Evening star., 1898-10-15

army men running them did not know how
| to handle them
| Ex-Gov. Beaver-"Did you have any
| storms during the time of landng?"
Good Weather Prevailed.
Lieut. Hnl-"Me nad good weather.
There was some surf
| EX-Gov Beavef-.'H-hat was the charac-
ter of the beach?"
Lieut. Hill-"1t was pretty tough
beach" a n
of the transports from shore?"
Lieut. Hill-"During the first two days we
had great deal s9f trouble with transports.
| which l found was due to the captains of
these steamers. I asked several army Off
GERS why the transports did not go in
closer. They said the captains of the
| steamers said they could not go closer be-
| cause they regarded It as dangerous. They
said that the army officers did not like to
give them orderslto go closer because they
did not know whether it was dangerous or
not. / went to Gen. Shafter to get orders
requiring captains of transports to act un-
der our instructions. l got an order that
day that gave Captain Goodrich or his sub
ordinate officers, authority to direct the
movements of the transports. Captain
Goodrich went aboard these steamers and
took them in, and anchored them closer to
the beach,
Ex-Gov. Beaver-''Then it was through
the navy that the transports were brought
in?"
Lieut. Hill-"Yes."
Ex-Gov. Beaver-"Were there any expert
enced naval officers or sailing masters ia
miNar with that coast on board these trans
ports?"
Lieut.. Hill-"Not that 1 know of. Well.
there was a cadet from the Naval Academy
on board each of these transports. These
cadets had been at the academy one or two
years" 81.
Ex-Gov. Beaver-'+To what was the tim
idity of these sailing masters due? Was it
the result of their lack of knowledge of
the coast?'
Lieut. Hill should say simply gen.
eral timdity. The coast and Spaniards,
too"
Lieut.. Hill testified that he had landed
stores for Gen. Skaters army on the
beach until there was a pile there ten or
fifteen feet high and as wide, extending
over an eighth of a mile. These stores in
cluded everything that the army would
need He said they had landed everything
except horses, and they refused to land
horses.
Landed by the Navy.
I'VE landed stores until they told US they
had enough said Lieutenant Hill "All
these we lan,ied in four days We landed
1900 troops and 5000 Cubans as well in
that time That was simply done with
what facilities the navy had"
General McCook-"Did you land wagons?"
Lieutenant Hill-''The first day 1 saw
wheels going ashore, but l think they be-
longed to the outfit for guns
General McCook-'Were there any facili-
ties for repairing docks?"
Lieutenant Hill do not know. l know
that at Sibony there was great deal of
lumber There was a saw mill there"
General McCook-"How far was that
from Sibony?"
Lieutenant Hill-"Sbony was four miles
off,"
General McCook-"What were the houses
built Off"
F Lieutenant Hill-"They looked like wooden
houses. ;"
General Dodge-"Did they build dock
at Sibony?
lieutenant Htll-"Not while I was there
They talked of building a dock for General
Shafter himself 90 land
Ex-Governor Beaver-"That was for Cen
eral Shafter personality"
Some one asked if-they did not have any
derricks To this inquiry Lieutenant Hill
Not strong enough"
Goone bDenby the the SGs in
ton of transpordti!ng. rdti!ng troops until the men
lieutenant Hiff-'Yes, sir; that is what I
think.
Colonel nb5}22--~TFe navy should have
commando e.
Lieutenant HiiY-" there is no other way.
Somebody who Knows about how it should
be done should have command, and only
the navy knowS.| --.-. 80.
Colonel DenDs-"You think the navy
should have had authority to direct these
transports where to go?''
lieutenant IHii--"Yes, sir"
Colonel Denby--''YoH know whether that
question was discussed at all?"
Lieutenant Hi4b-"No, sir. L have seen a
letter or long telegram from Admiral
Sampson 20 the Navy Department re-
questing that the transportation should be
put under command of the navy.
Colonel DenbY--i'Did you land tents?'
Lieutenant Hill" Yes, sir.
Colonel Deuby-"Do you know that the
army was for seven days without tents?"
Lieutenant Hill-"All l know about that
is what ] have seen in the newspapers"
Continuing to speak on the question of
the landing of troops and supplies, Lieu
tenant Hin said
The ships transporting troops should be
under command of naval officers, and these
officers should direct everything on board
and have command over the debarkation.
When the troops have been debarked, the
army should take charge
DR.. Conner-"In case of hospital trans
! ports, would you have them also under
command of naval officers?"
Lieutenant HIl-"Yes, sir"
Lieutenant Hits testimony was then
concluded and the commission went into
session with closed, doors.