Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-10-09
FURTHER TESTIMONY
IN SCHLEY INQUIRY
More About the Blockade,
Ships Logs, Etc.
WAINWRIGHT ON THE STAND


Played a Conspicuous Part In the
Campaign Against the spaniards.
bodgsoD y, axes a Correction.
WASHINGTON, Oct 8.-After the usual
preliminaries in the Schley naval court
Of inquiry today Lieutenant O. W. Dy
son of the bureau of steam engineering
Of the navy department was recalled to
continue his testimony regarding the
goal supply of Admiral Schley's flying
squadron at the time of its arrival of
Santiago harbor on May 20, 1898 He
YVES brought in this morning at the in
stance of Admiral Schley's counsel for
the purpose of giving further testimony
concerning the availability Of the coal
supply In charging the enemy.
1t was the understanding when court
opened that Commander Richard Vain
wright would be the principal witness
Of the day, and that after he should be
excused Messrs. Bristol, Grant and Potts
would be called in the order named.
The three last mentioned were all watch
officers on various vessels of the Ameri-
can feet on July 3, when the naval en-.
Sa8ChCAG O11 RpAbAdSO was 4OuEuGs
1t has been the desire of the court to
secure as much testimony as possible
from the men whose especial duty 1t
was to keep lookout, and these three
officers were summoned to crafty this
wish. There was a special interest in
Commander Wainwright's testimony,
because Of his prominent Identification
with the Spanish war, and also because
Of the fact that he is now superintend-
ent OF the naval academy at Annapolis.
Conspicuous Part In Campaign.
During the summer of 1898 Mr., VAIN.
wight commanded the converted YACHT
GLOUCESTER, which played conspicu3Us
part in the campaign against the Span
iards In the battle of July his vessel
occupied position on the extreme right
of the American column to the east Of
the Indiana, and when the Spanish tor.
pedo boats Pluton and Furor came out
of the harbor he attacked them fear
lessly and aided in their destruction.
He also was an observer, though at a
distance, of the battle between the big
ships Of the two fleets.
The proceedings of the day began by
the recall of Captain w. NJ. Folger for
the purpose of correcting his testimony
of yesterday. Advantage was taken of
his presence to ask him further ques.
tions concerning the blockade of San.
tiago. Among other questions he was
asked by Captain Lemley if he had had
any conversation with Commodore
Schley during the blockade. He replied
Toward the evening of one Of the
days, May 30, there was an extended,
very severe rain storm, so severe that
feared Ceryera had COTTON out, as it was
sufficiently long to have permitted him
to do so. went on board the flagship
the next day, thinking it my duty to
tell the commodore what I had seen as
to the blockade as kept by the Japanese
off the port of Wei Hal Wei, where sim.
ilaPIy an enemy's feet was within a
fortified harbor. [ said to the oommo-
dore that the adoption of the tactics of
the japanese. forming circle directly
in front Of the harbor, would. in my
opinion, be preferable, as then it would
be difficult for anything to get out.
Judge advocate-"Was there any re-
ply by the COMMODORE
SchIey Did Not Think 1t Necessary.
"Hs did not agree with me as to the
necessity for that. "
Captain Folger also said that he had
no recollection of picket line on the
inside of the American feet
At the request of Captain Parker of
counsel for Admiral Schley. the witness
examined the log of the New Orleans
for May 80 and 81, 1898, for the purpose
of determining accurately the state of
the weather. but he declined to modify
his statement Of yesterday that the
weather on those days was bad.
Captain Folger was then excused and
Lieutenant Dyson called. He was cues.
toned by Captain Lemley concerning
the steaming condition OF the Brooklyn
on July 3.
The judge advocate asked: "What
does the Brooklyn's steam log show as
to the number of engines coupled up
and the, number of boilers in use July
8, 1896, as com pared with the total en-
gines and boilers of the vessel?"
The reply was: "The Brooklyn has
four main engines, two TO each shaft,
connected together by coupling She
has seven boilers, five main and two
auXiliarles. On the morning of July 3
both forward engines were uncoupled
There were banked fires under three of
the main boilers. The other boilers were
what we call dead, no steam in them.
Judging from the time 1T took to start
fires Ill these boilers after the Spanish
fleet came out of the harbor, I should
say the furnaces were not even primed
for the boilers had to be run up to the
sea steaming level
In response to other questions the
witness told of the Brooklyn and what
was done on board the vessel to get up
speed.
Speed of the Vessels Discussed.
Mr.. Raynor asked if it were not neces.
sary to stop the ship to couple the I'M
coupled engines and the witness replied
that the ship could have been kept go.
ing with one engine while the other was
coupled. The engines were designed,
he said, to be kept coupled during war
Discussing the speed of the various
vessels of the foet on July 3, the wat
ness said that the Oregon got speed
about equal to the Brooklyn on that day
Notwithstanding that on her trial trip
the Brooklyn made over 81 knots to the
Orsgoh's IL knots. He called attention
to the fact that the New York had made
16 or II knots speed ON the day of the
hattie In response TO questions from