The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-26

area of deep water for the anchorage OF
large ships is so little there it was not
practicable to coal at the very utmost
more than one large ship at time, and
| in case the weather became bad sne
would Immediately have to go to sea.
l was anxious while / Was there with the
\ Harvard, on account of her size, and
would have left at once in case bad
weather had come on. | recOllect no
qualification as to Gonaives channel"
Admiral Cotton said in response to a
question from Captain Lemly that ves-
sells of the fleet could have coaled where
they were on the 27th-at some time
during that day, he said. AS Indicative
of the condition of the sea, he said he
had used a cookie she'll boat in going
from the Harvard to the Brooklyn and
had worn white uniform
ANXIOUS ABOUT COAL.
WAS anything said at this time about
going to Key West for coal?"
Returning to- what | said with refer
enCe to the difficulty which Commodore
Schley stated to me he had had in get
ting coal on board of any of the ships
at CienfuegOs, he said he was very anxi-
Gus. The coal supply was getting short
the weather was bad and it had been bad
almost continuously. 1t was a very
serious problem as to how or whether he
could possibly get coal on board ships
of Santiago. He said if he found the
weather did not improve and he found it
impracticable to coal there he could only
see one resort and that was he would be
compelled to return to Key West In or
n 70 w 1,ic chs
ing that question in view he was appre-
hensiye especially as to one ship, the
Texas He did not even know at that
moment whether she had on board suffi-
cient coal to enable her to return to
Key West During my visit he gave ar
order to make signal, general signal as
remember it, not limited to the flying
squadron alone, to report whether the
ships had sufficient coal to reach Key
West. The signal was made or at least.
| assume it was made. At all events
during my presence with Commodore
Schley he received a report to the effect
that all the ships, including the Texas,
had sufficient coal to return to Key
West.
RETURNING TO KEY WEST.
Il think the commodore was very much
relieved when he received this informa-
tion. Shortly afterward, I should say
within few minutes, he directed sig
nal to be made preparatory for the ships
to return to Key West. The order was
given in a general way. l cannot give
the words of the order, but what have
stated was their purport While I was
still there he received a report to the
effect that the signals were read. Before
| left ship he ordered signals to be made
fer ships to form preparatory for steam,
ing to Key West
ITO go back bit, | had informed Com.
mcdcre Schley that it was utterly i'm
possible for the Harvard to go any.
where except to Kingston. | had. not
sufficient coal to get to Key West, and
he verbally authorized me to proceed al
once to Kingston to receive such amount
Oh coal as ] could get there sufficient tc
enable me to return to the nearest United
States port. l left the Brooklyn about
noon, possibly few minutes before. I'M
mediately after my departure, the Brook
lyn commenced steaming ahead and
noticed that many of the boats at that
moment under Commodore Schley's com
mand were in motion, presumably prepar-
atory to taking their stations in steamins
L. n
l returned to my own ship. after my boat
was hOisted, ] steercd to the southwest
fer Kingston"
"A DISPATCH FROM LONG.
In response to further questions Ad-
miral Cotton said that he had the ori-
ginal translations of the cipher dis
patches addressed to the Harvard. The
dispatch of May 18th was then read to
him as follows:
Washington, May %, 1898
Harvard ST. Nicholas Mole, Haiti.
Proceed at once and inform Schley,
and also the senior officer present off
Santiago as follows: All departments
information indicates Spanish division is
still at Santiago. The department looks
to you to ascertain facts, and that the
enemy if therein, does not leave without
a decisive facts. Cubans familiar with
Santiago say that there are landing
places five or six nautical miles ives,
from the mouth of harbor, and that there
insurgents probably will be found and
not the Spanish. From the surrounding
heights can see every vessel in port. AS
soon as ascertained, notify the depart
ment whether enemy is there. Could not
squadron and also the Harvard coal from
Merrimac, leeward Of Cape Cruz. Gonaives
Channel, or Mole, Haiti? The Depart
ment will send coal Immediately to Mole
Report without delay situation at San
fsigned, ..LoNG."
CHANGES IN DISPATCHES.
Mr.. Rayner called attention to the
fact that there were some changes in the
dispatches as printed in the official re-
ports by the Navy Department.
Admiral Schley's reply to these dis
patches, dated May 29th, in which he
said he could not obey the orders of the
Department, was then read and Mr..
Rayner pointed out various changes in
the language of the dispatch as printed
in the official report. He addressed the
court briefly concerning these changes.
He said that Admiral Schley had
spoken of the weather as "boisterous,'
and that that word had been omitted
from the printed copy of the dispatch.
He stated that whereas the Admiral had
said that $500 tons of coal would be
necessary, the printed copy made it 10 900
tons. 1t was also stated in the original |
that the Harvard was going to Port
Royal, whereas Kingston had been in