The San Francisco call., 1901-10-08

my orders were, Clear snip Tor action
Did you know of any plan of battle
having been promulgated by Commodore
Schley in case of falling in with the
Spanish squadron?"
Il 90 not"
Captain Folger Talks.
Commander Hodgson was then ex-
cused, and Captain w. M. Folger, who
commanded the cruiser New Orleans dur
ing the Spanish War, was called. He de-
with the New Orleans arrival at Santi-
ago as the convoy of the collier Sterling.
He also related how, on May 81, the New
Orleans had participated in the lombard
ment of the CristobaI Colon, then lying
in the mouth of Santiago harbor.
What damage was done to the enemy
on that occasion?' asked Captain Lemly.
81 don't think there was any," replied
The court asked Captain Folger whether
Commodore Schley's blockade of the har-
fective to prevent the escape of the Span
ish fleet. His reply was:
Had the weather been persistently
clear YES If rainy or misty, no."
He said in reply to another question
that the weather was generally rainy
what was developed as to the shore
batteries?
"That they had not strength enough to
do any material damage"
Captain LemIy asked in regard to the
developments concerning the lombard
"
court ruled that the question was admis-
sible, similar question by Admiral
Schley's counsel having been admitted on
a former occasion.
1--WE cannot blow hot one time and blow
cold the next" said Admiral Dewey on
admitting the question.
Distance During Blockade.
Replying to the last question, Captain
FoIger said that the reconnaissance had
failed to develop that the batteries had
any material strength, as single vessel
had Silenced them.
Recurring to the bombardment Of May
81, Captain Folger expressed the opinion
that the shots which had fallen near the
fleet on that date were from the Spanish
ships in the harbOr, fired over the hill,
and not from the shore batteries. For
this reason he had directed all the New
Ion instead of the land batteries.
Describing the blockade of Santiago
karbor maintained by Commodore Schiey,
the witness said the distance during the
day was from five to eight miles, and at
night the vessels steamed in column back
and forth across the harbor,' somewhat
nearer in. He added that even though
the vessels nearer the shore, he would not
change his position. He did not believe
the vessels were more than four miles
from the Moro on May 81.
Raynor asked: What do you know
number of the batteries or the strength
=
May 81? What actual knowledge did you
haVe?'
81 had no knowledge whatever before
"Then on May 81, when this reconnois-
sance or hombardment took place, so far
as you were concerned, you were abso-
lutely in ignorance of the number of bat
teries or the strength of the guns?'
prior to the fire by the batteries l had
no knowledge"
what knowledge did you acquire as
hot nnic how
bardment?"
'By the number of shots that were
fired, by the character of the discharge,
the smoke, ETC., as indicating the caliber
of the guns by the fall of the projectiles.
the amount .of water they would throw
up and the evident direction of the fall,
as indicating whether the projectiles were
moving with great velocity or slow. In
that way judged alone"
These things were developed as the re-
suit of the reconnaissance, were they
not?"
Reconnaissance Successful.
"I consider the reconnaissance in that
particular to have been successful
THE reconnaissance was successful for
the purpose of developing the number and
strength of the batteries"
When the judge advocate again took
the witness he asked:
Referring to your answer that the fir
ing of the 31st was eminently successful
in developing the strength Of the San
tiago batteries, what, a matter of fact,
was developed as to the strength of such
batteries-were they strong or other
WiSe?'
''They were weak
"Can you state whether the enga cement
of May 81 developed the fact that the
Colon had anything larger than six-inch
guns on board at that timer
"It did not occur to US that she fired
heavy guns. The caliber L cannot specify.
1t did not appear she fired the 11-inch
guns for which we knew she had been
designed"
The court asked questions Of Captain
Folger as follows:
For what length of time was the New
Orleans able to fire at the Colon and the
batteries on May 81 on each run?"
81 think it was between five and ten
minutes
Ibid you have any conversation with
Commodore Schley as to his purpose in
attacking the Colon May 31?'
81 did not The Information I received
was by signal only
by what method did you obtain the
range for your guns on May 81, while
firing at the Colon?"
1--WE obtained the necessity for change