The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-25

1 ignated by the precept, are admissible
! provided such conversations or state
ments occurred in the presence Of sno
! within the hearing of the witness"
! Mr.. Rayner then reiterated his ques-
: ton asking him to repeat the conversa-
ton. which Mr. Graham did as follows:
! Captain Evans came into the cabin
/ sat at a. round table in the centre
Commodore Schley got UP and shcok
hands with Captain Evans and the at-
ter said: 'Schley, did you see Philip
turn around and run out OF the fight!
The commodore said: mo. neither cld
/ you. He did not run out Of the fight
Captain Evans said: oh, he did. l
saw him. Captain Evans said he was
in the next ship and saw him. The
commodore said 1t was not the Texas
at all. The Texas was in the fight all
the time. The ship you saw turn
around was the Brooklyn
When the court began its afternoon
session Mr.. Rayner announced that ne
had no more questions to ask Mr.. Gra-
ham and Captain Lemly announcer
that he had no questions to ask.
Mr.. Graham said in reply to questions
by the court that during the converse
ton between Sigsbee and Commodore
Schley the squadron had been heading
toward Santiago and that during the
| battle of Santiago he had heard no con-
/ versation between the Commodore ana
Lieutenant Hodgson.
! SCHLEY'S ORDERLY ON THE
STAND.
Dennis ]. Cronin, orderly to Commo-
! dore Schley, testified that he was pres
! ent when Captain Sigsbee came aboard
! the Brooklyn May 26th. Il heard the
| commodore ask Captain Sigsbee some
! thing 1 could not understand" said the
! witness. And 1 heard the captain an
he SnaniSh
! there"
Did you see Commodore Schley at
| any time during the battle?"
| .'Yes, sir, 1 saw him when he was
| standing down near the coming tower
| and then again on the forward bridge.
What was his Manner
"His manner was such as inspired
| the men under him with courage.
COMMANDER RUSH.
Lieutenant Commander William R.
| Rush watch and division officer WHO
| had charge of the aft division of guns
| on the spar deck of the Brooklyn, was
first questioned concerning the block
| ade of Cienfuegos and said that the
surf there would have been pretty live
| ly for a boat to land in"
The witness said that on the day OF
the battle of Santiago he had been in
the after turret. He described the
Brooklyn'S loop and told OF the Wis
caya turning toward the Brooklyn.
Speaking of the Cienfuegos blockade
Commander Rush said he did not re-
member any particular order of for
nation and that the ships were in col
| umn. At Santiago the distance out
was less at night than in the day. He
could distinguish at night the general
! outline of the hills against the sky, the
harbor entrance and the little bay. He
also could, at times, see the picket
boats which were cruising on the in
side. The witness said he had never
seen any written general orders fol-
battle in case the enemy should come
out. 1--WE were in formation and
steaming.'' he said, land 1 presumed
we We're in battle formation"
In reply to questions by the court the
witness said he was inclined to think
that the Viscaya had meant to ram the
Brooklyn.
LIEUTENANT SIMPSON.
Lieutenant Commander Rush was
succeeded on the stand by Lieutenant
Edward Simpson, who was also watch
officer on the Brooklyn.
Lieutenant Simpson placed the dis
tance of the fleet from Santiago her
| Dor at six miles. saying it was about
the same both day and night. He said
that Commodore Schley had given i
general order before starting on the
campaign that all lights should be con-
cealed at night.
Lieutenant Simpson had occupied a
position in the forward turret when
the battle of July 3rd began and he
fired the first gun. During the entire
time he had heard Commodore Schley' S
voice frequently cheering the men.
Again when he saw that the Viscaya' s
fire Slackened he heard the commodore
give the order: Fire deliberately,
boys" He had at that time observed
the Viscaya turn toward the Brooklyn
but she had received a shot which turn
ed her to the shore.
At this point the witness described
the coming up of the Oregon. "It was
after the Maria Teresa had dropped
astern and We had only two ships to
contend with, I got the cry that one
of the Spanish ships was on fire and
heading for the beach. 1 tried to see
her. looked back and cold see moth
ing for the smoke. Then 1 heard the
cry very shortly afterward: Another
one is on fire, heading for the beach.
Between shots / looked back again and
saw a bow wave coming from the smoke
followed almost Immediately by two
13-inch guns. 1t was the Oregon. She
was then about off our starboard quar-
ter, / should say 600 yards. called TO
the men that the Oregon was with us,
got cheer in reply and then the action
continued. the Oregon firing also. AS
the Viscaya turned and headed off the
Oregon fired one Of her big guns. I
heard the commodore say: HE has
raked her and she is on fire. Signal to
Oregon to cease firing"
Witness described the firing of the
Brooklyn and the Oregon on the Colon
and the surrender of the Spanish ship.
He said: ''At the time her flag came
down. heard the commodore's voice
asking What time is it?' and I heard
the chief quartermaster answer, 1:15,
SIR AS we steamed in toward her I
heard one of the quartermasters say:
They are jumping over board I saw
splashes along side and thought that
they were; but it was probably what
we afterward heard to be breech
blocks"
Lieutenant Simpson said he had seen
Commodore schley several times dur
ing the engagement, Of July 3rd, but he
remembered him especially as he stood
when the Viscaya went ashore ''He
was,' said the witness, leaning against
the turret in the most natural position.