The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-10-02
Navy Department Tactics Anything
TO Beat SchleY.

in fair play. This jewel, like the gem
which even the crested toad wears in
his head, has not hitherto adorned the
conduct of the navy department in its
late treatment of Admiral Schey, an d
is still more conspicuously absent in its
proceedings in the pending inquiry.
II records, or documents, or reports
accepted by the department hitherto,
and regarded as authoritative state
ments of fact or the nearest possible
ascertainment of truth, favor Schley,
this documentary evidence is discred-
tied off-hand, and the testimony Of
some subordinate officer, evolved from
his preiudices or prepossessions or
memory, after the lapse of three years
and more, accepted in its stead.
An astounding illustration of this
truth is found in the reputation Of the
government chart showing the posi-
lions of the ships, at different periods
in the battle of Santiago de Cuba, July
3, 1898. The positions of the ships,
American and Spanish, were plotted by
board made up of the navigating off,
GERS of the ships engaged in the action,
excepting in the case OF the Oregon.
The officer representing that ship on
the board was below deck throughout
the fight, the navigating officer being
on the Pacific coast. The others were
on deck, in positions to see and know
what was going on around them. The
board was appointed by Admiral Samp-
son and its members assembled for the
performance of their duty about three
months after the battle. Their re-
porto which was appended the
chart-was signed by each individually,
approved by Admiral Sampson, accept
ed by the navy department, and by the
secretary sent to the Senate as the Off
cial statement of facts, as near as it
was possible to ascertain them. This
report is repudiated by Commander
Heilner, a government witness in the
recent proceedings of the court, who
was navigating officer of the Texas
during the West Indian campaign and
a member of the board which formu-
lated the report, who assisted in plot
ting the positions of the ships, and who
signed the report with the chart an.
nexed, and Commander Heilner is sus
tanned by the officers representing the
department before the court OF inquiry.
The department charges that the
Brooklyn, in making its loop, endan-
gered the safety of the Texas, and that
disaster was barely averted by the
Texas stopping her engines and back
ing ship. Asked how near, at the
nearest point, the Brooklyn approach
ed the Texas in making this loop, Com
mander Heilner said it was from 100 to
$50 yards. Mr.. Rayner, of counsel for
Schley, handed the chart to Heilner,
asking him to measure the distance be-
tween the Brooklyn and the point at
which she crossed the course of the
Texas. After studying over the chart
for some time, and as the result of
further cross examination, Heilner
was constrained to admit, that, accord
ing to the chart, the ships were about
half mile apart at the time of the al
legged danger of collision. "But," ex-
claimed the witness, caught in a
uar dilarnnaa Epnuoh of hot
chart is absolutely worthless"
The witness had evolved from
his inner consciousness the statement,
after three years had passed, that at
the nearest point of approach the
Brooklyn came within from 300 feet to
$50 feet Of the Texas, whereas the re-
port he had signed, with half dozen
other officers, at the head of whom
was Commander Wainwright of the
Gloucester, showed that this distance
was some 5000 feet. In this report
Heilner had said that the document
andlthe accompanying chart, formulat-
ed and plotted three months after the
battle, and to the preparation of which
deliberate and painstakiug attention
had been paid, in which representa-
tives of all the ships participated, twas
as nearly correct as is possible 30 long
after the engagement" But Heilner,
three years after the engagement, pre-
tends to have clearer idea Of the facts
Of the incident than he had three
months thereafter, and the department
proposes to back up this witness, "con-
ceding at once the incorrectness OF this
report" prepared by SIMPSONS orders,
approved by him, and by Secretary
Long submitted to Congress as all that
it purported to be.
Ia the circumstance that the chart
does not sustain the department in one
OF its most serious accusations against
Schley is found the necessity for dis
orad;f;nO and rapudiat;nn tha doou