The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-06-21
QUESTION OF VERACITY.

Lieut.. Commander Hcilners State
mcnt OF What Took Place on the
brooklyn admiral sclltcy's Al
legged I,cmarles. ,5,
WASHINGTON, June 2o.-Following
the statement Of Lieut.. Commander
Hodgson respecting the events TINT oc-
CURED on the bridge Of the Brooklyn
July 9. the navy department to-day
made public the following report from
Captain Chadwick Of his examination
OF Lieut.. Commander Heilner:
~. s. s. New York, Boston, Mass,
June 10, 1890. g,5 2.
"sir:-In obedience to the orders of
me secretary OF the navy. have the
hoRor 10 make the following report of
an examination Of Lieut.. Commander
Hellner. with respect to his knowledge
OF @ conversation reported to have oc-
CURED between Rear Admiral Schley
and Lieut.. Commander Hodgson, re-
porting the action of July 8, 1898. }g'
Lieut.. Commander Heilner states rs
follows:
AT one OF the early sessions Of the
board on the ships positions during the
action Of July 3. I strongly expressed
my doubt as to the Brooklyn's position
before making the loop. ,as laid down
ny Mr. Hodgs0r; several other naviga-
tors. Mr.. Comfy and Mr.. Schultxe. I
know, sided with me. Mr.. Hodgson and
l on this particular occasion walked
up and down the port side of the cabin
of the Brooklyn, In which the board
was sitting. 1t Is my Impression that
Mr.. Hodgson claimed that the Brook
lyn was eleven hundred yards from the
leading Spanish ship when the turn was
made. The board, l think, put 1t later
az l,40o yards. Mr.. Hodgson told me
that he felt certain they were closer
than 1.4O0 yards. and that their stad-
imeter gave 800 yards. He said: we
were so close that Schley gave the or
der Hard port l said to him: You
mean starboard, do you not?' The
commodore said: NO, I mean port; we
are close enough to them now Mr..
Hodgson then said he called attention
to the position OF the Texas and told
the commodore he thought there was
danger Of running her down. The COM
frodore replied. Damn the Texns! Let
her look out for herself!' This con-
Versation was repented to me on several
occasions. ~ ~
everything ! say now was contain
ed IN Mr.. Hodgson's statement. The
words may have been II little different,
He may have said: Don't you mean
starboard. commodore instead of the
first phraseoIogy He certainly said;
We are near enough to them now, and
Damn the Texas. Let her look out for
herself -
He repeated this conversation to me
at least three times during the ses-
slons of the board, because every time
a discussion arose. recurred to the po-
sitions given by him. which I did not
think correct. l placed no dependence
on any observation by stadimeter or
seNtant during gun fire. My expert
ence was that during the action i
could not get u single observation by
the studlmeter on which | could place
any confidence. though was using two
stadimeters. and had man In the
coming tower with cleaning material
whose only duty was to try to keep the
glasses clean. With the utmost care
this could not be done. l tried keeping
the stadimete- under my coat. but i,
was OF no use. I mention this as a
reason for the doubts which brough.
up the discussion"
THE report rs published was prac-
t!cally the conversation as repeated
to me-"
Lieut.. Commander Hellner appcnds
his signature as an attestat!on OF the
correctness Of the foregoing as herewith
given. Very respectfully, E.
+. Z. CHADWICK,
Captain U. S. N.
L. c. HEILNER,
Lieut.. Commander U. S. N.
To the Commander-ln-Ch Chief.