The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-08
CHARTS WRONG.
Those Made of the Battle of
Santiago Incorrect.
So Says Commander Wainwright
Who Helped Make Them.
Schley Court of Inquiry Re.
turns to Coal Subject.
is A SPARRING MATCH.
Attorneys Adopt "You're An.
other" Style of Procedure.
Schley Engines Uncoupled-So
Were SIMPSONS.

Washington, Oct 8.-After the usual
pre1iminaries in the Schley naval court
of inquiry today Lieutenant G. W.
Dyson of the bureau of steam engineer
ing of the navy department was recall
ed to continue his testimony regarding
the coal supply of Admiral Schley's fly
ing squadron at the time of it's arrival
off Santiago harbor on May 26, 1898. He
was brought in this morning at the in
stance of Admiral Schley's counsel for
the purpose of giving further testimony
concerning the availability of the coal
supply in chasing the enemy.
It was the understanding when court
opened that Commander Richard Vain
wright would be the principal witness
of the day and that after he should be
excused, Messrs. Bristol, Grant and
Potts would be called in the order
named. The three men named were
watch officers on various vessels OF the
American fleet on July 3, when the naval
engagement off Santiago was fought
1t has been the desire of the court to
secure as much testimony as possible
from the men whose especial duty it was
! to keep a lookout and these three offi-
GERS were summoned to crafty this
wish.
There was a special interest in Com
mander Wainwrights testimony, be-
cause of his prominent identification with
the Spanish war, and also because of the
fact that he is now superintendent OF
the naval academy at Annapolis. Dur
ing the summer of 1898 Mr.. Wainwright
commanded the converted yacht Glou-
ceSter which played a conspicuous part
in the campaign against the Spaniards-
In the battle of July 8, his vessel occu-
pied position on the extreme right OF
the American column, to the east of the
Indiana and when the Spanish torpedo
boats Pluton and Furor came out of the
harbOr, he attacked them fearleSSly and
aided in their destruction. He also was
an observer, though at a distance, of the
battle between the big ships of the fleet
F'OLGER RECALLED.
The proceedings of the day began by
the recall of Captain w. NJ. Folger, for
the purpose of correcting his testimony
of yesterday. Advantage was taken of
his presence to ask him further ques-
tions concerning the blockade of San
tiago. Among other questions he was
asked by Captain Lemly if he had had
any conversation with Commodore
Schley during the blockade He replied:
Toward the evening of one of the days,
the 30th, there was an extended, very
severe rain storm, so severe that fear
ed that Cervera had gotten out,as it was
sufficiently long to have permitted him
to do so. l went on board the flagship
the next day, thinking it my duty to tell
the commodore what l had seen, as to
the blockade as kept by the Japanese as
kept off the port of Wei Hal Wei where
similarly an enemy's fleet was within a
fortified harbor, said to the commodore
that the adoption of the tactics of the
japanese forming a circle directly in
front of the harbor would,in my opinion,
be preferable, as then it would be diff
cult for anything to get out"
Judge Advocate: Was there any re-
ply by the commodore?"
II cannot testify exactly as to his
reply. 1 would prefer not to do So
Judge Advocate: "Give the sub
stance
HE did not agree with me as to the
necessity for that"
WAS there anything further said by
him?''
Nothing further that I recollect''
Captain Folgar also said that he had
no recollection of a. picket line on the
inside of the American fleet
At the request of Captain Parker, of
counsel fol-. Admiral Schley the witness
examined the log Of the New orleans
for May 80 and 81, 1898, for the purpose
of determining accurately the state of
the weather, but he declined to modify
his statement of yesterday that the
weather on those days was bad.
LIEUT.. DYSON TESTIFIES.
Captain F'o1ger was then excused and
Lieut.. Dyson was called He was ques-
toned by Captain Lemly concerning
the steaming condition of the Brooklyn
on July g. The judge advocate asked:
what does the Brooklyn's steam log
show as to the number of engines
coupled up and the boilers in use July
3. 1898 as compared with the total en-
gine and boiler power of the vessel?"
The reply was. THE Brooklyn has
four main engines, two to each Sha TT,
connected together by coupling. She
has seven boilers, five main and two
auxiliary On the morning of July 3
the forward engines We're uncoupled;
there were banked fires under three Of
the main boilers The other boilers
were what we call 'dead'-no steam in
them. Judging from the time it took
to start fires in these boilers after the
Spanish fleet came out of the harbor.
I should say the furnaces were not
even primed and two of the boilers had
to be run up to the sea steaming level.
1t took from 9:33 to 10 o'clock to start
fires"
In response to other questions, the
witness detailed from the log of the
Brooklyn all that was done on that
vessel to get up speed
Mr. Rayner asked if it was not nee
essary to stop the ship to couple the
uncoupIed engines, and the witness re-
piled that the ship could have been
kept going with one engine while the
other was coupled The engines were
designed he said, to be kept coupled
during war. Discussing the speed of
the various vessels of the feet on July
3 the witness said that the Oregon got
up a speed about equal to the Brook
lyn on that date notwithsta nding that
on her trial trip the Brooklyn made
over 81 knots to the Oregon's II knots.
He called attention to the fact that
the New York had made 16 or II knots
sponse to questions from Captain
Parker. he said that the New York had
not had her engines coupled on the day
of the battle, and that the Brooklyn
had made all the speed necessary
THEN CAME HODGSON-