
most of which were battleships, supposed to be of a lower rate of
speed than the Spanish cruisers.

The action of the Vizcaya as she headed toward the Brooklyn indicated
her determination to carry out this programme. But the remark of
Captain Evans to the nominal commander of the squadron would under
ordinary circumstances have been an act of insubordination and only
illustrates the feeling of some of the captains of the fleet toward
the Commodore.

It has been said that Schley, being ordered to Key West when Cervera
appeared in Cuban waters, "proceeded to Cienfuegos, which was thought
to be the destination of the Spanish warships. That port commanded the
only direct railroad connection with Havana, and had the Spanish fleet
gone there Admiral Cervera could have relieved General Blanco with
money and munitions of war and received in return supplies necessary
for his squadron. It is believed even now that had the Spanish ships
been properly supplied and equipped they would have gone to Cienfuegos
instead of to Santiago. But subsequent developments have shown that
Admiral Cervera was permitted to take only enough coal to carry him
to the nearest port, Santiago."

Schley credited Cervera with knowing enough to know that Cienfuegos
was the better port for his purposes, and therefore adhered to his
opinion, and Sampson was made his superior officer. So important
have the differences seemed that the Wai