New-York tribune., 1901-09-26

certain nothing
TO send Eagle to Port Antonio Jamaica, yesterday
as she had only twenty3seyen tons , OF coaI ; on On
500 tons of coal at Key West
EFFORTS TO LOCATE CERVERA.
Rear-Admiral Cotton next related a conversation
he had had with Rear-Admiral Schley concerning
a proposition of Lieutenant Beall, of the Harvard
to go ashore and put himself in communication
with the Cuban insurgents. He could not. he SAID
recall the exact words of the conversation but at
all events Mr. Bean had not been ordered ashore.
Judge Advocate Lemly then asked: After you
delivered the order and prior to the dispatch which
he delivered TO you to be sent TO Kingston, what
efforts did he make TO locate Cerveras feet, 10
your knowledge"
None my knowledge"
did he with his squadron, at that time approach
Santiago
He did not. I will qualify that to this extent.
The vessels, of course, were not at anchor: they
moving about, and there were no directions
for movement toward the harbor of Santiago"
Referring TO that phrase in the dispatch. The
department looks you to ascertain facts. and
that the enemy, if therein does not leave without
a decisive action what, within your knowledge,
did Commodore schley do in obedience to these in
structions?"
Nothing, 10 my knowledge"
"On the departure Of the Flying Squadron, sup
posing they departed that day, indicated by
the signal for Key West. and the leaving of your
own vessel for Kingston. what OF the American
force was left off Santiago to prevent the exit of
Cervera's feet from that harbor?"
Il have no personal knowledge of that fact"
Judge-AdVocate Lemy then started read
dispatches received by Rear-Admiral Cotton from
Rear-Admiral Schley. delivered by the Scorpion.
Mr. Rayner objected TO the reading of these
dispatches unless Rear-Admiral SIMPSONS dis
patch No TO Rear-Admiral Schley should also be
read, as, he said. Admiral Schley's orders were
based upon that"
A TIFF BETWEEN COUNSEL
At this point Captain Parker remarked that this
dispatch would not be found. TO this remark
Captain Lemly took exception. saying that 1t was
out of place for counsel to make such comment.
Admiral Dewey sustained the objection.
The order of Admiral Sampson which is the let
ter known the Dear Schley' letter, was then
read.
On cross-examination Rear-Admiral Cotton said
that while he had delivered four or five dispatches
TO Rear-Admiral Schley he had had the original
only Of the one dispatch which he had given. They
had all been translated by Lieutenant Beall, and
he had not the originals of any but that one
He had record of any other dispatches.
Mr.. Rayner-I think maybe I can help you If
you will let me. will see If cannot refresh your
memory. Are you not mistaken about dates and is
not the date of the delivery of these dispatches the
5lst instead of the 9th May? You did deliver the
dispatches, there is doubt.
| ''Al the dispatches / received at ST Nicholas
/ Mole were delivered Commodore Schley on the
morning of May q, 1888. There is no mistake about
| Commodore Schley were delivered on the morning
| Of May 81. There is no mistake about that"
Mr.. Rayner-Then will go ahead and see II
you can find any more. know you delivered them
as fast you got them.
Il desire to inform counsel that have a record of
| the dispatches that were received by that
came addressed 10 the Harvard or addressed to the
senior officer at st. Nicholas Mole Kingston, ia
maica. ] have not a record OF the dispatches that
came and which were intended for Commodore
Schley except one
Mr.. Rayner-You spoke of four or five dispatches
The dispatches which I have reference are
those that were received on the Harvard by me"
Have you record OF those?"
4 have a record of the dispatches that were in
tended for the Harvard and were received by me
the commanding officer of the Harvard. I have
clear record of all dispatches that were d-
rected TO or intended for Commodore Schley or the
senior officer of Santiago"
The witness identified one dispatch printed in the
appendix to the report of the Bureau of Naviga-
tion May o. 1898.
The court at this point adjourned for luncheon.
REcoNCILING CERTAIN DATES.
Rayner resumed his cross-exam amination of Rear
Admiral Cotton. His first effort was TO reconcile
certain dates, Saying that it most important
that they should be correct He would admit the
delivery of one dispatch the 9th. but the con-
tention was that the other dispatches were dellv
cred the 31st He called the rear-admiral's at
tention the fact that the dispatches which
he had said he delivered on May z had been dated
at Washington as of that day. This is the dis
patch in which Secretary Long had instructed the
commander to the Importance of determining
explicitly whether Cervera's fleet was in Santiago
Harbor The rear-admiral declared If he had said
that this dispatch delivered on the 27th he
had made mstake-that it was delivered on the
3lst, after his return from Kingston.
The rear-admiral said, however, that he was Ger
tain he had delivered more than dispatch to
Commodore Schley on the 27th. He added: II de-
lfvered TO Commodore Schley two dispatches on the
morning Of May q. I think it probable that
among the dispatches which I spoke OF having
handed him that date there may have been
some which addressed me and not to him
which contained information such thought he
should have. OF the dispatches addressed TO him
one was from Rear-Admiral Sampson and the other
from the Navy Department"
Recurring to his conversation with Rear-Admiral
Schley concerning the coal supply of the feet on
the 9th. Rear-Admiral Cotton said that Rear-Ad-
miral Schley had expressed great anxiety on that
point such any commander wou have felt un-
der the circumstances. A. this point Mr.. Rayner
referred to the previous remark concerning coal
ing in the open sea on the 9th. He said: Il
understood you to have said that after reading
the dispatches the commodore made signals in
quiring the of coal Did you see the an
swering signal?'
Il did not responded the witness
You stated you could have coaled from the
Merrimac on that day Why didn't you do so?"
In the first place ] had not authority to coal
In the second place, going for coal, which
/ could receive within twenty-four hours and in
the third place, coal was needed by the feet
than by the Hazard"
Did you ask the commodore for permission to
coal?'
II did not
Mr.. Rayner attempted TO have Rear-Admiral Cot