The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-28
formation to Commodore schley verbal
MCALLA GOES ASHORE.

papers from the steamer AduIa. some
days previous; that one of the news
papers contained a cable dispatch from
Santiago and from that he gathered that
the Spanish force under Admiral Ger
vera might have sailed from Santiago in
time to reach Cienfuegos just before the
arrival of the force under his command
L said that l had brought arms. amnu-
milton and dynamite for the Cuban camp
to the westward and that if he would let
me go l would find out at once whether
they were in Cienfuegos He Immediately
assented. 1 asked him if he had seen
any lights on the beach. He said he had
L asked if he saw three. He said he had
L then said the lights were from Cubans
trying to communicate. 1 may have
asked him if he saw three horses in line
on the beach by day"
Capt. McCalla then related how he hao
gone ashore near Cienfuegos, and founo
the Cubans drawn up in line lie gave
them food and ammunition.
we found he added that Cervera
was not inside the harbor and that in
fact the situation in Cienfuegos was ex-
actly as it was when 1 left it on the 18th
of the same month
NOTIFIED SCHLEY.
Capt. McCaIla said he sent the inforrna.
ton obtained to Admiral SchIey by the
Eagle, signaling that vessel to proceed
at full speed and report to the Brooklyn
that Cervera was not in Cienfuegos. At
that time witness was steaming with two
boilers and the Eagle could steam faster
than the Marblehead
.. Did you consider that Information
as of urgent Importance them"
A Il considered it of great I'M
portance."
Q. Then what did you do?"
A. We followed with the Marblehead
reaching the Brooklyn between 3 and
o'clock, somewhat behind the Eagle
Q. Did you go on board the Brook
Lynn"
A Il steamed under the quarter of
the Brooklyn, and after some conversa-
ton with Com odore Schley 1 asked il
he would like me TO go on board. He
said that he would. 1 went on board and
of course confirmed the fact that Adj
miral Cervera's fleet was not in Glen
fTegos. 1 saw then for the first time
the set of instructions for Commodore
Schley. During the conversation the
commodore asked me to read the in
structions. and after l had read them.
he asked me what 1 thought he had bet
ter do. Previous to this he had said that
he could not coal off Santiago; that the
English had demonstrated that ships
could not coal at sea. He also said that
if he returned to Key West he
WOULD BE COURT-MARTIALE
It was after this he handed me the
orders, which I read. After reading them
l said: Commodore I think you must
return to Santiago even if you do not
stay there. .
Q. Where were you when Commodore
Schley said that if ne returned to Key
West he would be court-martiaIed?'
A. Il was in the cabin of the Brook
lyn. The interview lasted perhaps half
hour. Capt. Cook either came in fire.
quently or remained the whole time.
Lieut.. Sears came in once
Q. Il assume you do not recoIect
whether any of those gentlemen were
present when that remark was nader
a. THAT L cannot say
@. did you hear any reports or re-
marks conversational or otherwise?'
A While 1 was there the flag heuten-
ant, l think, came in twice to report sig
nails One was regarding coal on each of
the ships. The other was a report to
the effect that the Merrimac had 1900
tons of COAL
Q. Was anything further said on the
subject of going to Santiago?'
A. Il do not remember that anything
was said then in reply to my suggestion.
Shortly afterwards the admiral said:
This is a matter I shall have to decide
myself, and you may return to your
Ship -
Q. Did the commodore say anything
to you at that time to indicate whether
it was his intention to go on that even
ing or on the next day?"
A. Nothing
In reply to further questions Capt
McCalla said that no effort had been
made while he was with the flying squad
ron off Cienfuegos to prevent the Span
iards from continuing the construction of
earthworks, which he had been ordered
to do. He said the Marblehead could
have gone within range of their works,
and that he had been told by Cuban
pilot that the water was deep under the
bluffs. Capt. McCalla said that the
squadron had not proceeded with ''all dis
patch to Santiago"
After telling of the cruise from Glen
fuegos to Santiago. of the arrival off that
city and of the retrograde movement
toward Key West, the witness was asked
if the Marb1ehead could have coaled on
when the flying squadron arrived off
Santiago.
COULD HAVE COALED MAY 26.
He replied in the affirmative, but said
that he had not considered the vessel in
need of coal He also said in reply to
questions that he had not been at any
the coal supply of the Marblehead. He
had, he said, coaled on the night of the
9th, at first by boats with bags, but af-
ter daylight on the 2Sth his vessel had
gone alongside the collier. The reason
why this had not been done in the be-
ginning, he said, was that he had been
apprehensive of injuring the guns of the
Marblehead in the dark, the weather con-
ditions having nothing to do with the pre-
caution. Capt. McCalla said he had told
Admiral Schley he could coal without diff
Guilty at Cape Haitien. In reply to an
explicit question, the witness said that
with a collier present he could have not
have anticipated any difficulty in remain
ing off Santiago for considerable time.
In response to questions, he next relat-
ed briefly the bombardment of the
Christobal Colon on May 81. When ask
ed what had been left undone to accom-
plish the destruction of that vessel, he
replied that Admiral Schley had failed
to use his entire force in making the at
tack
Mr. Hanna inquired If this was an I'm
portant omission.
Capt. Parker, on behalf of Admiral
Schley, objected. The objection was sus-
tained by Admiral Dewey, he remarking
that "such questions should not be ask
ed under the ruling of the court"
Capt. Parker was about to proceed with