Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-02

j L.
Did you give him any assurance which
would point In that direction?'
, Il made known first my orders from the
navy department which stated that the
rived there
Mr. Hanna then read a letter which
Capt. Sigsbee had. May rs. written to
Commodore Schey reporting the taking
of the pilot Nunez aboard from the ia
son and the capture of the British steam
er RestOrmcl as Il prize.
He said in that letter: NO news fere
! I have seen absolutely nothing of the
Spanish fleet" He reported also that the
Restormel had 2io0 tons OF coal aboard
and said that the commanding officer had
said he was bound for santiago.
MIR. Hanna also read a number of let
tiers. among them icing one from Capt.
/ Sigsbee to Commodore Schley. written
from Moe ST. Nicholas. May -, in Whit il
he said to the commodore: DO as YOU
are doing and you Will do right lie
also informed him that there were a mum
Der of kilograms at the Mole for him but
none CT them were urgent lie told the
commodore that the department expect
ed him to exercise great efforts to keep
the coal.
ton to the clause: DO as you are do
ing and you VIII do right. What was
the flying squadron doing at the time you
wrote that letter.?
THAT was based on the tenor Of the
cipher kilograms | found at the Mole
from the COMMUNICATIVE chief and from.
the navy department urging that the
Spanish squadron be held and that every
effort be made to coal ship. At that time
the flying squadron was off Santiago
with the intention. so far as ! know. of
staying. and | believed il was the inten-
ton of Commodore Sch.cy To coal his
ships off tina, port. | LEFT Santiago on
the morning of the day on which that let
ter was written At that time the wealth
IT was very fine and | had twice urged
On Commodore Schley the importance of
taking ADVANTAGE, az that flrfictiiar EipI
ot weather. stating that it was better
than anything We had had during my
stay off the port
Capt Sigsbcc also said that when he
had boarded the Brooklyn. May %, Com
modore Schley had told him that he was
bound for Key West for coal.
Did he ask you ii you believed the
Spanish fleet was in the harbor at San
tiago?
Il don't remember his putting ques-
ton in such terms"
The witness recalled n signal from the
flagship at that time asking him to in
form Sampson that one-half Of this
squadron is out Of coal.
Mr.. Rayner then questioned the witness
bringing out the statement that the pur-
pose of his ships being sent TO the vicin-
ity Of Santiago was to. ii possible, To-
cate the Spanish fleet. Witness said he
had first seen the Spanish vessels in the
harbor at Santiago but that when he re-
ported the fact he found the squadron
had already made the discovery.
Mr.. Rayner read an extract from re
rort made by Capt Sissbee saying: In
this report off Santiago de Cuba. made
at 10 4. NJ. May %. you say: We were
then stcaming at full speed from Mole
st. Nicholas. Hayti. and well in toward
the coast after chasing some vesscs.
saw the smoke of a number of vessels to
the westward and at once made for the
Santiago entrance believing il possible
that the strangers were the Spanish
want TO ask is this: II, when you saw
the smoke after chasing a number of
vessels to the westward. and when You
made for the Santiago entrance on the
this was Spanish squadron approach
ing the port?''
mo. thought it might be the Spanish
squadron. ] did not say that were APP
preaching the port
Yes, you say approaching that port =
You must remember | had no definite
information whatever"
boat Summers n. Smith that the Spanish
fleet was not in the harbor at Santiago
Never One of the press boats hailed
me- saying that Schley had the Spaniards
bottled up at Cienfuegos. replied that
We had had them bottled up at Santiago
ior week.
Mr.. Rayner attempted to quote Il state
incnt from Admiral Sampson to the eff
May -, the lying squadron was block
aiding Santiago % miles out at sea but
objection was made to bringing Admiral
Sa mpson in and Mr. Rayner asked Cant
Sigsbee whether he had made that report
10 any one at that date. The witness re-
Piled in the negative.
In reply to a question as to the cond-
ton of the water at the time he was at
Santiago, capt. SigSbce said: During
the 9th. 9th and 18th of May the wealth
er was unsettled. trade conditions had
rain and moderately heavy sea on those
three days.
The court asked number of qucs-
tions of Capt. SigSbec, Those with the re-
state of the sea on the afternoon and
evening of May 26 when you commln-
Gated with the flying squadron to the
southwark Of the port Of Santiago"
The sea was heavy for boats but it
was undertaking, that is to say more mod
crate than it had been in two days be
tore | should say. however, it would
Eave been IA very difficult Job to have
coaled from ships alongside that night"
Did Capt. Wise communicate to you
dispatch from the navy department
statIng that the Spanish squadron was a
4 remember no dispatch or commurica-
tinn from Capt. Wise to me excepting
mat which | received from tie navy de-
Iartfnent through him as senior officer
at Port Haytien. March ~. the dispatch
on which | proceeded intimately to San
tiago."
BY the court Did Won make any ef-
init to ascertain if the Spanish squadron
vas at Santiago prior to May %"
Only by extreme watchfuness, that
is ALL
By the court: What information had
you communicated to Commodore SchleV
May rs, regarding the wherea bouts of
the Spanish squadron"
The departments order to me direct
ing me to state that the Spanish SQUAD
ION was there or had been there and
again the circumStantial evidence afford
ca by the capture of the Restormel after
her very peculiar cruise.
BY the court: Did you receive dis
ratch from Secretary Long dated MAJ
~. stating the Spanish fleet arrived at
Santiago on May 19:h?"
1 am not certain, but my recollection
is that it stated it arrived on the 18th
or 21st''
By. the court: Did you show this dis
patch to Commodore Schley on May 26?''
already said | cannot recoliect the
act of showing it to him. I presume I
did. but that l informed him | remem-
ber."
Capt. Sigsbee was excused and Chief
Woman GustavC +. Becker of the cruis-
er New York, was called
Becker served a clerk to Admiral
Sampson on board the flagship New York
during the Spanish war He identified the
memorandum from Capt McCalla. saving
there was good land ng place near Cen
1uegos. which Admiral Sampson sent to
Commodore Schley under date of Nav
%. and said that this memorandum had
teen carried in duplicate by the Iowa
and the Dupont. Mr. Rayner questioned