Evening star., 1901-10-25
Describes Events Before the Battle Of
July 8.
OFF fHE SOUTH COAST OF CUBA
Explains Reasons for the Retro
grade Movement.
DENIAL OF DIsoBEDIENCE

Admiral SchIey continued to testify be-
fore the court of inquiry yesterday after
noon until o'clock, when the court ad-
journed until this morning. The admiral
had not completed his narrative concern
ing his operations In connection with the
flying squadron, and had not touched upon
the battle of July 8.
After The Stars report was closed he
said he did not send a boat ashore at Cien-
fuegos to discover the presence of the
Spanish fleet he thought was there be-
cause OF she danger he believed existed on
account of Spanish troops. He did not fire
at cavairymen he saw on shore because 1t
was like shooting at sparrows, and he
wished to make no useless expenditure of
ammunition until he had met the Spanish
fleet The problem at Cienfuegos was one
OF coafing, and he thought, under the cir
cumStances, 1t had been solved very well.
The fact that the Adula did not come out
OF Cienfuegos harbor confirmed his suspi-
eion at this time that the Spanish fleet was
there.
The Run to Santiago.
Speaking of the weather conditions on
the night of the oath after the squadron had
gotten under way, the admiral said thar
he remembered that the night was dirty
one and the sky lowering. 1t was ratay
in squalls. he said. He recalled especially
that he had looked out through a port hole
twenty feet above water and that the
spray dashed in.
''Of course" he said weather of that
sort did not mean much to the larger ships,
but to the smaller ones 1t did" Giving the
formation of the squadron, he said that
he had kept the collier on his weather side
so that IN case the enemy should appear
that vessel could be protected or sunk. The
arrangement also had contemplated that
the Marblehead would be able, with the
two smaller vessels, to act as sufficient
torpedo-boat destroyers. He said that his
policy had been to keep the squadron to-
gether as unit, and added:
Il think it will be admitted In changing
the location Of a squadron from one DOR.
to another that it would be unmilitary and
unwise to proceed in any other. iormation
than as a unit. My impression is THAI use
full auxiliaries and necessary supplies never
should be abandoned except under the very
strictest military necessities"
Admiral Schley spoke of the weather OH
the 25th as rough for the smaller ships.
Il remember" he said, that the Marble
head carried away one Of her booms that
was alongside on account Of the sea. TIE
Vixen took green seas over her bows and
badly injured a man. The Eagle filled Ile
of her forward compartments. Both CT
these ships constantly dropped asst >rn. The
squadron, of course, slowed for them. On
several occasions the Merrimac signaled tae
disarrangement Of her steering gear and
her engines. necessftating stops.
Coaling on the 25th, he continued. would
have been absolutely impossible. Il watched
the sea perhaps more carefully than any
one else, and was ready to avail Of the
earliest opportunity to take advantage OF
1t, and felt that was very much more
capable and very much more competent
than any one else in the squadron Of judg-
ing when coaling was possible"
Coming to the 26th, Admiral Schley said
that the weather was still rough, and he
related the incident of sending Commander
Southerland away with the Eagle. He did
not" the admiral said. Insist upon coaling
his ship, because it would have been alb
surd; 1t was impossible. His ship at the
time was laboring great deal, slashing
and rolling about. He regretted having to
leave the squadron for coal as well as my
self. His contention, however, that he
could coal on that occasion was utterly un-
tenabfe. He could have coaled, suppose,
In boats, but he would have burned the
coal as fast as he got it on board.
I'VE continued ON an easterly course
said the admiral. again taking up the
thread of his narrative, "as my orders con-
tempiated approaching cautiously. and as
they also conveyed to me the information
that probably when I left Cienfuegos the
enemy would leave Santiago. laid such a
course as thought would give me wide
horizon, and If he did leave I could not
imagine he would try to pass inside me.
estimated, of course, he would pass to the
southwark. My course as projected would
have. of course. gone to China IL there had
been no islands In the way"
Meeting With the Scouts.