The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-01
GRAPHIC Description
OF BATTLE OF SANTIAGO
BY ADMIRAL bob" EVANS
Commander Of the Iowa an important Witness Before
the SChIey Court Of Inquiry Yesterday --OthGr Wit
nesses Called Were Capt. Jewell Of the Cruiser
Minneapolis and Commander Miller Of the MGrri-
mac, Which Lieut.. HObsOn AfterWard Made Famous

Washington Sept, 30.-Admiral Ev-
ans, who, as captain, commanded the
battleship Iowa during the Santiago
campaign, was a witness before the
Schley court Of inquiry today, His tSs-
timony covered the entire period from
the time the Iowa left the port of Key
West on the goth of May, 1898, until the
fifth of July when Admiral Evans ties
titled he had a conversation with Ad-
miral Schley concerning the battle of
the 3rd He described in detail the
principal battle off Santiago and also
gave particulars concerning the bonn
bardment of the Colon on the 3lst OF
May.
Other witnesses of the day were
Capt Theodore F. Jewell, who was
commander of the cruiser Minneapo-
lis during the Spanish War and Com-
mander James NJ. Miller, who was IN
command of the collier Merrimac I'M
til that vessel was turned over to
Lieut. Hobson to be sunk in the mouth
of the harbor of Santiago. Admiral
Evans had not concluded his testimony
when the court adjourned for the day.
The proceedings were begun with the
customary recall of the witnesses Of
the previous day.
While Commander Switzerland was
on the stand he was asked by the
court whether if the fleet of Cervera
had been in the harbor Of Cienfuegos
it could have been seen by the vessels
bloclSading- ithe port. Ne replied; II
cannot definitely say. Not unless they
were anchored In the lower harbor
just inside of the entrance. In the deep
water where the schooner to which l
referred before was anchored"
The first new witness of the day was
Commander James M. Miller, who was
in command of the collier Merrimac
while that vessel was a part of Ad-
miral Schleys flying squadron.
Commander Miller said he had as
sumed command of the Merrimac
April II at Norfolk. He had taken on
board at Lambert's Point soon after
ward about 5000 tons Of coal. His YES
sci had, he said, been capable at first
of making between nine and 10 knots
but afterward he had trouble with his
pressure machinery, so that by May
% and "a would have hesitated in try
ing to secure a speed of more than
seven or eight knots.
He read from the GOLFERS log to
show that Iowa. Massachusetts and
Castine had coaled on the 23d and Gath.
No record was found of the coaling of
any vessel on the 25th or the 26th, the
time consumed in proceeding from
Cienfuegos to Santiago.
1.-THE sea-" he said, ION the 25th was
nasty, quite nasty. The Merrimac being
a heavy vessel its speed was not much
affected, but if l had had a smaller
vessel ! should have felt it very
much" He also said the weather for
that day was bad.
The witness said that late in the
afternoon of May 26 the intermediate
valve of the collier was broken, but
that previous to the arrival off Sant-
ago she had not been broken down,
disabled or delayed"
AS to the condition on the 26th, the
witness said: Il should say l could
have coaled, as / find here consulting
the Logo we were making 10 knots at
one time We got to u knots. l fancy
the weather could not have been bois-
ferrous. On that day 1 find Streaming
with the squadron east to quarter
north" and I find by the entry that
between s and noon of that day that
we made from 10 to u knots
Mr.. Hanna-"What was the condi-
ton of the sea?' 1.-The sea had then
smoothed, 1 should judge from the
speed we were going"
Gould you have coaled vessels on
the afternoon of the 26th?" Il could
up to the time l was broken down at
5. 30 that afternoon"
Witness said that each day from
May 23d to 31st, except on the days
when en- route from Cienfuegos to
Santiago and when disabled, the Mer-
rirnac had had vessels alongside for
the purpose of coaling and they had
been coaled
On cross examination Mr. Raynor
questioned Commander Miller concern
ing coaling from the Merrimac on the
oath He said the Massachusetts had
been coaled at 7.20 on the morning Of
that day He was then examined con-
corning signals as to coaling the
Texas. While these questions were
being put, Captain Miller said laugh
ingly: go ahead, you've got me
there. He then proceeded: II sig
nailed over I object to having two
battleships alongside of me-, and
think to Capt. Higginson, but l
don't know whether it was to the adj
miral or him: K and NJ win crush G.
Mr.. Raynor-''You were not G. you
were X; G was the Massachusetts,"
Il was G., I think What 1 objected
to was having two battleships beside
me. They have a peculiar motion,
and when two battleships are rolling
they would have a tendency to crush
i collier betw cen them"
How was the sea at that time?"
Il did not feel the sea very much,
because my ship was particularly a
steady ship"
How was 1t as far as the other
ships are concerned2"
"Battleships nearly always have mo-
ton, that is my experience. As far as
1 was concerned / could have coaled.' -
Continuing. the witness said that he
always hated to go alongside a battle
ship. THE Merrimac." he went on. was
always steady, but the battleships
were continually rolling"
"FA,ecially in a rough sea? ?" sug-
gested Mr.. Raynor. In any sea-" re-
sponded the witness.