The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-12
Loads all North Carolina Daies i'm News and circulation

western end of the blockade with the
leading vessel making the turn, what or
ders were there for attacking if you saw
the enemy coming out of the entrance?v
Il do not believe we could have seen
the enemy coming out. There were no
orders l have any knowledge Of"
Did you have any conversation with
the commanding officer of the Flying
Squadron or any one in his presence in
relation to the firing ON the Colon or
Lieutenant Dewey replied 81 was told
shortly before we started into the en-
trance that the Commodore wished to
see the turret officers in the pilot. house.
l went to the pilot house and the Com
modore said that he intended to go in
few moments and have a try at the
Colcn and that he hoped we would sink
her. / asked what speed we would make
and was told about ten knots ! re-
marked at the time that l thought that
was giving us very little chance at the
Colon as she would be in sight between
the head lines only couple of minutes
and that the smoke from the guns would
probably make our fire very slow. To
the best of my recollection, the Commo-
dore stated we would have to do the
best we could; that the speed would be
ten knots"
In reply to a question by the court as
to whether he was ordered to direct his
fire on the Colon or on the batteries on
May 31st. Lieutenant Dewey said that his
orders were to direct his fire at the Colon
entirely but he could not say whether
Commodore Schley or Captain Higginson
had given the order.
BOUGHLER is QUESTIONED.
Lieutenant Francis Boughler said the
Marblehead and the Vixen were on picket
duty between the shore line at Santiago
and the line of the blockade, the Marble
head being stationed three miles from
the shore and to the westward, six miles
from the Moro. He would not attempt
to say how far outside the squadron was,
but he could not see the ships after night
fall
Tie court asked: "Was the Marblehead
in such Losition at night while on picket
duty off Santiago that the enemy's ves-
sells would have been seen had they at
tempted to leave the harbor?"
The witness replied: THAT would de-
pend on a great many circumstances, the
state of the weather, the course they
took, and their success in keeping their
ships dark and quiet.'
AS TO THE PICKET BOATS.
Admiral Dewey: THE Marblehead was
on picket duty. Could she have seen the
enemy coming out?'
IF the enemy kept close to shore and
we were three miles off during most of
the time, we would not have seen them,
if the enemy had stood south from the
entrance which would have placed them
about four miles off, we could not have
seen them, provided they kept reason
ably quiet
MIR. Rayner: What was the purpose of
the picket boats being there if they could
not see the enemy?"
They were supposed to be there, I
presume fer that purpose /.
Then if they were there for that pur-
pose what was it that would have pre-
vented them from accomplishing this OBJ
ject?''
1.-THE fact that they could not see a
vessel if it ran at distance of from two
to two and half miles off at night"
Lieutenant E. l.. Bennett said when the
North Atlantic Squadron arrived off San
tiago they found the Flying Squadron
there. They stopped about seven miles
directly south of the harbor and the wit
ness said he had seen the Colon in the
harbor. He said also that almost imme-
diately afterward the vessel moved to
the westward back Of Cay Smith. This
last statement, however, was stricken
from the record on the ground that such
testimony had been previously excluded.
Lieutenant c.. C. Marsh testified con-
cerning the forwarding of dispatches by
the Dupont and the Iowa from Key West
on May 20. These messages were from
Admiral Sampson to Commodore Schley
and one of them was the memorandum
by Captain McCalla concerning the insur-
gents at Cienfuegos.
Captain French E. Chadwick was ques-
ticned by Mr. Hanna concerning the code
of signals arranged by Capt. McCalla with
the insurgents.
Capt McCalla arrived off the reefs
of Key West at noon Of the 10Th of May
He came on board and went down in the
cabin and was there some little time with
Admiral Sampson and myself. After
coming on deck he spoke to me and said
he had made arrangements with the Gu
bans of Cienfuegos by which they could
communicate with the ships. He said he
did not care to have anything said about
it as he was going back the next day and
his would probably be the first ship there
He was accidentally delayed at Key West
by his inability to get coal and water
until the next day. So that instead OF
leaving on the goth he left on the 21st. >
WAS this system of signals reduced tt
writing?"
NO"
.What was said if anything, about re-
duCing them to writing?"
.sHe was anxious about them. He did
not want the code to get out publicly. he
seemed to have some idea that the Span
iards might get hold of them and get the
Cubans into trouble thereby.
ITO whom, if you recollect, did you
communicate this system OF signals or In
formation respecting it,"
my memory is entirely at fault regard
ing that l cannot say positively thai
1 communicated it to anybody.
.Did you communicate it to Commo'
dore Schley? If not, why not ?"
''The signals were not communicated
to Commodore Schley because Captain
McCalla said he was going back the next
day at once and would give them to al
the ships off Cienfuegos himself
.was Commodore Schley then in Key