Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-14
CAPT. COOKS STORY
Experience on the Brooklyn During
the Naval Battle.
NARRATIVE BEFORE COURT TODAY
On the Cienfuegos Blockade and
the Run to Santiago.
THE QUESTION. OF COALING

of inquiry at the navy yard today. He
was called by the Navy Department. but as
he also is on Admiral Schleys list of wit
nesses, he was considered like Lieut.. Com
mander HodGson and Lieut. Doyle, as
witness for both sides of the controversy.
During the war with Spain Capt. Cook was
commander of the flagship Brooklyn. His
appearance on the stand, therefore, created
considerable interest and his testimony was
listened to attentively.
Other witnesses summoned by the de-
partment for the day were Lieut.. Com
mander VIM F. Fullam, who was on the
New Orleans during the Santiago cam
paign. and Lieut. Joseph Beale. who was
was on the scout ship Harvard and who
volunteered to go ashore and ascertain
whether the Spanish fleet under Cervera
was in the harbor of Santiago. These are
the last witnesses which Judge Advocate
Lemly expects to call for the present and
when they shall have completed their tes-
timony he will rest
Admiral SchIey's witnesses.
A number of Admiral Schleys witnesses
were in attendance about the court room
today. 1t is expected that his first wit
ness will be the Cuban pilot Edward Nunez,
and that he will be followed by Command
er Mason, who was executive officer on
campaign. by Lieut.. Commander Griffin
and Lieuts- McCauley and Webster All of
these were present in the court room be-
fore the beginning of the days procsed-
ings.
The first of the witnesses recalled for
the correction of testimony was Lieut..
Commander Staunton, formerly of the
New York, who made an addition to his
statement as to the first news he received
from Capt Allen at Key West on May 20
he Of
fleet at Santiago. The addition was as fol-
lows: The information obtained at that
time from Captain Allen and reported
to the commander-in-chief some time near
noon, was not considered sufficient at that
time to cause a change in the plan that
had already been adopted"
Capt F. E Chadwick also returned to
the stand for the purpose of correcting
his former evidence.
Capt. Cook Called.
Captain Cook in command of the Brook
lyn during the war with Spain was then
called He had been at Key West on the
10th.
O. (By Mr.. Hanna)-What information
had you on the 10Th of May respecting the
Whereabouts of Cervera's fleet? A. NV i'm
pressions now are simply from rumor that
they had left Cadiz or left the Canary Is
lands and part of them had been sighted
at Martinique, and from consular, or per-
haps. other information sent by the Har-
ward my impression is that they had gone
to Curacao.
O. Under what general orders was the
squadron sent to Cienfuegos and for what
purpose? A We understood it was to an
ticipate this Spanish squadron, it having
been determined at that time that they
would make Cienfuegos their objective
point. understood they carried munitions
of war for Havana, and Cienfuegos being
an exceptional port in direct communica-
a yIQc pSid = fhai-
probable destination.
q (By Mr.. Hanna) Were there no vessels
of the United States at Cienfuegos or sup
posed to be there at that time? A. 1t was
reported that the Cincinnati was in that
vicinity and the Marblehead
e. Before passing from Key West state
II any conversation occurred there that you
think 1t proper to relate A Nothing that
=! can think of. My impression is that 1
felt while at Key West that we had a
falr chance of meeting that fleet some
where, and 1 think the general impression
at that time was that we would catch them
In the vicinity of Cienfuegos.
Inc witness said they met the Cincinnati
and the Marblehead on the way to Glen
Iuesos, these vessels being bound for Key
West. The Cincinnati did not ioin the
squadron, as her machinery needed re-
pairs.
O. Were you present at any conversation
between the commodore and the command
ing officer of the Cincinnati? A am not
sure whether l w5rpresent and heard the
conversation or whether l gained my i'm
preston from what l learned afterward
th!hk possibly L was present.
The Question of CoaIins.
q II you are not sure 1 will not ask you
A. The only thing 1 recollect was that
commodore schley questioned him very
closely as to the facilities for coaling shin
on the south side of Cuba.
O. Do you know what information he re-
A / tall aJ
time. and got out the chart to look at the
coast at Cape Cruz / recollect looking
afterwards at the chart for a favorable
place to coal
The witness said his impression at the
time of this discussion was that Cape Cruz
did not seem to be a favorable place to
coal ship.
O. We would like to hear why. A..
could not see well how the larger ships
could get far enough in TO get coal from
the collier so that 1t would be smooth
enough TO get alongside of the collier
O. How long was this interview? A.
recollect that 1t was about half an hour.
.. Do you remember anything about in
formation communicated to the fyine
squadron at that time through the Scor-
pion? A No. l do not
O. You have no recollection OF the Eagle
leaving the Marblehead the vicinity of
the Marblehead and running out to meet
the flying squadron and the Scorpion being
detached and sent to meet the Eagle and
return with information? Do you recolIect
that incident? A l know that we commu-
nicated not directly and / presume that
must be as You have indicated. There
was no information that l received on that
occasion that was very important.
Gun Firing at Cienfuegos.
The witness said that he knew the Mar
biehead came from Cienfuegos and he pre-
sumed that Commodore Schley knew that,
too He was not chief of stan of Commo-
dore Schley, he said He could not recol-
lect whether he had heard the firing of
guns when approaching Cienfuegas, but he
remembered that on the afternoon before
their arrival at Cienfuegos the firing of
guns was spoken of on board the ship It
was discussed. He knew that II was talked
Of at that time. and the conjecture was
made that 1t was the Spanish squadron
and that the firing Of guns was in that
connection. Commodore Schley, he said
had the idea that some kind of jubilee was
going on account of the arrival Of the
fleet in Cienfuegos- The flying squadron
got on Cienfuegos on Sunday morning the
I'd Of May. When they arrived In front
OF the harbor men were sent aloft in order
70 try to look into the entrance and see il
they could discover the feet there He
said there were no ships there. There was