Evening star., 1901-09-27
LIEUT.. HOODS STORY
Took SIMPSONS Dispatch No 8 to
Schley.
LhfFER'S BLOCKADE OF CIENFUEGOS
Lieut.. Wood Tells About the
Watch by Pickets.
ORDERS AS TO SIGNALS

The Schley court of inquiry opened today
with unusually large attendance in the
section of the room reserved for the pub
lie. The attendance on the sessions of the
court as the days go by indicates that there
is no falling off of interest in the proceed
ings on the part of the public.
Capt. VIM c. Wise was called to the
stand this morning Immediately after Ad-
mira1 Dewey had opened the court, and
made unimportant corrections in the print
ed report of his testimony given yesterday.
The following question was then asked by
the court:
Q. Did you direct Capt. Sigsbee to give
to Commodore Schley the information con-
tanned in the dispatch of the Navy Depart
ment in regard to the whereabouts of the
Spanish fieet?"
A Il did not"
Capt Wise was the senior officer Of Capt.
Sigsbee as he was of Capt. Jewell, who
also went aboard the Brooklyn to COM
municate with Commodore Schley.
". 9. Gray, the machinist who testitied
to the stopping of the starboard engine of
the Texas when it met the Brooklyn, also
confirmed the accuracy of the report of his
testimony.
Lieut.. Spencer s. Wood, in command of
tha Dupont was then recalled to the stand
He was at Cienfuegos on the 22d and Sd
and said he was assigned to picket duty
midway between tne CdSllne anu the SuOEe,
within two miles of the shore. He was
there on the nights Of the 22d and 23d and
day of 23d of May.
O. Cby Mr. Rayner) Were you given the
method by which you informed the feet in
case the enemy came out of the harbor of
Cienfuegos?" A 81 think so. l think we
were to fire the usual signal-two red
lights"
this method was communicated to the fleet
or nOt?" A. II do not
Mr. Rayner read from the signal book of
the Brooklyn to the squadron as follows:
Two red lights made by picket will indi-
cate enemy" &c, and asked: Does that
affect your recollection"
The witness: "Tf that refers TO Commo-
doTe Schiey's squadron orders l was never
furnished with such orders. The torpedo
boats were not included in the squadron's
signals"
Mr.. Rayner then read from the testimony
recently given by Captain Harber, execu-
tive officer of the Texas, saying he could
not recall having seen any picket boats in
side the blockade line at Cienfuegos. He
asked the witness If that was right
The witness: He certainly was wrong.
l was on the picket line with only one
boat"
He said the Brooklyn and Texas were
outside him.
81 am not surprised he added, that
Captain Harber made that mistake. Tor
pedo boats are frequently forgotten
Mr. Rayner: I'VE all agree that Captain
Cienfuegos."
The witness: Eyes, and have also sent
since the commander-in-chier said there
was no picket boat there, letter to the de-
partment saying it was there"
Mr.. Rayner said the commander-in-chief
had not written to the department stating
there was no picket boat there.
The witness: He did not mention them"
Mr.. Rayner read from report of Com
modore Schley to the department written
of Santiago saying that at Cienfuegos he
had stationed at various times the Dupont
and Castine picket duty inside the block
ade line.
Il wish to bring out that the Dupont was
inside the line," said Lieutenant Wood
Torpedo boats were frequently forgotten
during that war"
Mr. Hanna objected to the language of
Mr. Rayner in saying that Capt Harber
was wrong in his testimony. He said that
expression had been used before and it
should not be allowed to come into the re-
marks of counsel in the case of any wit
ness testimony.
Not Impeaching yerncity. but Memory
Mr.. Rayner replied that he had read the
testimony of Capt. Harber, who had said
he could not recall that picket boats We're
there. He had said he was wrong, not to
impeach the truthfulness of his testimony
but merely to ir1peach the accuracy of his
recollection.
This last remark called forth general
laughter from the audience
q Thy Mr.. Rayner)-''Do you recoIIect
the Dupont going in one night and coming
out next morning and reporting lights on
shore?''
"A. II went in every night and came ont
every morning and reported what 1 saw
] do not remember what report 1 made