New-York tribune., 1901-09-17
LINE OF ATTACK ON SCHLEY
ATTEMPT TO PROVE KINGSTON MESSAGE
UNTRUTHFUL.
.nwrE.r, SAMPSON TO ASK FOR DETACHMENT
FROM THE cHARLEsrowN NAVY YARD

Tn the recess taken by the schley court OF In
ousrv the lawyers on both sides are perfecnns
.t,. ,,zuroents II is probable that Rear-Ad-
rniraI Sampson will go on the witness STAND ae
and Mrs. Sampson have begun packihe -
bousehold effects at the Charlestown Navy faiu
c,renaratory TO their departure. Inc aoiiiia WIN
a-,ly for his detachment and more his farnhy 10
washington which is 70 be his future nome
canta,n w H. Stayton, attorney for Aonfai
r,o, &c the authority for these statements
u y,os seen Yesterday by a Tribune reporte-' aiiu
.A,vb be aid not wish be quoted In the case
a. ~ he said that he is well prepared for the tfia'
II hr,ef his line of defence Will be as follows
QUESTION OF DIsoBEDIENcE.
.r,o r,,cb roooted question to whether or not
,a,,raI schley was guilty of disobeying the oiueis
OF the department will be thorouenis 80 the
Admiral SIMPSONS counsel The nass ot e
srsa n. disobedience lies in Admiral Schiey
re,Iv to the orders Issued by the department Na'
z5 1sas This telegram was as follows:
Washington. May 25 1895
ProseS at once and inform schley and also the
senior officer off ssatiasG iscafes ats Spanish division
L sui at Santiago The department LOOKS bersn he sEn
TO- 70 ss9eTtahn ,a saye Without decisive action Cubans
familiar with Santiago say mat tnae mere a, the mouth
~ The harbor and that there insurgents VIII PROB
ably be found. and rot the spanish rom i ort @
soon ascertained notify the depar5men' nd also
enemy is oaf aaere from Merrac eeward OF Cape
Cruz. Gonaiyes Channel or Mole; IA Hay,iM ~ Mole ne Re
port without delay situation at Santiago de SH6a- N
To this order of the department Admiral schley
replied follows:
Secretary of the Navy, Washington; .. l., o,,,o,-,-
The Of 1 a4Tard Of on Max Is
Merac engines disabled is heavy a am 0nmgge Gnable
absninteIy TO coal the Texas Marbehead, Vixen
Brooklyn from collier. all owing to very rough sea sea
iyn alone has more sufficient coal TO proceed
to Key West; cannot remain off Santiago present
ieeward Cape Cruz in the summer all OWL owing ,s to
southwestery winds Harvard reports or SGas
reports only small vessels could coal at Gonatves
al also " Yale Which tows Merrimac Much to be
gTete obey orders 50 OF nros6 3er coal re
Key West by way OF Yucatan passage Cannot
Obliged to send Eagle-admitted delay-to Port
Antonio Jamaica; had only twenty-five tons OF
VIII require 1oceo tons of coal at Key West. Very
sCHLEY.
THE USE OF THE WORD OFF"
II is this reply of Admiral Schley's that Admiral
sampsons counsel will attempt to tear into shreds.
1t will be asserted that there is ambiguity in the
use of the word off" Admiral SIMPSONS counsel
will contend off Santiago would naturally lead
one to believe that Admiral Schley the
blockading position near the mouth of the harbor.
instead of being twenty-five thirty miles from
the blockading position In effort prove that
the disabled engines of the Merrimac were not Of
as much consequence Admiral Schley's reply
would TO indicate. the logs of several vessels
Will be brought forward to show that the engines
disabled for a hours only, and
paired after the sending of the reply 1t will
Furthermore be shown that Admiral Schley's asser-
tion of his inability COAL owing the roughness
of the sea, is contradicted by the logs several
vessels. which record a smooth sea and very little
swell, and that from May % TO May 81 inclusive
with the exception of May 25 and &C. when the
squadron under way. coaling was continually
carried on, the Texas being coaled only six hours
after the telegram had been Admiral Schley
In the mean time, 1t is said, sending daily
plants OF his inability to coal To prove further
that enough coal was hand. Admiral Sampson
counsel will present several logs evidence that
at 3:45 p. May a. IL reported in reply to a
question from the flagship that a supply Of coal
was at hand sufficient for twelve days steaning
at ten knots an hour. enough TO go to Key West
more than twice In the face of that knowedge
gained on the 24th. IL is ssid Admiral Schley on
the 9th reported insufficency OF coal To his
statement that IL was impossible coal leeward
OF Cape Cruz. owing TO southwesterly winds IT
VIII be asserted that the prevailing winds in that
latitude easterly winds.
In regard TO Admiral Schleys report that he was
unable TO obey the departments orders TO ascer-
tain the enenly's position, though he had strfven
earnestly. counsel for Admiral Sampson will al
tempt TO prove that Admiral Schley made no ef-
forts which could be called earnest 10 obtain the
desired Information.