The Washington times., 1901-09-22


sons feet off Santiago. Notwithstanding
the fact that there were only three wit
nesses heard yesterday.two of whom had
testified on the day before and their ex-
animation had not been concluded, Mr..
Hanna. the solicitor for the department,
who is assisting the judge advocate. ex-
pressed himself as satisfied with the pro-
gress made thus far and with the hearing
as 1t has been presented. Counsel for Ad-
miral Schley are also pleased with the
outlook in the case.
Admiral Schley's counsel also succeeded
in getting admissions from two of the
Judge advocates witnesses that so far as
they knew there was nothing in a report
that the Flying Squadron withdrew
twenty-five miles from Santiago at any
time after the blockade of that port was
established by Admiral Schley on May
29. These witnesses We're Rear Admiral
Higginson. who was the commander. and
Commander Schroeder, who was the ex-
ecutive officer of the battleship Massa-
chusetts.
Captain Parker of Admiral Schley's
counsel, who brought up the question, re-
ferred to a story, of which he did not
know the origin, that the squadron with
drew twenty-five miles at night after the
blockade was established. This and some
statements by Commander Schroeder
about the firing on the Spanish cruiser
Colon by the Massachusetts. Iowa, and
New Orleans on May 81 1898, were the
most interesting features of the Court of
Enquirys session today.
Admiral Schley, in a telegram TO the
Navy Department, spoke of the firing on
the Colon as a reconnaissance intended
principally 10 injure and destroy Colon" ="
Commander Schroeder testified to hearing
Admiral Schley tell Captain Higginson
that he was going to pot the Colon, and
that he would sink her at her moorings.
According to Commander Schroeder, the
first shot from the Massachusetts, fell
1000 yards short, and the American ves-
seis went so fast past the mouth of the
harbor that they did not see the Colon
long enough to get her range.
The Question of Coaling.
There was much testimony about the
movement of the Flying Squadron from
Cienfuegos TO Santiago, the condition of
the coal supply of the vessels composing
it. and the state OF the weather during
its progress between those two points
Admiral Dewey let it be known that he
thought the testimony as to the coal sup
ply was unnece ssary. as the logs would
schley's counsel to bring in testimony
comparing the blockados Of Sampson and
Sch!ey was resisted by the judge adyo-
cate and although the matter was rot
pressed, notice was given that it would
be again brought up. The proceedings
were enlivened by some verbal person al
interchances between Mr.. Rayner, of Ad-
miral Schley's counsel, and Commander
Harber, who was executive officer Of the
Texas in the war with Spain.
The Court was called to order at II
o'clock Commander Harber resumed the
witness stand. and was cross-examined
by Mr.. Rayner, who started off by ask
ing the witness if he recalled any picket
line composed of the Scorpion. the Du
Pont, and Castine, of the Flying
Squadron. The witness said he could not
recall that circumstance. Mr.. Raynor ex-
amined him at length about signals be-
tween the Brooklyn and the Texas and
other ships OF the squadron about cGaling
but Commander Harber said he did not
recall any. These signals were read by
Mr. Rayner, who wanted to show that
the Brooklyn had signaled the Texas to
coal at sea, but Captain Philip and the
captain of the collier thought it too rough
and generally unsafe to do so.
This was on the morning of May 81
while the squadron was at Cienfuegos.
the first signal. of the Brooklyn being
GO alongside the collier and coal as rap
idly possible Admiral Schley had
claimed that il was too rough for his
ships to coal. and that was one of the
reasons he turned back for Key West TO
get fuel some days later. Commander
Harber stood by his answer of Friday
that it was his recollection that the Texas
could have taken coal at that time He
said that he did this notwithstanding the
signals read, of which he knew nothing.
In answer to other questions he said
he believed that the Eagle retarded the
squadron going TO Santiago, but he re-
mombered nothing about repairs to the
Merrimac then. He reiterated his state
ment of Friday that the sea was rather
hard for 4 small vessel; hardly what
we would call moderate
Mr.. Rayner read the witness an extract
from the report Of Captain Higginson, of
the Massachusetts, saying: En- route to
Santiago de Cuba. Weather rough and
squaIly. The Eagle fell behind, retarding
the progress of the feet"
Commander Harber insisted that this
report did not correspond with the -ctual
log Of the Massachusetts for that day.
and read from it to show that the sea
was marked during most of the day as
moderate. That says rough weather"
said Commander Harber, indicating Cap
tain Higginsons report, and there Is
nothing here indicating rough weather at
all"
Record of the Weather.
Mr. Rayner pressed the witness hard.
but the latter would not change his tes-
timony OF Friday regarding the movement
of the squadron toward Santiago. The
judge advocate interposed with an objec-
ton to Commander Harber, who was not
on the Massachusetts, examining the log
Of that vessel. He would present, he said,
that log, which would show the exact
record OF the weather between Cienfue-
gos and Santiago. The Court sustained
the objection
Under cross-examination Commander
Garber said the weather between Cien-
fuegos and Santiago was not rough 'as
We would describe it on board ship" 1t
was what he would call moderate wealth
CT, and the wind was not sufficient 10
produce rough sea. He said he had not
said that the Eagle retarded the squad
ron; it retarded only that ship
Mr. Rayner called attention to the dis
crepancy In tn. estimates of Admiral Hig-
ginson and the witness as to the distance
the Flying Squadron remained of San
tiago in maintaining the blockade. and
Commander Harber objected vehemently
TO any attempt to refresh his memory.
lie repeated what he had said Friday that
it was his recollection that the ships
cruised about eight miles to the east and
west OF the harbor entrance.
AT this point the relations between Com
mander HARDER and Mr.. Rayner became
exceedingly strained.