The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-26
PUSHING SCHLEY.
Navy Department Is Bending
Every Energy
To Prove That He Knew Ger
vera's Whereabouts.
ONLY ONE SESSION.
Court of Inquiry Was Ad-
iourned This Afternoon
To Enable All to Attend Judge
Wilson's Funeral.

Washington. Sept 26.-The Schley
court of inquiry began its session today
with the intention of holding one sit
ting, having decided to adjourn this
afternoon in order to permit the mem
bers of the court and counsel to attend
the funeral OF Judge Wilson. Counsel
for the navy department continued
their effort to show that Admiral
Schley had informa ton of the presence
of Admiral Cervera and his fleet in the
harbor at Santiago, and introduced for
this purpose additional officers of the
auxiliary cruisers which were at the
time doing duty as scout boats in West
Indian waters
scout ship Yale during the Spanish war,
continued his narration of the retro
grade movement of the flying squad
ron toward Key West on May 27. He
first told of how the Yale had taken
the Merrimac in tow under direction of
Admiral Schley. He said that the ad-
miral had signaled upon starting to
ask if there was coal enough to carry
him to Key West, to which ne had re
sp0nded in the Affirmative. On the
next day he mad reported in response
to an inquiry that he had coal suffici ent
for two days of full steaming and for
four days of moderate steaming.
He was then dispatched to Newport
News, reporting to Admiral Sampson
on the way He had told Admiral
Sampson, he said that the flying
Santiago. In response to a question of
the admiral he had said he did not
know what 1t was doing there. In de-
failing the trip westward toward Key
West the witness told Of the breaking
of the Yale's hawser on the Merrimac.
He said this had caused delay.
What was the difficulty" asked
Captain Lemley.
In proper securing of hawser on the
Merrimac"
s.Was it due to tempestuous weather
or not2"
Not at ALL
Mr. Hanna read the following extract
from Admiral Schley's report of Feb
ruary Is to the committee on naval
affairs, beginning:
After having been informed by the
scout commanded by such officers as
Sigsbee, Jewell and Wise that although
they all had been off Santiago de Cuba
for a week they had seen nothing of if
(the Spanish 1eet) and knew nothing Of
its movements or its whereabouts, etc
He than asked Captain Wise if he had
made such a communication to the ad-
mira1.
7 did not" was the response.
Did you give Admiral Schley any in
formation respecting thespanish squad
ron %
only through Captain sigsbee. Isdid
not go on board the Brooklyn at all
gave Captain sigsbee all the inforrna-
tion I had"
Had you been off Santiago for a
week?"
7 was there from the morning of the
22d until the evening of the 26th when
the flying squadron arrived.
Captain Wise was cross-examfned on
this point by Mr.. Rayner. He askG@-
From the morning of the 22d until
the arrival of the flying squadron on
the evening of 26th you were trying to
get in touch with the enemy and watch
ing the harbor2"
Yes
You saw nothing in there"
7 could not see any harbor at all.''
You could see around the corner of
Cay smith,
I'VE saw the masts of q small vessel.
Could not distinguish what it Was.'
You sent no one on shore to try to