The San Francisco call., 1901-11-06

fered yesterday had disappeared.
cruise of the flying squadron from Cienfuegos
to Santiago for the purpose of showing that
neither the Vixen nor the Merrimac had been
the cause of delay on the voyage. He con-
tinued his discussion of the retrograde move
ment, saying that but one explanation had
been given for 1t in Admiral Schley's dispatch
namely, the inadequacy of the coal supply all
though in his testimony before this court Ad-
miral Schley gave four reasons for leaving his
Hanna contended that while Commodore
Schley was acting under the orders contained
in dispatch No. s when the retrograde move
ment began May<26, that order was superseded
by the dispatches delivered the Brooklyn
May "a by Captain Cotton, in command of the
Harvard. and in one of which it was said that
All the departments information indicates
the Spanish division is still at Santiago, de
The department looks to you to ascertain
the fact that the enemy. If therein, does not
issue with Admiral Schley that this was a
suggestion and not mandatory order.
SO far from being suggestive. doubtful or
uncertain are the terms of this order that they
approach the verge of reproof, said Hanna
Their incisive distinctness is notable so much
SO that 1 think few subordinate officers had
they turned their backs on a task to which
they had been assigned. would care to have
received such telesraphic order from super
ior couched in such terms
Hanna quoted Admiral Schley's dispatch of
May q. in which he expressed regret over not
being able to obey orders, saying that as 1t
was written after the Cotton dispatch had been
received it explicit confession that the
upon this dispatch he declared that 1t was
the most remarkable one to be found in the
annals of the American navy" He contended
that the repairs to the Merrimac could have
been made, as they were without going to
Key West. and that the Texas was not in
said, she not fighting ship and could
have been sent for coal. He asserted that the
weather was rough only on May 25, and that
therefore Commodore Schleys assertion that
the weather had been boisterous was un-
founded
THE sneaker also con+roverted tho st,+or,.,t
made in Schley's dispatch to the department to
the effect that ''it is not possible to cruise to
count of the southwest Winds" alleging that
the wind was not from the southwest. Quot
ing from the same dispatch lit is to be re-
gretted the departments orders cannot be
obeyed," Hanna said the action of Admiral
Schley in abandoning his station off Santiago,
thus. as he himself states. failing to obey the
departments orders, created grave anxiety in
our national councils. Taking up the coal sup
ply of the fleet as required by specifications of
the precept Hanna said:
The Supply of Coal.
From the story of the commanding and
other officers of the Brooklyn, the Iowa. the
Massachusetts, the Marblehead and the execu-
tive and other officers of the Texas, and from
pear that fully and completely as any fact
can be shown by evidence it has been estab-
llshed that the flying squadron was on May Il.
1885, fairly well equipped with COAL
Specification No. was next considered. This
requires an inquiry as to whether every proper
effort was made to capture the Colon as that
vessel lay in the harbor at Santiago and re-
ferring to it Hanna said
Certain cautionary orders, some Of them
confidential in their character, issued by the
department and printed in the records and
also in the appendix of the Bureau of Naviga-
tion, have been cited as forbidding the expos
ure of vessels to the fire of batteries and as
justifying Commodore Schley's conduct of the
so-caled reconnaissance of May 81. Assuming
that the substance Of these orders com
municated to Commodore Schey by Admiral
Sampson at Key West on the 18th of May, 1898
it is clear that they have application to the
conditions existing at Santiago the 31st of
Hanna then referred to the eighth specifca-
ton OF the precept. concerning the withdrawal
OF the ships OF the flying squadron from the
vicinity OF the harbor -at Santiago at night.
OF this he said:
1T does not appear from the testimony ad-
duced before this court that the vessels of the
flying squadron were withdrawn from the en-
trance to Santiago harbor to a distance at sea.
and therefore the extent and character Of such
withdrawal need not be discussed"
Taking up the blockade of Santiago. Hanna
and therefore would content himself with out
lining the charge He said that beyond the
the inquiry. He quoted Captain Evans of the
Iowa and Lieutenant Nicholson of the Oregon
to sustain the contention that the Texas came
to stop. Thus, he argued, battleship was
not only imperiled but delayed by the danger
of collision at this critical time.
After the noon recess Hanna continued his
remarks concerning the Brooklyn's loop. con-
tending that it was not made to avoid the
such effort at that time He quoted Comman-
der Wainwrights testimony to the effect that
the Brooklyn's turn left gap for the escape
of the enemy.
Hanna also discussed the reported colloquy
between Commodore Schley and Lieutenant
Hodgson, which forms the tenth count in the
precept, in which Schley was reported to have
said during the turn. Damn the Texas This
remark Hanna said, showed lack of inter
est in another ship of the fleet. He expressed
the opinion that there was much to sustain
Hodgson's recollection of this incident. He
also discussed the question of the correspond
ence between Admiral Schley and Lieutenant
Commander Hodgson this subject. That
correspondence had been initiated by the ad-
miral, said Hanna, and he made the point that
in his letters Hodgson had maintained the cor
rectness of his original position. With his re-.
cluded his speech at 2:30 p. M, having spoken
about four and a half hours
Captain Parker, Junior counsel for Admiral
Schley, then began his address In support of
Admiral Schley.
naval history of the world presents ever has
presented a case of the importance and char
acter of the case we have 50 long been en-
gagged upon. 1 doubt If a tribunal more ex-
allied in the character of the persons who COM
pose it sat in Judgment upon
lifelong character and standing and conduct
that Admiral Schley has always displayed was
ever called upon before to ask an fnvestiga-
tion of his conduct as victorious commander
of a fleet
Then there might have been foundation,
but in this there was no foundation whatever.
He said the court had IN It's wisdom presented
Santiago campaign There is no accuser here, -
he said nobody is on trial. and yet the case
has We b Wen3
''in the order of the argument now being made
here We are compelled tc consider the inquiry
as a trial.
SIMPSONS Orders to Schley.
Taking up the events OF the campaign in
their sequence. Captain. Parker spoke of the
interviews between Admiral Sampson and Com