The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-10-17
Capt. Chadwick Testifies MS to the
Agreement Between Capt. Nc
Gala and the Cubans.
WAS SENT TO COMMODORE scHLEY.
Related in Detail the Change of Opin.
ion Concerning the Whereabouts
of Cervsra's Fleet.
Five Other Witnesses Were Hcnrd
During the Day. Two of Them
Being officers of the
New Work..


OF inquiry Tuesday. They were Rich
ard Wainwright, who commanded the
Gloucester during the war with Spain,
sSd Lieut.. NJ. L. Bristol, who. as en-
sign. was watch and division officer
on the battlcship Texas during that
period.
Lieut.. Bristol had not concluded his
testimony when the court adjourned
for the day. He did not see the loop
made by the Brooklyn, the other part
OF his testimony turning upon chart
he had made, showing largely, ac-
cording to his memory, the positions
of the various ships of the American
feet at different times during the en-
gagement of July 8. There were sew
eral spirited controversies between
counsel over questions asked the wit
ness by Mr.. Rayner concerning this
chart
Commander Wainwright's testimony
dealt largely with chart making. He
was for a time senior member of the
board of navigators, which prepared
the official chart showing the position
of the American ships during the bat
tie OFF Santiago, and he gave details
of the method of its preparations.
He said he did not consider the po-
sitions assigned in that drawn ac-
the result of q compromise of the
views of members of the board.
Washington. Oct. 10.-ln the Schley
naval court of inquiry Wednesday
Lieut.. Mark l.. Bristol completed his
testimony, begun Tuesday, and three
new witnesses were introduced. They
were Rr. Adm. Henry c. Taylor, who
Us captain commanded the battlcship
Indiana during the war with Spain;
Lieut.. Commander Templin NJ. Potts,
who was navigator of the battleship
Massachusetts during that period,
and Lieut.. Edward F. Leiper, who was
on the New Orleans during the war,
the last-named being still on the
etard when the court adjourned.
Adm. Taylor related incidents of
the battle off Santiago on July 3, in
cluding the Brooklyn's famous turn.
He said that none of the Spanish
ships had made any effort TO ram
the American vessels when they came
out of the harbor at Santiago. Com
mander Potts testimony dealt espe-
cially with the bombardment of the
Colon. Answering a question from
Judge Advocate Lcn!ly as to the con-
duct of Commodore Schley during
that engagement, he said it was that
OF a man laboring under great mental
excitement and of man who was
anxious to discharge as soon as pos
sible disagreeable duty. Lieut..
Leiper expressed the opinion that
the Spanish shore batteries had not
been at any time formidable.
During Commander Potts eXamina-
ton Mr.. kayner secured permission
from the court to introduce as evil
dence the order of Secretary Long
60 Adm. Sampson, dated April 6, in
which he was admonished against
the exposure of the American vessels
TO the fire of strongly fortified ports.
The paragraph in that order which
he especially wished to have consid-
cred read as follows:
''rhe department does not wish the
vessels of your squadron to be en-
posed to the fire OF the batteries at
Havana, Santiago de Cuba, or other
strongly fortified ports in Cuba, un'
less the more formidable Spanish
vessels should take refuge within
those harbors. Even in this case the
department would suggest that a
rigid blockade and employment of our
torpedo boats might accomplish the
desired object, viz: The destruction
of the cpcmy's vessels without sub
1ecting unnecessarily our own men
of-war TO the fire of the land bat
teries."
This dispatch also contains the fol-
lowing report:
"chc department further desires
that in case of war you will main
tain strict blockade of Cuba. par.
ticularly at the ports of Havana,
tisgo de Cuba, Manzanillo and Glen
fuegOs"
Washington, Oct. ll.--Lieut. Leiper,
o' the New Orleans resumed his tes-
timony.
He detailed the circumstances of
the blockade before Santiago for May
so and u, and said the fleet was as
far off shore by night as by day, the
distance being six to eight miles.
Rayner read the testimony of Capt
Folger to the effect that the fleet
WAS closer by night than by day.
Leiper contradicted this again. The
log showed a distance of 4H miles.
Then" said Kayner, 'you say the
nearest distance was six miles, while
the log says 4Ha miles"
"Yes, that Is true
The total distance the feet steam
ed up and down before Santiago was
not more than eight miles and not
less than six anI one-half miles.
speak only of the time / was on
watch. The speed was about eight
knots. ! can not say whether we
went east of Aguadores or not. j
know nothing of Cabanas either. II
was so dark / could not have seen
them had known their location"
Capt. Folger, of the New Orleans,
has said that the ships sailed to
Aguadores. on the east, and Cabanas.
west of the harbor How could he
tell, IL it was too dark to see any
thing?"
~ do not know. ! have told you
my experience"
WAS 1t not, AZ q reconnoissanc nee,
complete success?" asked kayner.
1T was partially successful, In 20
far as ] made personal observations.
Had I been directed to do this spe-
cifically, i would have found out