River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-10-10

I Commodore schley during this engagement
or any engagement in which you saw
him?
His bearing and manner. with respect
to an officer Of his rank ard station in the
! naval service, We're naturally those of
commander In chief Of a naval force on
that occasion
The witness said that the commodore
had occupied place on platform around
the coming tower during the engagement.
This. he said, was position CT danger as
the commodore was there always in full
view of the enemys ships.
The Turn from Enemy's Vessels
ut has beer stated here" said Mr. Ray
ner, that the Brooklyn ran 1900 yards
away from the enemy's ships in making her
loop"
The witness replied: ANY witness who
made that statement, although he may
have stated what he thought had occurred,
was absolutely mistaken.
How far did she go from the enemy's
vessels?"
she must have gone about COO yards to
the southwark. as that is about the tactical
diameter Of the Brooklyn al that speed"
Did this turn interfere with the Brook
lyn,s ability to keep up her fire?"
1T did not; she continued TO fire from
Did you ever see the Indiana during the
engagement"
II did not. The smoke was very dense
in the direction of the Indiana"
Schley-"Damn the Texas; let her look
out for herself"
Mr. Rayner then had the witness scrutin-
lie the letter which he had written TO Ad-
miral Schley on June and drew from him
the statement that he had not then Ia
formed the admiral that he had used the
expression Damn the Texas" When the
witness was asked If he thought that there
was any suggestion of such an expression
he replied: when / suggested to Commo-
dore Schley that there was danger of col
Hiding with the Texas he said Damn the
Texas. He used the expression as not In
any way condemning the Texas for being
there, but as If he were irritated as one
might be about anything"
Did Say, damn the Texas"
Mr.. Rayner asked then about the express
sion attributed TO the witness: she will
cut down the Texas" Commander Hodg-
son replied that there was no such express
sion IN the letter and that he never had
said that the Brooklyn would cut down the
Texas. There is a good deal in that re-
ported colloquy that did not say he add
ed. TIE statement was never made" he
went on, but the commodore did say:
Damn the Texas"
The afternoon session of the court began
with a question put to Lieutenant Com
mander Hodgson by Mr.. Hanna. He asked
why he had written his categorical denial
of the newspaper report of the colloquy be-
tween himself and Commodore Schley. The
question was objected to and Admiral
Dewey said
I'VE have the facts. The Ic~,ers were
written. That is all the court wants. We
want faets-facts People are influenced
by different kinds of things. We want the
facts. Draw out the facts"
Mr.. Hanna then changed his question
and the witness said that he had written
his explicit denial in response to request
from Admiral Schley.
He wanted me to write a denial of the
controversy" he continued. II had
previously written that / could not deny
the statement A letter followed asking
for a denial of the colloquy. l gave him
this, at the same time explaining that had
admitted the gist of the report
Could Have Gotten Nearer Enemy.
Changing the line of examination Mr.
Hanna then asked: when the Brooklyn
turned with port helm did she blanket the
fire of the Texas? Did she go between the
Texas and the enemy?"
II 90 not think she did. l thought, how
ever, she was going TO do It"
Had she turned the other way was
there space enough for her to have made
such turn without endangering the Tex
asp
Perfectly perfectly clear enough
space
How much would she have gained to the
northward and westward had she turned
with starboard heinz
"She would have gained a position of
about 600 or 700 yards nearer the Spanish
line"
Tried to Ram Brooklyn.
Ibid any OF the Spanish ships attempt TO
ram the Brooklyn in the early part of the
battle of July 80"
The Maria Teresa evidently made a
rank sheer to port toward the Brooklyn
with the evident intention of getting into
close quarters or ramming"
What orders were signaled by the
Brooklyn to the fleet July 8, 1882
II can only say from recollection that my
orders were: Clear ship for action and
close up. or close in
The court asked Capt Folger, who fol-
lowed Lieutenant Commander Hodgsun on
the stand. whether Commodore Schleys
blockade off the harbor of Santiago had
been sufficiently effective TO prevent the
escape of the Spanish fleet His reply
was: Had the weather been persistently
clear yes. If rainy or misty, no.
He said in reply to another question that
the weather was gene rally rainy.
Capt. Folger was excused and Lieut.
Dyson was recalled. His testimony re-
lated to the supply of coal carried by the
scout boats on May 70, when the retrograde
movement to Key West was begun.
AT 1855 p. m, while Lieut.. Dyson was still
on the stand, the court adjourned until
Tuesday at Il o'clock.