Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-11-06

0pVEIuCdtlOU I>~WuS next 'COuSluerEu
This requires an inquiry as to whether
every proper effort was made to cap
ture the Colon as that vessel lay In
the harbor at Santiago and referring
to it Mr.. Hanna said:
; with respect to this specification,
it seems sufficient to say that when
the flying squadron arrived off San
tiago On May 29 the Colon was dis
covered in plain sight, lying about
1000 yards to 1900 yards inside of the
Moro, moored stem and stern, ap-
parently with awnings up, and that
she so remained during the 29th, 30th
and 31st of May and until the morning
of June l." In this connection Mr..
Hanna referred to the reconnaissance
Of May 81, during which the Colon was
bombarded and said that during this
action not one of our ships had the
Colon under fire for total period of
more than five minutes and the Colon
was not struck"
Certain cautionary orders, some of
them confidential in their character,
issued by the department to Rear Ad-
miral Sampson have been cited as for
bidding the exposure of vessels to the
fire of batteries and as justifying
Commodore Schley's conduct of the So
called reconnaissance of May 81. AS
suming that the substance of these Or
ders was communi icated to Commodore
Schley by Admiral Sampson at Key
West on the 18th of May, 1898, it is
clear that they have NO application to
the conditions existing at Santiago on
the S1st of May"
BrooI<lyn's Loop Discussed.
Mr.. Hanna said that beyond the
Brooklyn's turn, the battle of Santiago
was not involved in the inquiry. He
said that according to the weight Of
the testimony no disposition was man
ifested by the Spanish ship to ram the
Brooklyn. With reference to the testi-
mony concerning the possibility of col
lision with the Texas Mr.. Hanna call
ed attention to the fact that the two
vessels in closing in moved on con-
verging lines. He said that Cahtain
Cook and Navigator Hodgson evident
ly had observed Commodore Schley's
movements on the day of the battle
from different standpoints. Mr.. Han
ma said beyond peradventure the prog
ress of the Texas was seriously inter
fered with. He quoted Captain Evans
of the Iowa and Lieutenant Nicholson
of the Oregon to sustain the conten-
ton that the Texas came to a stop.
Thus, he argued, a battleship not only
was imperiled, but delayed by the dan
ger of collision at this critical time.
The loop of the Brooklyn was, he con-
cluded, the only movement of that day
that had called for any explanation.
After recess Mr.. Hanna continued
his remarks concerning the Brooklyn's
loop, contending that it was not made
to avoid the Brooklyn being rammed,
as there was no such effort at that
time He quoted Commander Vain
Wright's testimony to the effect that
the Broohlyn's turn left a gap for the
escape of the enemy.
Mr.. Hanna also discussed the re-
ported colloquy between Commodore
Schley and Lieutenant Hodgson, which
forms the tenth count in the precept
in which Schley was reported to have
said during the turn, Damn the Tex
as" This remark, Mr.. Hanna said,
showed a. lack Of interest in another
ship of the fleet. He expressed the
opinion that there was much to sus-
tain Mr.. Hodgson's recollection of this
incident. This closed Mr.. Hanna's
address, he having spoken about four
and one-haf hours.
Parker Begins His Address.
Captain Parker then began his ad-
dress in support OF Admiral Schley.
He stood at counsel's table and spoke
in clear and distinct tones.
II doubt" said Captain Parker, eff
the naval history of the world presents
or ever has presented case of the
Importance and character of that In
which we have SO long been engaged.
doubt if a tribunal more exalted in
the character of the persons who COM
pose it has ever sat in Judgment upon
a brother officer. I doubt If an officer,
with the lifelong character and stand
ing and conduct that Admiral Schley
has always displayed. was ever called
upon before to ask an investigation Of
his conduct as a victorious command
er of a fleet" = - w.
Continuing Captain Parker compar-
ed this case with the charges after the
battle OF Lake Erie. In th at case there
might have been some founSg2ticn. but
In this there was no foundation what
ever He said that the cca-t hssi, in
its wisdom, prevented comparisons
with other officers engaged In the San
tfago campaign. .-t.5s -tt5 !, s;e@.s.:.
There Is no aceuser here he said.
nobody. Is on trial, and yet the cage
has been conducted as though Con,.
modore Sch1ey were on trial. We get
it, he went on, in the order Of the ar
gument now being made here, SO thsaSt..S
we are compelled to consider the ins
quiry as a trial. ~. M Il Il 4%ss% @ II
Taking up the events of the cam
paign in their sequence, Captain Park.
5er spoke of the Interviews between
Admiral Sampson and Commodore
Schley at Key West, saying that he
would not give Admiral Schley's tes-
timony sen this point. He pointed out.
however, that Schley was not then in
formed that the Spanish feet had left
Curacao, IA notWith thstanding Sampson
had been in possession CT this informa.s
tfon for three or four days III l5
He then quoted Sampson's orders to
Schley to proceed to Gienfnegos and
there establish a blockade and quoted
schley's testimony To the effect that.
Sampson told him he had al that time