The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-03

I spanish SQuaurOn as seen from Jhe United
States ship Vixen. July 8, 1893. United
States Brooklyn, fagship.'
At this point Judge Advocate Lemly
had the witness compare the original copy
of the Harlow notes with the copy printed
on board the Brooklyn; with the result
OF showing that the notes had been changed
before being printed so as to make the
account say that at 1905 the two leading
ships Of the enemy bore well on the Brook
lyn's starboard quarter instead Of on
her "starbOard bow, and that at u:45 the
Brooklyn was "One point on port bow"
instead of 'one point on starboard bow"
Tn court then adjourned for luncheon.
EFFECT OF THE CHANGE.
When the court reconvened, Captain
Lemly continued the examination, leading
up to the question:
Then the Brooklyn is placed further
ahead by the printed copy of the log. is she
not?"
Either further ahead or the Spanish YES
sells further astern."
What is the effect of the difference be-
tween the copy Of the log book and the
THE copy Of the Brooklyn printed notes
would put the Brooklyn further in shore or
the Vixen further out, sir, as the case
Cross-examining the witness Captain
Parker elected from him the statement that
HarlOw's entry for 11:45. as printed in the
Brooklyn print of the notes. corresponding
with the official print, as given in the APP.
pendiX, that word being given in place of
the word port, as originally stated in the
notes.
Captain Parker asked whether it was not
true that all the changes from the original
copy appearing in the Brooklyn print had
been made by Lieutenant Harlow himself
before he delivered the transcript to him
Sharp before they We're given to CommO-
dore Schley- The witness replied that he did
not think so.
CAPTAIN Parker-You can hardly remem-
her at this time whether the RrOOklNn was
on the starboard or port bow. can you?
Yes, sir; my impression is that she was
on the port Row. After we had passed
Acerraderos. standing to westward. my i'm
preston is that the Brooklyn was on the
port bow during the entire run 10 the west
ward until she turned in at Rio Tarquino."
That is an error undoubtedly about the
Brooklyn being Oh the starboard bow. Ii
was on the port side"
1T is stated there officially"
Yes. it is stated officially and signed by
Lieutenant Harlow. / think il is an error
and the mention of the Massachusetts, is an
error. as she was at Guantanamo at the
time
Mr.: Raynor-Do YOU remember that when
written transcript Of the Harlow notes from
which the pamphlet was printed that you
said: Commodore Schley. these are the
true notes of the fight. which Will stand"
Il have no recollection of using such Ian
guage."
In response to question Commander Sharp
said that according to Lieutenant HarloWS
notes, as recorded in the Nixen's log, the
flagship New York had come up about an
hour and fifteen minutes after the Colon
had surrendered. The record read that the
New York arrived three TO five minutes
after the arrival of the Vixen, which had
been at 2:25.
The court here asked a number of ques-
tions, which, with the response, were as
follows:
Were the positions of the Brooklyn and
the Oregon relative to the Vixen during the
battle July 8, taken from Lieutenant Har-
lows notes, or from your personal obserVa-
tions?"
From my recollection of the fight that
day"
COULD NOT SEE SHOTS.
During the attack on the Colon, May 81,
could you see if the shots from the squad
ron struck near the enemy?"
Il could not, because the entrance to the
harbor was not open to me when the shots
of the vessels ahead were falling"
By the court-What conversation. if any.
had you with Commodore Schley relating
to the object of bombardment on May 81,
while you were taking him to the Massa-
The only conversation l remember was
that relative to what should become of the
Vixen after the commodore had left L
have no other recollection about that"
BY the Court-How uear were the Span
ish vessels to the Brooklyn at the time
you saw her turn 10 go south July )?
i could not give q correct
BY the COurt-What signals, II any, We're
ment to the end of the battle of July )?
The Brooklyn had hOisted a signal, En-
envy attempting TO escape. That is in the
notes. There may have been others. but l
do not find any here"
By the COurt-At the time the Brook
Ign commenced TO make the turn you have
referred To, how near to her was the near
est vessel of the enemy?
Il could not state with any definiteness."
BY the Court-State the orders under
which you acted when on blockade of San
tiago.
My impression is that 1 received my in
structions from Commander McCalla to go
inside of the line Of the vessels and TO the
SeaWard of Santiago about two miles-that
is, for the 18th, Both and 3lst of May"
Captain Sigsbee was then recalled to cor
rect the offieial copy OF his testimony of
RaynOr asked him whether. lin view of the
state Of the weather and the sea on May
%. ships could have coaled with safety to
themselves
Captain Sigsbee replied: Possibly. yes.
on the evening of the 10Th, but at risk of
danger to the ships. The weather had
somewhat abated and | cannot say hat ii
would have been impossible"
Captain Sigsbee also made an addition to
his statement of yesterday concerning any
statement that he might have made to
admiral sampson or aesy H6n else to the
aiding Santiago harbor twenty-five miles
Il did not and never have stated that
Admiral Schley was blockading twenty-five
miles out at sea"
MEETINGS OFF SANTIAGO.
The court asked questions of Captain
Sigsbee as follows:
You have stated there were two meet
irgs off Santiago while you were blockading
there, have you not?'
Il stated that to the best of my recollec-
ton there were. / am not too firm in that
belief. l am positive there was one"
Upon what ship or ships were these
meetings or this meeting held?"
Either the Yale or the Harvard. One. l
think, was held aboard the Harvard, Cap
tain Cotton's vessel. If another was held
at all, it was aboard the Yale"
Were the meetings accidental. or by or
der of the senior officer present?'
by order of the senior officer present,
Commanding officers will repair ON board
or some such signal.
VIVA was the OBJECT of those meetings
of commanding officers OH Santiago?"
''They were informal meetings to talk
over the situation. i remember L objected
TO one because the Spaniards might come
out and catch us out of our ships at apy
time, and wanted TO go aboard my shin.
This meeting was broken W on nv ac-
count. 1t was referred to by Captain Wise.
and. of course, ii shows a meeting with
Captain Wise"
Were any orders of the Navy DEPART
ment read or discussed at these meetings."
Il cannot now recOllect distinctly. / pre-
sumo they were
Mr.. Hanna then handed to Captain Sies-
bee a press copy book containing the or
der to himself in response To which he had
proceeded TO Santiago with the flying
squadron. The dispatch read:
Proceed a, once off Santiago. The Span