Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-10-01

Question Of Coaling ct Sea Gone Into
AT Considerable Length at *t
.9= }sf: @ Investigation. 553y,s= 3 ,]$.

A5sA Investigation. II - ,5$ !
Washington, Oct. The Schley
court of inquiry met promptly at Al
3. M, Commander Switzerland was
recalled to correct his evidence of Sat
urday and while on the stand he was
asked BY the court Whet ether, il the fleet
OF Cervera had been III the harbor at
Cienfuegos, it could have been seen,
by the vessels blockading the port.
He replied: $$s ss3 2s 534$ \. 8Y :.S
AS$s@"I cannot definitely say. Not unless:
they had anchored In; the lower har-
! bor, just inside the entrance In the
deep water where the schooner to
which / referred before was an chored.
do not believe they would have an
chored in that spot ,ss;. 5# RI, RI s.s: 5$35
.l8 The first witness OF the day was
Commander James M. filler, rho was
in command OF the llier Merrimac
while that vessel was part of Admiral
Schley's flying squadron. syss, I
Command der Miller said that he had
assumed command OF the Merrimac on
April IL at Norfolk HI had taken
on board at Lamberts Point soon af-
gterWard about 5,Ca0 tons Of coal. His
vessel had, he said been capable Of
making between nine and ten knots,
but afterWard he had trouble with his
pressure machinery, so5 that by May
! 90 and "a he would have hesitated in
trying to. secure a a5speed of more than
seven knots. He read from the col
lier's log to show that the iowa. the
i Massachusetts and the 2Castine Al had
been coaled on May % and ~. No
record was found Of the coaling Of
any vessel on May 2 or 26, the time
consumed in proceeding from Glen
i fuegos to Santiago. s.y N Us & sst5
Nasty Weather on the 25th. 3:;.s
{ Z, .'The sea-. he said, son the 25th was
nasty, quite nasty The Merrimac be-
ing a heavy vessel, Its speed was not
affected. but if II had had a smaller
/ vessel I should have B felt it very
much. SEg &.
.Ss5s The witness said that late in the
afternoon Of May 2 9Th the intermedi-
ate valve OF the collier was broken,
but that previous to the arrival off
Santiago She had not been s broken
down, disabled or delay yed ~ n \
s55S AS to the condi ition on the 26th the
witness said !: ST should say j could
\ have coaled as find here consulting
{. the log) we were making 10 knots at
one time. We got up to- IL knots.
"a fancy the weather could not have
been very boisterous. I read here
D from the log. AT o'clock seven
knots, then six and SO Or. We got up
to ten. There Is one entry that we
I got$up to eleven knots. On that date
\ find $steaming with the squadron east
10 quarter north and / find by the en-
I Try, between o'clock in! the morning
1 and meridian OF that date that we
y mad q from ten to twelve knots ."{.3 Il
ss Mr.. Hanna .sIW w hat was the condi-
$Stiol, Of the sea ~
The sea had then snoothed Hi
should Judge from the way were going.
WeSraised our speed from seven to ten
knots.
q 81 you find any entries as to the
wind ??1s ?''
he wind was east, south theast and
4 Teered to south invest
E EsseA ~ AS to Its course ?'sH 'sS
ITS course 4 have not here. On the
4Scolliers we kept no regular log !"
S. Could you have coaled vessels on
n the afternoon OF the 26th ?asgs ?'s
could up to the time ! was broken
down. While j had contro 3of the ship
\ i could have coaled & sSlS5s
tH2S8 .syVV hat time d Ia you hreak down ?',sss
q stopped at 80 that after
II noon
Gross Examined by Rayne ner.
on crosse examin tion Rayner
questioned Comm mander Mi Her con
cerning eoaling from the Merrimac on
4 the 18th. He said the fassachuse setts
had been coaled at 6: 30 in the morn;
4 ing of that day He was then exaInin-
ed concerning signals as 10 coaling
\ tho Texas. bile these Quest ions
Ss were being put Captain Miller said
laughingly Go ahead You yes got me
i re. He then proc eeded
81 signalIed over 4 object to having
two baftleships alongside OF me, and
(,apt ain Phillip of The Texas 81 ignalled,
.assI think to Gaptain Hi ginson but do
{ NOT know whether 1T was to- the adj
rairaI or him, X and M will crush g i y 4
HI +. Rayner' You were not you
were was the NJ assarhus etts::s'
slts5 sI was sC, i thinf. What objected
s Ia 3Was having two bait leships beside
me. Tf,ey have d peeuliar mol Ion and
d when two battleshirs are Hing they
would have d tendency to crush q col
4 Ifev hetWeen them, If was as much
81, Ne account Of the Weat ther as Il
4 WAS Il aftieship On each Sid 4
a & "a II ow was the sea at that time
! III did not notice the sea yers much