Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-25

that ought 10 know something about
the Notifications which defended that
place. determined to go In and take
advantage Of what | believed to be
the longest range Of our guns and de-
velop fully what these defenses were
and incidentally If we could, get shot
into the Colon. that was lying exposed
somewhat 20 do II. ! think we were
lying In position perhaps four 70 i've
miles 10 the westward. The steaming
in was al slow speed. I transferred
my flag. named 1000 yards and went on
board the Massachusetts, When
boarded her Il was near the dinner
hour and Cant. HlRginson suggested
that we postpone until o'clock the go
that we postpone until o'clock the go
Ing into to develop these batteries. |
assented to that After the meal we
went TO quarters and steamed In pretty
nearly head-on. There was not much
opportunity for anybody TO seek cover
behind q turret unless he got behind
the protecting plate which was guard
TO the entrance TO the rear.
WHITE ONLY SUITABLE CLOTHES,
Some weight has been laid upon the
fact that We wore white clothes.
would like 10 invite attention to the
fact that that was a matter which |
controlled entirely for my squadron ana
II was the only suitable dress fof that
region
Giving the names OF the persons
who accompanied him when he went
on board the Massachusetts the adj
miral said they were Lieuts Sears,
Wells and Mr.. George Il. Graham the
Associated Press correspondent, who
he said, had insisted upon accompany.
ing him Notwithstanding his protests.
Il WAS NOT EXCITED"
Once on board he had, he said, en-
gagged In a conversation with Capt.
tnow Admiral Hgginson. IL was not
excited" he went on. nor nervous, for
| need not have undertaken the recon-
Nuisance II | had not desired to do so.
| had some regard for those standing
on the turrets, thinking they were ex-
posing themselves to danger from
shock which was unnecessary to them,
though | was differently circumstance
and ] 80 expressed myself Command
er Potts Is entirely in error in saying
! took advantage OF cover. That |
did not do for was not concerned
about myself"
Speaking Of the range OF 1000 yards
the admiral said that Commander Potts
had himself suggested that range and
he (the witness) had not known for
several days that the range had been
altered.
'The moment we began firing" he
went on, "the shore batteries respond
ed, some OF them using smokeless pow
der, There was quite stream of pro-
Jectiles, and | was impressed with the
idea that they must be from guns OF
six or eight-inch calibre. The shot
from the Zooopa battery evidently
reached the fleet. Some went over our
ships and one went beyond and over
the Vixen, which was half mile dis
tant.
THE strength OF the batteries being
established, II would have been milf
tary folly TO have risked the battleships
further to fire from these shore bat
teries under my instructions. II we
had lost one or two of our six or seven
vessels the loss would have been n
very great disadvantage and II might
have invited attack with destructive
results | thought II better policy to
save the ships for wider and better use,
and subsequent events justified the de-
cislon."
coALING QUESTION AGAIN.
Here the witness abruptly turned
frog the bombardment OF the Colon
to discussion Of the coalng question.
He said that his Instructions had been
TO coal on every possioie occasion. He
then quoted and put In as evidence a
number OF dispatches giving the i'm
structlons OF this department on this
question. He related in this connection
the receipt Of number of dispatches
from the department which had, he
said, been brought ont by Capt. Cot
ton. He was sure that the dispatches
could not have been received before
May 81.
When he received these dispatches,
the admiral, In answer to questions by
Mr., Raynor. testified that he had al
ready discovered the Spanish fleet. He
had also surmounted the difficulties
about coaling and had so informed the
department. In this connection he went
back and narrated the incident OF the
capture by the ST. Paul OF the Restor-
mel, the English collier, bound for San
tiago. Capt. Slgsbee had reported that
ens ooimer 'ae psen captured May 70,
ost sanusso. Sisspee ietter mentioned
.ac iact 'nal the i'estormei mad touched
a. iorw hivo ana Suracoa ana tnat ht
nau sent ner 10 hey west, adding
iht,e hosoiuteiy no news OF inc
spahpsn nee. nere, On me Slst, ne re-
oelVeu' ne thought, py way OF press
tug from tort Antonio, the dispatch q
Aainiiu sampson concentrating NJ
"pVh Tue iooauoh Oh the spanish Meet
CAPE CRtJZ EXPOSED PLACE
IN reply by ms counsel Admira
schiey explained tnat cape Cruz wal
an exposed place lOs miles from sanu
ago ana ne dld not regard II as al
hNailabls place Tor coallng Some d
tne smaller shlps might have been let
there but win squadron such as h,
n3u. pfaeticaily OK the same sizt as TN
spanish Meet, ne mad never considered
tne question or separating chips OF hi
Meet lie regarded II as OF prime i'm
portance mat the iieet be kept together
ms attention was called to Lieut.. Har
per ; ' es r,,, nkehine .ne SITUATION
gas where shins had eoaled The nd
miral said that Inc two nlaces ver
moi comparable The sea to Inc soutl
of cuha was eynosed Tor hundreds y
miles. DRY Tori,igas was s,,rrnunde,
nv reefs IN which q ses could raral
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