Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-09-26
Story Of How Squadron coaIed.

WASHINGTON, Sept 25.-When the
Schley court of inquiry convened at the
navy yard at IL O'Clock today there were
general comments upon the fact that the
seat that had been occupied from the be
ginning of the sitings by Judge. Jere Will
son was vacant. He had endeared himself
not only to the members of the court, but
to all persons about the court. On ac-
count of his sudden taking off sympathy
was very general throughout the room
The business of the court, however, was
promptly resumed at the usual hour.
Mr. C1axton said on July 3, 1898, he had
been on duty in the engine room or the
Texas. The engine indicator had called for
full speed ahead early in the morning
which had, within an hour after the be-
ginning of the action been changed to
s'fuu speed astern." To his knowledge
there aad been no signal for the reversal
of the engines. He said that he had been
excused from service in the engine room,
but still he knew that the engines were
reversed for about two minutes.
The witness had said that the engine
was stopped.
Rear Admiral Cotton. now commandant
of the Norfolk navy yard, who COM
manded the auxiliary cruiser Harvard
during the Spanish war, was the next wit
ness.
He told of meeting the flying squadron
under Commodore Schley of Santiago
on MAY q, 1898, and said that on that day
he had delivered dispatches to the Com
/ modore from Admiral Sampson and the
navy department. He had. he said, board
| ed the Brooklyn at 2:30 o'clock.
What was said about the dispatches
81 delivered them to Commodore Schley.
The original envelope in which the dis
patches were received by me at st. Mich
| OILS Mole together with translations of those
| dispatches made by Lieutenant Beal, OF
| the Harvard. 1 handed them personally to
| him in his cabin in the order Of their date.
| He received them. read them, and COM
| mented in a general way upon their pur-
port: spoke OF the difficulty he had had in
| getting coal on board his ships while at
| Cienfuegos and subsequently to the date
| of which 1 am speaking-May 20 and said
| it had been almost impossible to get coal
| on board on account OF the weather. He
| questioned me relative to the practical
| bility of coaling ships at st. Nichols Mole
and Gonafves channel. AS to st. Nichols
Mole I said:
{" There is question but that the ships
can coal there. AS TO GOnaives channel,
| / know of no reason why they should not
be able to coal there
4" How about the large ships at st.
Nichols Mole?'
Il said: You can't coal your big ships
there I had special reference in my re-
| ers of the Brooklyn and New York class.
/ said. thinking of the fact that my own
| ship had been there and was of some 1900
/ tons displacement, and nearly 600 feet
| in Iegnth.
Ibid this conversation occur before or
after the dispatches which you took
aboard had been read by the commander
| in chief?"
After"
In response to further questions Admir-
al Cotton said that he had the original
/ translations of the cipher dispatches ad-
dressed TO the Harvard. This dispatch of
Mr. Raynor called attention to the fact
/ lmat there were some material changes
in the dispatches as printed in the official
reports by the navy department.
Admiral Schley's reply TO these dis
patches, dated May g. in which he said
he could not obey the orders of the de-
partment was then read and Mr.. Rayn-
or pointed out various changes in the