New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-01

/
| mere were no lights shown on the Flying Squad
| ron on blockade. except. I believe. did have
light on the stern of each ship"
| BY the court-Was any further effort made by the
Flying Squadron to destroy the Spanish squadron?
| None, If by further you the action Of
May 81"
| Was the fire Of the enemy's batteries the
slst heavy enough to seriously endanger the attack
| ing ship?'
| mo. sir; it was not heavy at all The projectiles
| mostly fell long way short of Two. think.
| passed my Ship
| I'm the attack on the Colon on May 81 did any
| of the enemy's shot fall the squadron
| Two, think. fell the Iowa"
| EVANS COULD HAVE CoALED.
Would it have been possible for the Iowa to coal
| from the Merrimac early in the afternoon Of
| May 26?
1T would have BEEN
DO you know Of any reason why the ships could
| not get nearer the Colon May 31?"
Il know of no reas.n why they could not"
do you know whether there is good anchorage
| under the lee of Jardinlas bank. where large
vessels would be sheltered from westerly winds?"
II do not
Are you familiar with the southern coast of
| Cuba between Cenfuegos and Santiago?"
| Fairly familiar with it; yes. sir"
| Are there any positions between Cienfuegos and
| the neighborhood of Santiago where vessels can
/ coal in rough weather.
| Between Cienfuegos and Santiago I know OF no
| place where they could coal in rough weather.
| WAS there any period between May "a and May
| 2s when the Iowa could not have coaled from the
| collier Nerrimac?'
"She could not have coaled from o'clock in the
morning of the 25th until or o'clock on the morn
| ing of the 26th when it moderated"
| Admiral Evans had not finished his testimony
| when the adjourned for the day.
COMMANDER MILLERs STORY.
| The court of inquiry began to-days proceedings.
according to custom. by recalling the witnesses OF
| previous days. While Commander Switzerland
| he
| whether. If the feet of Cervera had been In the
harbor at Cienfuegos. it could have been seen by
| the vessels blockading the port. He replied: Il
| cannot definitely say. Not unless they had an
chored in the lower harbor. just inside Of the en-
| trance in the deep water. where the schooner. to
| which l referred before, was anchored l do not
| believe they would have anchored In that spot
| The first witness of the day was James NJ
| Miller who in command OF the collier Merri-
| mac while that vessel was part of Rear Admiral
Schley's Flying Squadron. Miller said he assumed
| command of the Merrmac ION April IL at Nor
| folk He had taken on board at Lamberts Point
soon afterward about hSe thousand tons of coal
His vessel had. he said. been capable at first OF
| making between nine and ten knots but afterward
| he had trouble with his pressure machinery, so
that by May % and "a he would have hesitated in
| trying to secure a speed of than seven or
eight knots He read from the GOLFERS log to show
that the Iowa. the Massachusetts and the Castine
had been coaled the 23d and 24th. No record was
found of the coaling of any vessel on the 18th or
PASNSSNAAAs
Cienfuegos to Santiago.
| 1.-The sea-" he SAID ION the 18th was nasty, quite
| nasty. The Merrimac. being heavy vessel, its
| speed was affected but if l had had a smaller yes
sci should have felt it very much He also said
that the weather that day bad. Late in the
afternoon of May rs the intermediate valve of the
collier broken but previous to her arrival off
Santiago she bad not been "broken down. disabled
| or delayed"
ABLE TO COAL ON MAY %.
AS to her condition the 18th, the witness said:
| at should say I could have coaled as find here
| consulting the Logo we were making knots. At
| one time got up TO twelve knots fancy the
| weather could not have been very boisterous. 1
| read here from the log. AT o'clock seven knots,
then six. and on We got up to ten. There is one
| entry here that got up to eleven knots On
that date l fnd 'steaming with the squadron east
TO quarter north. and find by the entry between
5 O'Clock in the morning and meridian of that day
| that we made from ten to twelve knots"
1 Mr. Hanna-What was the condition OF the scar
| 1.-THE had then smoothed should Judge, from
| the way going. We raised our speed from
| seven 10 ten knots
| DO you find any entries as to the wind?
| THE wind east-southeast, and veered to
| southwest
| LAS its courseT'
ITS course l have not here On the colliers We
| kept regular log
Gould you have coaled a vessel on the afternoon
| OF the 26th?"
| IT could up TO the time ] broken down
| While had control could have coaled."
| What time did you break DOWN."
| I'VE stopped at $50 that afternoon"
| Asked If vessels could have been coaled while
| the Merrimac IN OF the Yale. the witness
replied that that supposititious question. and
| that he would not like to say. AS a matter Of
| fact she did coal any vessel while in tow
| From May % to 81. except on the days when en-
| route from Ctenfuegos TO Santiago and when dis
| abled the Merrimac had had vessels alongside for
| the purpose of ooaling and they had been coaled
| from the collier.
| On cross examination Mr.. Rayner questioned
| Commander Miller concerning coaling from the
! Merrimac On the gath He said the Massachusetts,
| had been coaed 7:30 in the morning of that day
| He then examined concerning signals as TO
| coaling the Texas While these questions were
being put Captain Miller said, laughingly: Go
| ahead: you've got there"
| He then proceeded Il sgnalled over. object
| to having battleships alongside of me- and
! Captain Philip OF the Texas signaled. think TO
. Captain Hlgginson. but l do not know whether 1t
! was to the Admiral him. X. and NJ. will crush
| c."
| Mr. Rayner-You were not q, you were ~ G was
! the Massachusetts,
| "I was G, / think. What objected to hav-
| ing two battleshps beside me. They have Pc
| cuiar motion, and when two bateships are roll
| ling they would have tendency 10 crush collier
! between them. 1t not much account
of the weather as 1t was the presence of one bat
| tIeship on each side"
| How was the at that timer"
| al did not feel the very much because my
| ship was peculiarly steady ship
| How was 1t as far the other ships were con-
| cerned?"
| my experience AS far as am personally con-
| cerned. / could have coaled."
| We'll, how about the other vessels?"
| THAT is for me TO Judge"