The evening times., 1898-06-10
PILOT OF THE FLEET.
He IL Believed to Be True and
re" Skillful. -"

| Admiral Sampson has with him at San
tiago one of the most experienced pilots
| the naval authorities have been able to
| obtain. Capt. c. s. Cotton. commanding
| the auxiliary cruiser Harvard, who was
| in conference today with Capt. A. S.
| Crowninshield, chief of the Bureau OF
Navigation. vouched for this fact to an
official with whom he talked.
All reports to the contrary. the man who
| Is now with the American ships is regard
ed by Capt. Cotton and the officers of the
American squadron as being perfectly
trustworthy. That this Is true is shown
by the confidence placed in him by Rear
Admiral Sampson and Comodore Schley
From the conversation Capt. Cotton had
with officials of the department today, II
was learned that at the instance of Com
modore Schley the pilot was taken from
the flagship Brooklyn to Kingston. He
was originally brought to Commodore
Schley by the auxiliary cruiser St. Paul,
which was ordered TO Kingston to take
him on board and give him passage to the
fleet.
The State Department, at the Instance
of the Naval War Board. directed Consul
Dent stationed at Kingston. Jamaica, TO
procure pilot thoroughly familiar with
the harbor OF Santiago de Cuba and the
selected was commended to Mr. Dent by
the cuban Junta of Jamaica. and upon
the pilots arrival of Santiago de Cuba he
was transferred to the Brooklyn
Commodore Schley then determined not
to attempt to enter the harbor and the pi-
lot was sent back to Kingston Subse-
quently, at the instance of Comnodore
Schiey, the Harvard went to Kingston
and returned with the pilot OF Santiago
de Cuba. where he was transferred TO the
Brooklyn. Il. 30
Captain Cotton understands that he is
now plotting the fleet up and down the
coast, and 1t will not be surprising IL he
did not show the way for the vessels
which entered Guantanamo Bay yester-
day and bombarded Guantanamo. AS for
his being spy. Captain Cotton regarded
such charge as ridiculous
accompanying Captain Cotton to Wash
ington was Captain W. c. Wise, COM
mandfng the auxiliary cruiser Yale, and
subordinate officers Of both vessels. The
naval War Board, as result of its fire.
Quent communications with Rear Admiral
Sampson. is pretty well informed of ex-
isting conditions. but both Captain Cot
ton and Captain Wise were able to give
Captain Crowinshield some important in
formation.
The value of these vessels as scouts was
illustrated by the fact that although the
10 'oto icAe A~SW 1OTk Oh Aprll ~ ana
did not return to Hampton Roads before
June she recoaled but once, and that
was at st. Thomas, where she took on
$50 TONS
The Harvard, 1t will be recalled, was at
st. Pierre. Martinique, when the Spanish
fleet arrived on Martinique. and the tor
pedo boat destroyer Terror came into the
harbor Of Fort de France. The Terror's
machinery, Captain Cotton told the Of
1cials today. was not in good condition.
and after she made repairs she sailed for
San Juan. Porto Rico. Captain Cotton Is
rather inclined to doubt the correctness
Of the report that the Terror was sunk
by 13-inch shell from the Oregon, and he
suggested that the ship destroyed was
either the torpedo(boat destroyer Furor
or Pluton.
Between May q and June the Har-
ward lay of the port of Santiago de Gu
ba or carried dispatches between the
neet and cable stations at Mole st. Mich
olas or Kingston. Captain Cotton is GER
tain that the entire Spanish fleet is lying
In the harbor, though personally he saw
only two armored cruisers Of the Vizcaya
class.
As result of the equipment of the
Yale and Harvard with batteries, they
have been transferred from the list of
chartered to that of Regular Navy ships.
Orders have been given by the Navy De-
partment for the examination of the Of
ficers of these vessels, with the excep-
ton Of the captains. who are regular ma
val officers. for appointment to acting
The crews will be enlisted
and they win hereafter be known as
auxiliary men-of-war In, fact instead of
merely chartered scouts.