The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-05
WHAT DID SAMPSON MEAN
Was it Cienfuegos or Santiago He
Wanted Blockaded?
SCHLEY THOUGHT IS WAS ClsNFUFG COS
Lemly Says Rayrer May Summon Whom He
Pleases. Rayner Says He'll Insist Unless
SchIeys Understanding Of Mes
caoo ic conrodad
sage is Conceded.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press.)
Washington, Oct. An the Schley
Naval Court of Inquiry Mr. Rayner,
chief of counsel for Admiral SchIey,
asked Judge Advocate Lemly to sum-
mon Admiral Sampson as a witness in
the case. The request grew out of a
difference in the construction of a SEN
tence in Admiral SIMPSONS letter to
Commodore Schley, written from Key
West May 20 while Commodore Schley
with the Flying Squadron lay off Cien-
fuegos. This is known as the Dear
Schley letter." and in it was printed in
the Navy Department document sup
piled to the Senate the Admiral said
after expressing his opinion that not
withstanding the report that the Span
ish squadron was in Santiago. it were
better to continue to blockade Cienfue-
gos and Havana, 1--WE shall continue to
hold Havana and Santiago until we re-
ceiye more positive information"
During the examination of Command
er Raymond p. Rogers, this dispatch
was under consideration when Mr.. Ray
per expressed the opinion that the word
Santiago had been inadvertently used
by the commanders in chief, assuming
that he meant to use the word Glen
fuegos, as corresponding with the con-
text. AS the document was printed
there was parenthetical note to which
Admiral Schley's initials were attached
saying that evidently the wrong city
had been mentioned. Mr.. Rayner asked
Judge Advocate Lemly to make this
but the latter declined to
do so, saying that he would produce the
original of Admiral Simpsons dispatch
to prove that he had said Santiago.
Then MIR. Rayner said: Il cannot take
that word Santiago to mean anything
but Cienfuegcs 1t is an imputation up
on Commodore Schley and / cannot per-
init it to rest without summoning the
author of the Dispatch
To this Captain Lemly responded: II
have told you once before you can sum-
mon any one you please"
Then retorted Mr. Rayner SUM
mon Admiral Sampson.
{ This occurred only short time before
the adjournment of the court for the day
and was the subject of more or less
of an animated character
after the days work was concluded. Mr..
Rayner would only say that he would
insist upon the Admiral being summon
ed unless the correction was conceded.
DYSON ON THE COAL SUPPLY.
Lieutenant Dyson when court opened
gave information as to how long the
supply of coal on hand May 26 would
have held out under forced draft. 1t
showed that on May 26 the Brooklyn's
supply of coal was 952 tons, the Iowa's
7S4. the Texas 40S tons and the Mar
bleheads 122 tons.
He said that on May "a the Brook
lyn had coal enough aboard to have re-
manned on blockade duty off Sentiago
for twenty five days and then to have
returned to Key West; the Massachu-
setts enough to remain II days and then
go "a Key West; the Iowa enough for
eleven days; the Texas seven days and
the Marblehead one day.
Mr.. Rayner brought out information
the time the coal on each of
the vessels would have lasted on forced
draft, in chasing the enemy's vessels,
taking the amount of coal on each on
May 26th and leaving sufficient coal to
return to Key West. Mr.. Rayner read
the information from Mr.. RaySon'S tab
ulated statement showing that the Iowa
would have consumed 243 tons of coal
a day, the Massachusetts 1S0 tons, the
Texas 100 tons and the Marblehead n
tons. That estimate would. he said,
give the Brooklyn 2.3 days chase. the
Iowa chase of IL days. the Massa-
chusetts Is days, the Texas three
fourths of a day. the Marblehead two
tenths of a day.
TESTIMONY OF ROGERS.
Commander Rogers testified that be-
fore leaving Key West on May 20 he
had had a, conference with Sampson. He
was told by Admiral Sampson that he
had received information from the de-
partment at Washington that the Span
ish fleet, under Cervera, was probably
in the harbor at Santiago. He had,
however. not been informed of any Sc
cret code of communication with the
Cuban insurgents near Cienfuegos. Com
manGer Rogers thought the Iowa could
have coaled May 26.
Captain Rogers related two or three
instances in which the ships of the Fly
ing Squadron were cleared for action
upon signal from the flagship Brook
lyn before May 81 when vessels were
discerned in the distance. In each case
the vessels proved to be American ships.
Each time the signals were to clear for
action and make speed of II knots an
hour. He also told of the bombardment