New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-13
WHAT THE OFFICERS SAW.
COMMANDER McCALLA'S DISCIPLINE ON THE
ENTERPRISE.
AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE CUTTING
DOWN OF wALKER-UNRULINESS OF
PART OF THE CREw-A DRUNKEN
DEBAUCH AT CRONsTADT.
DEBAUCH At CRONSTADT.

DEBAUCH At CRONsTADT.
Much interesting testimony was given at the
McCalla Court of Inquiry at the Navy Yard YES
terday, which revealed state of affairs on board
the Enterprise which the officers who were on
the stand declared was unlike anything In their
previous naval experience. All except Lieutenant
Osterhaus, who has been the ship Only short
time, testified to the turbulent and unruly char
acter of great part of the crew, the large amount
q drunkenness on board and to the unusual pun
ishments inflicted The Articles of War. several
officers swore had not been read 10 the crew dur
ing the cruise.
The Court opened at l 0 a. m Commander Nc
Gala was present, accompanied by his lawyers,
Messrs Menzies and Ledyard. Joseph II. Choate.
the commanders senior counsel, was
absent. Lieutenant Ingersol. the executive
officer of the ship. was the first witness lie tes-
titled that at time ten or twelve men were
chained together in pairs and made TO walk about
on the quarterback for seven hours. They had
come aboard drunk, and were placed on the
quarterback so that more liquor should be
smuggled TO them, and that they might be under
the eye of the officer of the deck. This was
done by order of the commanding officer. On
one occasion two men triced up TO a Jacobs
ladder leading to the hammock-rail. The men
up, so they were triced up There was no weight
on their lashings except such they threw on
and he did not think that they suffered at all
part of the crew was composed of men of
bad character. More liquor was smuEcled on
board than he had ever before on ship
in all his experience The men were violent and
disordery when drunk. He regarded Walker as
bad man. On the night that Commander Nc
Gala cut Fireman Walker the witness was awalI-
ened by the shout of one on the gundeck
He heard Commander McCalla come to the door
of his cabin and order that the noise be stopped
He then heard the commander come out Of the
cabin. 1t was about II o'clock at night. but as
the ship was at Christiania. in 60 degrees north
latitude, it light enough to read print on
deck, the day being near the longest one in the
year. on which there is no night in those latitudcs
THE WALKER 1NG DENT
Mr. Ingcrscl hastily dressed and followed the
commander. who walked to where Walker was
in double irons. just abaft the snokcstack. Com
mander McCalla ordered the man TO stop his
noise and was answered by violent and insulting
language An unsuccessful attempt was made 10
GAG him. In the struggle Walker worked his
way still further aft to gun No. 3. on the star
board side About twenty men had left their
hammocks under the forecastle and had crowded
aft They watched what was going on, and
seemed TO be in sympathy with Walker The
man still continuing abusive and violent. Com
mander McCalla drew his sword and cut him over
the head. Lieutenant Ingersol ordered the men
to 80 forward, thinking that such a scene should
not be witnessed by the crew. They went re-
luctantly and sullenly. Walker was stunned for
awhile. and placed in his hammock in the
starboard gangway. the witness continued. The
surgeon was summoned to attend Walker. When
oil
living on the deck Commander McCalla did not
raise bis hand higher than his shoulder when hr
hit Walker.
The lieutenant did not consider the blow a
dangerous one. Walker was subsequently kept
for some time in a stratiacket. Lieutenant In
cersol testified TO other men having been placed
in straitjackets. This was done 10 prevent their
getting liquor. One of the Jackets was exhibited
for the information of the court. 1t was a
straight piece of canvas. with eyeet holes III the
ends so that when it was placed around man
and laced up the wearers arms would he pinioncd
straight TO his side. Lieutenant Ingerso test-
fed to the care exercised by Captain McCalla in
fitting up the ship for the sanitary welfare Of the
men, and the unusual amount Of liberty ashore
and money allowed them lie thought that if
the crew had been good one the cruise would
not have been fraught with unusual incidents. He
sixty desertions in the course of the cruise.
On cross-examination the following dialogue
took place between Mr.. Mcnzies and Lieutenant
Ingersol in regard TO the Walker affair.
Did you not regard it as an extraordinary in
cident?'
Il regarded it as the most extraordinary Incl
dent of my naval career.
In regard TO the men crowding aft, you mean :"
in every respect"
WAS il not a moment of great anxiety :"
at was certainly moment of anxiety"
Under the circumstances do you not think
Commander McCalla was justified in using his
swcid Walker ?"
Lieutenant Ingersol paused minute, and then
replied in low but firm voice: No." Inc court
then adjourned until 10 p. H.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
On the reassemblng Of the court Lieutenant
Figbaum took the witness-chair. lie tstiied 10
having III straitJackets and 10 The
mems having TO walk up and down on the quarter
deck manacled in pairs He knew Of no instance
where superior had struck an inferior except
once, when the chief engineer slapped inipudcnt
wardrsom boy. He testified. as had Lieutenant
Ingersol, that the articles of war had not been
read during the cruise.
Lieutenant Osterhaus, who came next wit
ness, had been OH the ship only SIX months and
had seen nothing unusual IN the discipline in that
time. The next witness was Lieutenant Samuel
I. Lemly. lie SAID that The system OF discipline
aboard the Enterprise was rather "a lack OF sys-
tenn Punis hmcnts for the same offence were un-
equal, reports were sometimes ignored and some
times acted upon. When asked 10 specify par
ticular cases he replied that he could not do 50
without the report books of the Snip. An orderly
was sent for the books. When he returned lie
handed note 10 Commander McCalla, who an
nounced TO the court that the report books had
been lost, Lemly said: Without the books
which are said TO be lost, and which usually
preserved, am unable to specify particular cases.
hutth tha fact 6 |
In regard to giving liberty he said Liberty
was given without any regard 10 the routine of
the ship Sometimes, for instance. all the men
in q oertain part OF the ship would receive per-
mission to go ashore at one time. or two captains