The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-25

| question of their endurance in battle.
Twas" he said, thinking over in
my mind that a squadron in its coal
| Ing endurance, or at least in its speed
/ ing endurance, was equal to only its
weakest member just as the speed OF
a fleet depends upon it's slowest vessel;
| that 1t would be necessary to eoualize
! as nearly as we could their standards
of steam in order to be of effective use
as a unit, and that determined the
westward movement"
Admiral Schley said the enemy would
not come toward the American base,
but would go in the other direction.
/ Speaking of the collier Merrimacs
breaking down he said this accident
rendered coaling out of the question.
II do not believe any prudent COM
| mander would have attempted to send
a ship alongside an unmovable collier
to take coal. The risk would be too
great. The responsibility was mine,
| and it was too great to take the
chances. I coaled at the earliest pos
sible moment"
A Dispatch He Never Received.
With reference to the arrival of the
Harvard on the 9th and his confer
ence with Capt. Cotton, Admiral Schley
said that he had never received the
dispatch reporting in positive terms
the presence of the enemy at Sanu-
ago.
L never saw it," he said with in
tense earnestness. IT never saw 1t, and
I am sure that Capt Cotton never de-
| livered it to me. If he had done so, it
| would be among my papers, and II
| would have burnt itself into my men,
DRY so that I never could have forgot
| ten it,"
Discussing his dispatch to the de-
partment concerning the department s
orders, the admiral said:
IF my reply to the telegram of the
Secretary of the Navy is not on the
record, 1 would like to put it there in
the terms l sent it. because l wrote 1t
in English, gave it to Capt. Cotton.
asked him to turn it into cipher. and
confirmed ii afterwards in a letter to
the department. which was received.
The dispatch 'ere, and has been in
the departing nearly three years.
do not belle for one moment that
in the translation of it, there was any
| intention to mutilate it, but think in
the choice of words, which were not
| exactly of the same meaning, the dis
patch did not get to the department
| entirely as / intended 1t should. Upon
this dispatch is based the charge Of
| disobedience of orders. 1 contend that
there was no disobedience of orders.
There would have been disobedience of
orders if l had abandoned my station.
| but having returned to the station
without other direction, and having
found that the departments informa-
ton was correct. hold that I did
not disobey orders. and I think that
this dispatch, read and interpreted as
sent, will relieve that charge"
The Dispatch ms He Wrote 1t.
In response to a request from Mr..
Rayner for the exact wording of the
sentence in the dispatch in dispute, Ad-
miral Schley gave 1t as follows:
1T is to be regretted that the depart
ment's orders cannot be obeyed, earn
estly as we have all striven to that
end"
This, Admiral Schley said, was the
authentic version of the sentence, and
was as he sent 1t.
The Admiral was in the midst of his
statement of the "disobedience of or
ders" dispatch when the clock in the
court room struck 4, and Admiral Dew
I ey announced an adjournment for the
day. Notwithstanding that Admiral
Schley told him that he would like to
conclude his testimony at this sitting.
The Admiral was calm and collected
throughout the two hours that he sat
tones which. while not loud. were SO
distinct that his words were easily
! heard.
Before Admiral schley went on the
! stand two new witnesses had been
heard. The first of these was Lieuten-
ant Commander Harlow and the second
Capt. Clark. formerly of the oregon.
At the morning session Lieut.. b. w.
Wells was recalled and Capt. Lemly
attempted to put in evidence d dis
patch prepared by Commodore Schley
on May "a which was not sent. Mr..
| Hanna commended for it's admission on
the ground that it indicated hesitation
at a critical moment, but the court
| ruled it out.
Mai. Murphy detailed an incident in
which Commodore Schley figured at
the close of the battle Of July 3. Maj.
| Murphy said:
when they were preparing a cut
| ter TO take Capt. Cook to the Colon
to receive the surrender of that ship.
| the officers and many of the men were
gathered forward in the neighborhood
OF the forecastle and Commodore
! Schley addressed the men, cautioning
| them not to cheer when the Spanish
captain came on board. He spoke OF
their gallantry, that they had made
good fight and that they should not be
! Inundated. that we should treat them
! by cheers"
Commander Harlow told of the recon-
noissance OF May 81. He was asked:
what was the manner and bearing
of Commodore Schley on this occa-
J sion?"
Commodore Schley looked badly,
and as l would have suspected. from
a man who probably had been up a
great deal at night and laboring under
a great deal OF feeling OF responsible
/ ity. From the impression at the time.
he seemed to be seriously affected by
/ the situation as result OF his watch
! ing and feeling of responsibility"
rhe OregOn's Commander.
Capt c. e. Clark, OF the Oregon, was
/ then called.
The large audience manifested signs
l Of interest as the captain Of the Ore
gon approached the witness stand. lie
proved 20 be man OF goodiy propor-
tons, with brown mustache and dark
complexion. Admiral Dewey smiled as