New-York tribune., 1901-09-22


so as to sink the Colon at her noorings'' This
| intention had not been carried and the
! ships had passed the mouth of the harbor at
! the rate of ten knots an hour. and the firing was
as rapid as possible to get good pontings-
Judge Wilson cross-examined Commander
| Schroeder.
In reply to his questions the witness said that
! he had seen what appeared to be signal lights
| from the shore at Cenfuegos, but that he had
| no idea of what they meant. and that so far as
| he was informed knew anything about
| them until Captain McCalla arrived the
| Marblehead.
| DEPARTURE FROM CIENFUEGOS.
The witness recalled that the feet did not
| leave Cienfuegos until after nightfal the OBJ
| ject being to prevent the enemy from getting
| the direction of its The weather the
| trip he said. somewhat boisterous for one
| night, so much so that it was necessary to slow
| down for the little vessels; but so far the
| battleships concerned it all smooth
| weather. Commander Schroeder said that dur
ing the blockade off Santiago. and while the
larger vessels were six seven miles out, there
| were small ships the inside of the line, and
| one of them. the Vixen. fired upon railroad
train night.
AT this point the name of Admiral Sampson
was mentioned for the first time since the open
| ing of the inquiry, and it here that Judge
| Wilson, of counsel for Admiral Schey, indicated
| purpose to compare the records of the two
| naval commanders. Addressing the witness.
| he asked him if the character of the blockade
| of Santiago had not been changed after Admiral
| SIMPSONS arrival. Commander Schroeder re-
| piled that it had been. and that then the block
| ade became stationary, Sampson having more
| ships than Schely had had.
Now, about how far out was the Sampson
| blockade from the entrance the harbor?"
| POSITION OF BLOCKADING SHIPS.
| The reply was: My recollection is that at
| first We're about four miles in the daytime
| and closed in a little at night. Later we
| were all close In day and night. and there was
| a battleship stationed about mile from the
| entrance all night with a searchght The Iowa,
| the Massachusetts and the Oregon took two
| hours and four off, searchght watch, at the
| entrance all through the night
Mr.. Kenna-If the court please should like
| TO ask the purpose of these inquiries as to the
1 conduct of the blockade?
| Judge Wison-Well. l want to show
| matter of course. that when you complain
| ing OF the blockade that was made day or two
| after, when Sampson came up and brought ad-
| ditional ships. the distance out just about
| the same as these others that cruis-
| ing backward and forward
| Mr.. Hannah that is the purpose. may it
| please the court. we desire to object to any
|
any other blockade instituted any other time
| and place. We have avoided introducing
| parisons
| Judge Wilson-For the present l withdraw
| the question. Hereafter it will become very
material question. and 1 don't want take the
| time of the court in discussing it.
| Commander Schroeder said that during the
| Schley blockade his vessel did get off
| twenty-five miles from shore at night.
|
| ing orders for battle Commander Schroeder
| said he had heard nothing concerning an order
| not to expose ships to the fire of land batteries
| He made the same reply to an inquiry concern
| ing the orders to the Flying Squadron with ref
| erence to what should be done if the Spanish
| feet found in port He then read the order
| of Admiral Sampson of May .. beginning:
| Spanish squadron probably at Santiago de
| Cuba-four ships and three torpedo boat de-
| stroyers. If you are satisfied that they not
at Cenfuegos, proceed with all dispatch, but
cautiously, 10 Santa go de Cuba, and II the
| enemy is there, blockade him in port.
The witness declared that he knew nothing
| at all about this order at the time until he
saw it in the official report of the campaign.
| There would be way of knowing" he
| said there communication with the
| flagship"
! Judge Wilson sought TO have the witness make
comparison of the distance out between the
| fleet under Admiral Schley and that under Ad-
miral Sampson after he arrived, but the Judge
advocate objected. asking the purpose of the in
| quiry. and saying there would be opposition
all efforts to institute any such comparisons
Mr.. Wilson admitted that 1t his purpose
to obtain this comparison, but he withdrew the
question: saying that he would bring it up at a
more convenient time.
| Commander Schroeder said that he had not
| known of the order to Schley to proceed from
Cienfuegos to Santiago. if satisfied that the
enemy not at the former place.
| APPARENT LACK OF HASTE
| Mr.. Wilson then returned to Commander
| Schroeder's statement concerning the lombard
ment of the Colon. and secured from him the
| statement that the only suggestion he had made
| in connection with that event was that the
sells should have gone in closer and fired more
| deliberately
| On redirect examination Mr.. Hanna speaking
of the departure from Cienfuegos for Santiago,
asked
| "Presuming. then, that the admiral was salts
| fed that the Spanish squadron was not in the
harbor. did you proceed with all dispatch to
Santiago de Cuba?
! NO. sir
When you left Cenfuegos was it daylight, or
was it after dark"
| When we left Cienfuegos it was after dark,
| agout O'Clock"
| Mr.. Rayner-You said you did not proceed
| with all dispatch to Santiago"
| THAT is " hat l said. sir
What the conditions of the weather and
| the between Cienfuegos and Santiago that
prevented you from proceeding faster than you