Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-10-24
INQUIRY COURT is
NEAR CLOSING DAYS
Principal Witnesses to Come
Are schley and Clark.
BOATsWAIN's TESTIMONY

QUA i = w AIN = LED IL NUN
He Says Fire From Brooklyn's Bat
teries Never Ceased From Time She
Started to Turn Until End Of Battle.
When Colon Went Ashore.
WASHINGTON, Oct 23.-The Schley
court of inquiry is rapidly approaching
its closing days. At the beginning of
today's session Mr.. Raynor, chief coun.
sui for Admiral Schley, said that he would
not have more than 10 or Is more wit.
nesses to examine, and that the exami.
nation of some of these would require
comparatively little time. The princi.
pal witnesses yet to come are Admiral
Schley and Captain CLARK. Il is expect
ed that Admiral Schley's testimony will
cover at least day or two.
Captain Clark probably will be the
last witness to Admiral Schley, bat his
statement, it is expected, will be com.
paratively brief. Many witnesses OF
former days were present to correct
their testimony and after they had been
disposed of another long list for today
was presented. The first of the new
witnesses called was James s. Hare,
who, as photographer for an illustrated
weekly newspaper, witnessed and made
photos of the battle of July 3.
He was followed by William Hill,
chief boatswain of the Brooklyn during
the Cuban campaign, and who had es-
pec1al charge of the work of coaling.
Other witnesses called for the day
were:
Franklin 7. Applegate, a gunner on
the Brooklyn; Major Murphy, who was
in command of the marines of the flying
squadron, and whose quarters were on
the Brooklyn; Lieutenant Commander
Z. h. Harlow, who was executive officer
OF the Vixen and who wrote an account
OF the battle Of July 8, in which it is
claimed alterations were made before it
was officially published Lieutenant E.
W. Eberle, who had charge of the for
ward 13-inch turret on the Oregon;
Lieutenant A. A. Alderman, who was
in charge of the aft 13,inch turret of the
Oregon, and Lieutenant Rufus z. John.
ston, who was signal officer on the Ore.
gon and aide to Captain Cook.
Press Photographer Testifes.
Mr. James H. Hare was the first new
witness today. He was a press pho
tographer during the Santiago cam
paign. He stated that he was on the
press boat Smith on May 26 or n, and
that they had met the St. Paul
No No
any tidings of Cervera's feet" said the
witness Captain Sigsbee told US there
was not, that Oervera' s fleet was not in
side Santiago and that Schley had gone
west. On Sigsbee's assurance that the
fleet was not in the harbor we went
back to Key West to coal instead of to
Jamaica, and the first news we got
there was that Cervera's feet was bot
tied up in the harbor."
On cross examination witness said
that the Smith was within 100 yards
of the St. Paul and that part of
the conversation was by megaphone and
part without it. He gave list of news
paper correspondents present on the
Smith at the time, and said he did not
recognize any of the officers on board
the St. Paul except Captain Sigsbee.
Among the newspaper men mentioned as
present was Sylvester Scoville, whom
the witness said was now in Havana.
He told the court in response to a
question by it that CAPTAIN Sigsbee had
himself used the megaphone.
Mr. Hare was followed by Chief Boat
swain William L. Hill, who was boat
swain on the Brooklyn during the sum-
mer of 1898. Concerningthe weather on
the cruise between Cienfuegos and San
tiago, Hill said:
"The weather was rough. It was
worse than that. | should say it was
blowing a reef topsail breeze, and at one
time the seas were breaking completely
over the Massachusetts. l made an en-
try to that effect"
Mr.. Hill also stated that he had had
direct charge, under the executive Off
Ger of the Brooklyn, of the ooaling of
that vessel.
The Brooklyn" he said, ''was the
best ship III the fleet to coal, and only
with constant watchfulness in the
calmest weather could we coal without
having an accident.
The witness said in reply to a ques.
ton that the derrick beams of the col
ier were not long enough to throw the
coal onto the Brooklyn and that the
supplementary devices were necessary
for that purpose. He also said that he
had personal knowledge of the Texas
and knew that the projecting sponsors
of that ship made it hard vessel to
coal, and on more than one occasion per-
mission had been asked and received for
the ship TO go to Guantanamo for coal.
Boatswain Hill Describes Battle.
In the course of his description of the
battle Of July 3, the witness said: