ated maneuver could have been guided by
them, and, as far as concerted action was concerned, the whole squadron
was under exactly similar contingent orders from Admiral Sampson. As
a matter of fact, the thing to do was so obvious that the subsequent
dispute really raged on the point of who actually gave an order, the
sense of which every one of the commanders would have executed without
order. If, therefore, the layman feels some annoyance at such a
controversy over naval red tape, he may have the consolation of knowing
that all concerned, admirals and captains, did the right and sensible
thing at the time. If there be an exception, it was the curious maneuver
of Schley, the commander of the Brooklyn, who turned a complete circle
away from the enemy after the battle had begun. This action of his was
certainly not due to a desire to escape, for the Brooklyn quickly turned
again into the fight. A controversy, too, has raged over this maneuver.
Was it undertaken because the Brooklyn was about to be rammed by the
Vizcaya, or because Schley thought that his position blocked the fire of
the other American vessels? It is not unlikely that the commander of the
Spanish ship hoped to ram the Brooklyn, which was, because of her speed,
a most redoubtable foe. But unless this maneuver saved the Brooklyn, it
had little result except to scare the Texas, upon whom she suddenly bore
down out of a dense cloud of smoke.

Steering westward, the Spanish ships attempted to pass the battle line,
but the American vessels kept pace with them. For a short time the
engagement was very severe, for practically all vessels of both fleets
took part, and the Spanish harbor batteries added their fire. At 10:15
A.M. the Maria Teresa, Admiral Cervera's flagship, on fire and badly
shattered by heavy shells, turned toward the beach. Five minutes later
the Oquendo, after something of a duel with the Texas, also turned
inshore. The Brooklyn was in the lead of the Americans, closely followed
by the Oregon, which developed a wonderful burst of speed in excess of
that called for in her contract. These two ships kept up the chase of
the Vizcaya and the Cristobal Colon, while the slower vessels of the
fleet attended to the two Spanish destroyers, Furor and Pluton. At 11:15
A.M. the Vizcaya, riddled by fire from the Brooklyn and Oregon, gave up
the fight.

By this time, Sampson in the New York was rapidly approaching the fight,
and now ordered the majority of the