Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-22


suned the witness stand soon after 'ie
schley court of inquiry was called 10
order al IL o'clock today and continued
bia narration Of the events OF the GU
han campaign Of 1895 He was under
cross-examinatio by Judge-Advocate
I.emly and his assistant, Mr. Hanna
when the court adjourned yesterday,
and they continued their questions to-
day Lieut.. Wells was followed by A.
v. Mason, the log writer of the Brook
lvn who wrote the logs on that vessel
during the Cuban campaign
Mr.. G.. e. Graham. the correspondent
OF the Associated Press, who was on
board the Brooklyn with Admiral
schlsy during the entire campaign, was
also on the list OF todays Witnesses
The early attendance upon the court
today was somewhat larger than on
previous days. indicating the increas-
Ing attractiveness of the court as a
public spectacle.
LIEUT.. WELLS EXAMINATION.
Capt. Lemly began his examination
OF Lieut. Wells by asking him whether
there was kept book OF records show
ing letters received on the Brooklyn as
Lieut.. Commander Sears had testified
there was. The witness replied that
there was no such book kept but that
there was q record OF letters sent to
and received from vessels OF the squad
ron,
Lieut. Wells also was questioned con-
corning the department orders coseern-
ing The psking of the American ships
10 bomhardment from the shore batter
les, the orders under consideration be-
ing those of April 6, April 26 and two
OF May s.
The first of the orders OF this charac-
ter stated that department does not
wish the vessels of your squadron 70 be
exposed 10 the fire Of the batteries at
Havana, Santiago or other strongly
fortified positions In Cuba" and the or
ders were regarded as notifications Of
these. In the last OF these dated May
6. the department said THE depart
ment Is perfectly willing that you
should expose your ships to the heavi-
est guns OF land batteries II, In your
opinion. there are Spanish vessels OF
sufficient military importance protected
by these guns TO make an attack adj
visabie. your chief aim for the present
being the destruction of the enemy's
principal vessels"
After having read these different dis
patches the witness Was asked by Capt,
Lemly,
Can you separate your knowledge in
regard 70 the conversation with Com
fnnlnTa GChfaU "a = a Hieffnp.IfCh hp-
tween either OF the Two orders or both
OF these orders and as TO whether or
not anything was said with regard TO
the receipt of Information In relation
to these letters herewith You have be-
fore you during the interview of May
In Key West?'
mo sir. do not distinguish between
any Of them. ] have given my general
remembrance. which Is that the order
was not to risk the ships"
NO WRITTEN ORDER OF BATTLE.
In reply to questions by Capt Lemly
the witness said there had been no
written or printed order OF battle but
that on the day before Cienfuegos was
reached some special instructions were
sent TO the ships by the Scorpion. This
was, he said. order No. 3, relating TO
signals In case the enemy should be
sighted. This order was then read.
Questioned further on this point the
witness said;
II received no written orders and did
not know OF the existence Of any. ] re-
member however. that the command
ing officers we're called on board"
The witness answered several ques-
tons put by the court as follows:
"At what period OF the battle of
July did you use a range Of 100
yards?"
That was at the beginning OF what
is known as the turn; not the begin
ring but after the turn had begun,
sJould say"
AT what point OF the chase did you
estimate the CoNn to be 10000 yards
distant from the BROOKLYN"
When the Vigcaya went ashore"
ALBERT V. MASON
Lieut.. Wells was then excused anu
Mr.. Albert V. Mason called. He was
questioned by Capt Parker and said
that he had been yeoman Of the Sec
ond class on board the Brooklyn during