The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-25
FOR ADMIRAL SGHIEY BEFORE THE
NAVAL COURT OF INQUIRY.
CHANGES IN BROOKLYN'S LOG
For Day OF Battle OF Santiago Explained
by Yeoman Mason, the Log Writer.
Lieutenant Simpson Gives Graphic
Description OF the Battle-Sigsbee Re-
ported on May 26th enemy Not In
Santiago Harbor''-Schley Always at
Post of Danger

Washington, October 22.-The Schley
court of inquiry opened today with
Lieutenant Wells, who was Commodore
Schley's flag lieutenant during the
Spanish war, still on the stand, but he
was soon displaced to allow Yeoman
Albert V. Mason, who had written the
Brooklyn's log for the period covering
the Santiago campaign, to testify. Mr..
entry referring to the Brooklyn's turn
on the day of the battle off Santiago.
Mr.. Mason was followed by George E.
Graham, who, as an Associated Press
correspondent, was with Commodore
Schley during the entire campaign. Mr..
Graham's testimony covered all the
principal events of the campaign and
discussed especially the bombardment
of the Spanish ship Colon on May 31st
and the battle OF Santiago on July 3rd.
He testified to hearing a conversation
between Commodore Schley and Cap
tain Sigsbee when the latter came
aboard the flagship Brooklyn off Santi-
ago May 26th. He said that he had dis
tfnctly heard Captain Sigsbee tell the
commodore that the Spanish fleet
was not inside the harbor at
Santiago. Mr.. Graham also stated
that Admiral Schley had told him
that the object of the bombardment
of May 31st was to develop the Spanish
batteries. on shore and he said that the
range was fixed at 1000 or 1850 yards in
order to draw their fire.
The witnesses for the afternoon were
Dennis J. Cronin. who was Admiral
Schley's orderly and who testified along
the same lines as Mr.. Graham to the
conversation with Captain Sigsbee;
Lieutenant Comma nder William r.
Rush, who said he thought the ViScaya
had planned to ram the Brooklyn;
Lieutenant Edward Simpson, who gave
a very graphic picture of the battle of
July 3rd, and Lieutenant Edward T.
Fitzgerald, an assistant engineer, who
was on duty in the fire room on July
3rd and who testified that an order had
been given early in the action to stand
by for a ram.
Lieutenant Wells was questioned as
to the department orders concerning
the risking of the American ships to
bombardment from shore batteries.
The first of the orders of this char
aster stated that 1.-The department does
not wish the vessels of your squadron
at Havana, Santiago or other strongly
fortified ports in Cuba,' and the others
were regarded as notifications of these.
In the last of these, dated May 9th
the department said THE department
is perfectly willing that you should ex-
pose your ships to the heaviest guns of
land batteries if in your opinion, there
are Spanish vessels of sufficient mill
tary Importance protected by these
guns to make an attack advisable, your
chief aim for the present being the de-
Struction of the enemy'S principal ves-
SelS.'
In reply to questions by Captain
Lemly the witness said there had been
no written or printed orders of the bat
tie, but that on the day before Cienfue-
gos was reached some special directions
were sent to the ships by the Scorpion.
This was. he said, order No. 9, relating
to signals in case the enemy should be
sighted.
YEOMAN MASON TESTIFIES
Albert V. Mason was questioned by
Captain Parker and said that he had
been a yeoman of the second class on
board the Brooklyn and had been the
writer of that ships log. The witness
said that as the log giving an account
of the Brooklyn's turn had been at first
prepared, it read:
\ I'VE engaged with port battery at
first, but just at soon as the enemy
stood to westward we put our helm
starboard at first, then hard aport, SO
as to bring our starboard battery to
bear and swinging clear of the Texas
fire we stood parallel with and to the
enemy"
This entry had. he said, been changed
later at the instance Of Lieutenant
Hodgson so as to make it read as it
does in the permanent copy, as follows:
{Ia Sfr to I,n
westward we put our helm aport.
swinging clear of the Texas, etc.
GRAHAM, THE PRESS REPORTER
George E. Graham, the Associated
Press correspondent, was then ques-
toned concerning the conversation be-
tween Commodore Schley and Captain
Sigsbee on the occasion of the captain s
visit to the Brooklyn on May 26th, and
said:
..After Captain Sigsbee had reached
the quarter deck of the gangway ne
him: Have we got 'em SlgspeeE
Captain Sigsbee said: No, they are
not here. have been here for week
and they are not here We went ait
and he continued the conversation.
Commodore Schley said: Arc you sure
they are not here? He said: have
been very close to the harbor entrance
two or three times. Captain Cotton
has been in and cut a cable and they
are not there.
Captain Sigsbee later took a dis
patch written by me and vized by Com
modore Schley. He took it aboard MS
ship, and he was to deliver 1t TO one
OF the small boats or else take it over
himself
"And Captain Sigsbee took that dis
patch2"
Eyes, sir. 1t was open. 1t detailed
the fact that the fleet was not tnere.
When the witness asked permission
to go on board the MASSACHUSETTS,
Schley said that they did not lnteno
to do anything except find out what the
batteries consisted Of.
"NoW tell me regarding the convef-