The San Francisco call., 1901-10-18
JUNIOR OFFICERS ARE HEARD
Ensigns and Others on the Brooklyn
Tell of Schley's Acts.

WASHINGTON. Oct 1.-THE first new wit
ness called before the Schley court of inquiry
to-day was Lieutenant Commander L. D. GrL-
fin who as lieutenant was the senior watch
officer on the Brooklyn during the war Win
Spain After him came a number of the junior
carnpaign. As usual, before any OF the new
witnesses were summoned, a number of former
witnesses were called for the purpose or cor
It rad been the intention of Admiral
Schley counsel tc PROFOUND Yesterday num-
bar of questions to the court which IT was pro-
posed to put to the witnesses for the purpose
of determining to what extent Admiral SaInp-
could be gone into and it was not decided
until the beginning Of the afternoon session
to withhold the questions. This decision was
then reached, largely. because it was believed
that the information intended to be ELECTED by
the questions could be secured in a more dl-
rect and certain way by Lieutenant McSau-
l4y's testimony regarding signals on July 5.
The questions which had been formulated for
presentation previous to McCauley's taking the
stand related principally to the movements OF
Admiral SIMPSONS flagship, the New YORK, on
July 8. the day of the battle off Santiago, ana
especially to the signals of that day directing
the feet to disregard the fagships movements
1t is still the intention to present other ques-
tions involving Admiral Simpsons relation TO
the inquiry before the close OF the case; II
seems probable that their presentation VIII be
deferred until time shortly before the begin
ming, CT Admiral Schley's testimony
Witnesses Make Corrections.
+. The first of Yesterdays witnesses called for
Mason and aftershiTn. came in succession Lieu
tenant Commander Sears, Lieutenant McCau-
lev and Lieutenant Webster. Quite number
of additional questions were addressed TO Lieu
ter,a MT Webster by Hanna. Replying the wit
ness said that he had seen signal lights at
night the shore while lying of santiago
In connection with the question OF the dls-
tance off shore at Santiago, Hanna asked:
.sVYhile the vessels were on blockade at san
tfago from May 2s TO the S1st, inclusive, were
YOU able during the night to distinguish p points
on shore readily while you were on watch!
Tne witness replied in the negative.
Gould you make out Aguidores and Ca
banes?' p, .. 49,.
time and would not have known those points
under any circumstances. but it was SO darA
l think l could not have seen them
What was the backgrounds
s.The high hills sback of Santiago did give
us good points later when we were familiar
- Gould you discover the shore line at night q
Not the line of breakers if there were any. "
..Co1ll d you see the vessels on the inner picket
line a. night?
on redirect examination Raynor asked Lieu
tenant Webster concerning the bearing of the
Iowa and the Texas the morning of July
g. the beginning of the battle. The witness
said they bore abaft the starboard beam of
of the Iowa. The Brooklyn was headed, he
said, north noTth-northwest-
In reply to another question by Raynor he
stated that after the surrender of the Colon
July 8 he had gone to the forecastle to look
for other ships He had only seen the Oregon
was Visible. but not the vessels themselves.
The Cienfuegos Campaign.
When Lieutenant Webster was excused Lieu