Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-10-16
Thirteenth Day.

prevent Wnat seemed TO ae lueAilapie coi-
lision with the Spanish tieet. which was
steaming toward the Brooklyn as it came |
out of the harbor This fact was brought /
out in the naval court OF ing TRY. The /
testimony was given by Lieut. Doyle of /
the Brooklyn in answer to ques Ous from
Judge Advocate Lemly and rrcm the /
court itself. Lieut. Doyle testined that
the Brooklyn was only 1900 yards from |
the Spanish ships, that they were com
ing straight toward the flagship, and that
the Brooklyn was compelled 20 maueuyer !
TO avoid collision
Another material fact brought out dur
ing tn day was that Rear Admiral |
Schle} reason for making the retrograde /
NOV nent at the time of his first arrival /
off santiago was that his coal supply was
in efficient If his squadron had been call
d on to engage in a running fight with I
the Spaniards. Ii it had been necessary
to pursue Ceryera as far as Martinique I
under forced draft the Tying squadron
would not have had enough coal to reach |
cealng base at Go..aives Channel or
Key West.
This was indicated by statement
made by Counsel Rayner. who objected !
to the admission as eviden e of series
of charts showing the cealing history Of |
the flying squadron from May is to June
/ unless it included chart giving the
amount of coal that would have been con-
sumed under forced draft
The judge ad "ate agreed to furnish
the chart if dc ed. Those submitted |
gave the amount Of coal on board the
Brooklyn, Massachusetts,. Iowa. Texas
and Marblehead the day the flying squad
ron started TO Key West to coal the coal
capacity of the fleet, the number of days
1t could have remained on blockadng
duty with the amount on board May ~.
the amount that would have been consum-
ed steaming at ten knots under favorable
conditions.
Lieut.. Doyle of the Brooklyn was I'M
der examination during the greater
portion of the day, but the judge advo-
cate was unable to shake his testimony
in the slightest except TO show that
Lieut.. Doyle was somewhat careless
about making entries in the log of the
Brooklyn, and that the vessel was not
prepared to fire on Spanish torpedo boat
as it emerged from the harbor and re-
turned in few minutes.
Aside from these two points the evil
dence and cross-examination of Doyle de-
veloped many points in favor of Rear
Admiral Schley, and it was almost unan-
imously agreed that everything brought
out was favorable to the applicant
Captain Dawson of the marine corps,
w. was the next witness. told the story
OF he turn of the Brooklyn, but upon
o. .ss-examination was so badly shaken
as to distances his testimony was prac-
to- worthless, except to show RI at
his i4Amory was enveloped in a heavy
mist.
Commander Bush Of the photographic
Office took the stand and swore to the
correctness of number of charts show
ing the position of the flying squadron
off Santiago, the shortest route from
Cienfuegos to Santiago, the hour of sun
SET and sunrise, and a number of other
technical matters which will have an
important bearing on the case when the
charts are used.
Fourteenth Dav.
Mr.. nayner, chief of counsel for Adj
miral Schley, asked Judge Advocate Lem
ly to summon Admiral Sampson as a wit
ness in the case. The request grew out
of a difference in the construction of a
sentence in Admiral SIMPSONS letter to
Commodore Schley when the flying
squadron lay off Cienfuegos.
This is known as the Dear Schley"
letter, and in it. ms printed IN the Navy
Department documents supplied to the
Senate, the admiral said, after expressing
his opinion that Notwithstanding the re-
port that the Spanish squadron was in
Santiago, it We're better to continue to
blockade Cienfuegos snd Havana, I'VE
shall continue to hold Havana and San
tiago until We receive more positive in
formation"
During the examination of Commander
Raymond p Rodgers this dispatch was
under consideration. Mr.. Rayner express
ed the opinion that the word Santiago"
had been inadvertently used by the COM
mander in chief, assuming that he meant
to use the word ''Cienfuegos' as better
corresponding with the context. As the
document was printed there was paren-
theticn note, to which Admiral Schey's
initials were attached. saying that evil
IDENTITY the wrong cit had been men
ton ID.
Nj. Rayner asked Judge Advocate
Lemly to make this concession, but the
latter declined TO do so. saying he would
produce the original of Admiral Samp
sons dispatch to prove he had said San
tiago. Then Mr.. Rayner said:
II cannot take that word Santiago to
mean anything but Cienfuegos. 1t is an
imputation upon Commodore Schley and
! cannot permit it to rest without SUM
moning the author of that dispatch" to
which Captain Lemly responded:
Il have told you once before, you can
summon anyone you please"
Then" retorted Mr.. Rayner. sum |
mon Admiral Sampson"
Lieut.. Dyson. who was on the stand
the previous day when the court adjourn
ed. was recalled as the first witness. Mr..
Rayner brought out the Information con-
corning the time the coal on each of the
vessels of the flying squadron would have
lasted OIL forced draft. in chasing the
enemy's vessels. taking the amount of
coal on each on May 70, and leaving sc'-
ficient coal TO return to Key West. Ma.
Rayner read from Mr.. DTson's tabulated
statement. showing the Iowa would have
consumed 2i3 tons of coal a day, the
Texas 100 tons a day and the Marblehead :
81 tons That estimate would. he said J
give the Brooklyn % days chase, the
Iowa a chase of IL days, the Texas a
chase of three-fourths of q day and the
Marblehead a chase Of about one-third :
of a day. 1t was also shown that the 9
Massachusetts, could have chased the enc
my for Is days.
Commander Rodgers. who was exeeu-
tive officer Of the battleship Iowa during ]
the summer Of 1898, was then called and I