The Washington times., 1901-10-05

der this question any more than ne snoulu
talk further now with regard to this par
ticular occasion.
The Presdent-The witness is under
your examination.
The Judge Advocate-Yes; and they can
crOsS-eXamine when the time comes.
By the judge advocate:
Distance From the Texas.
Q.-I want to ask you how near was
the Texas to the Brooklyn when she
crossed the bow of the Texas and you
spoke to Commodore Schley about 1t.
How near were the two vessels?
A.-Well. l should suppose her about
$50 or 400 yards.
Q.-Have you never given this estimate
as nearer than that?
Ayes. sir.
Q.-What have you given it heretofore?
A.-About between 20 and l5J yards-
Q.-Why do you give it as a greater
A.-Because l have read from my notes
written the day after the battle ana from
notes that l used in the Board OF NaVlsa-
tiun. and l concluded from these that my
estimate at that time-that ! gave at 30
to $50 yards-was too near, because the
navigating officer of the Texas did not
think ii was any less than l50 yards, ana
much nearer than / did.
Q.-Produce the notes, please. and read
from them where ycu find what infiu-
enced you in changing this estimate?
A.I[ReadingI I'VE quickly put our
helm TO port and wore around star
board, passing well inside the Texas.
That was the account written by me the
day after the battle.
Q.-Is there any reference there to dis
tance that you were from the Texas on
those notes?
A.-NO, sir
Q.-Have you talked with any other than
the Judge advocate of this Court and
counsel for the applicant in relation to
this matter recently
Al have.
Q.-With whom?
A.-With the counsel of Rear Admiral
Schley.
cepted the judge advocate and counsel for
the applicant
A.-You mean with regard to refreshing
my mind as to the distance?
Q.-With regard 10 the distance between
those two ships.
A.-No, sir: no one.
Mr. Rayner-I wish you would get that
straight, because l never saw this gen
tleman until today, never had talk with
him in my life. | wish you would get
him to state that it was Judge Wilson
and not myself. because l never saw him.
The Judge Advocate-I think l made u
perfectly clear. The name of this wit
ness was placed on the list of witnesses
both by the judge advocate and counsel
for the applicant, and / wanted to make
it perfectly clear that they had right
to talk to him. That exception was not
nade the other day with regard to the
Judge advocate.
Mr.. Rayner-WeIl, I would make it.
The Judge AdvOcate-It was not made
by counsel on the other side.
Mr.. Rayner-I do make it.
By the judge advocate:
Danger From Torpedoes.
Q.-I want you to refresh your mind
now and tell me whether there was not
some further conversation between you
and Commodore Schley on the bridge on
the occasion referred to?
Al have stated, l believe, that the
commodore said he did not propose to
go in any closer and subject himself to
torpedo attacks. / have stated that,
have l not?
Q.-Nou have.
A.-And that / had said had not seen
any torpedo boats as went on the bridge
to look out for the Texas.
Q.-I only want to give you an oppor-
tunity to state il there was anything
further
A.-Not that I remember.
Q--To refresh your memory a little, do
you remember if anything was said about
blanketing the fire Of the Texas at that
time?
A.--Weil. when l told him thought we
would run into the Texas / thipk / did
say that we might-yes. / am pretty sure
did now-that We would run into the
Texas. or we might get shot from one
of her Pinch guns / did not mention
the calibre of the gun-but one of her big
guns-that we might get a shot from one
of her big guns.
.Q.-Have you ever said that vou were
skittish about a collision with the Texas
at this time?
A.-Why. 1 was skittish about it;
thought that we were going TO have a
collision very likely with the Texas at
that time.
Q.-How was the collision avoided, from
what you know OF your own knowledge?
A--By our getting around so quick that
We passed ahead Of her.
Q.-You cannot tell me what was done
On board the Texas j assume2
Al have not any idea, that is, Of my
knowledge.
Q.-I understand perfectly; that is all |
want.
Then the judge advocate took Up the
matter of the change that was made in
the Brooklyn's log, which had first made
1t appear that the ship turned in toward
the Spaniards. but an insertion was af-
terward made to show that she turned
in the opposite direction in execution of
the loop" Captain Lemiy asked: Can
Brooklyn of the Sd Of July from to I2?'
A-Well. Lieutenant Doyle wrote it, but
gave him all the data for it.
Q.-You gave him all the data?
Al gave him the points TO write; yes.
Q.-What point did you give him with
regard to the direction in which the helm
was put in order to turn the vessel
A.-Oh. I told him the helm was put
aport. If / mentioned that particular Incl
dent
Q.-Do you remember whether you
mentioned II or not?
A-No; | am not sure that mentioned
4t cept that we turned around to head
Of he Spanish ships. / may not have
r ioned how the helm was put, but If
mention it at all I did mention that
ve lrned to starboard.
That was a very important move
r. -. was it not?
Yes. sir.
You have so stated?
HI put it in my log.
What do you mean by your log?
We'll. the log OF the forenoon and
r.f.rr oOn watch was written up by Lieu
.Hrea- Doyle and Lieutenant Webster.
8.t ; both these gentlemen had been
r-1i g. one in the turret and the other
0r gundcck. fighting the batteries. /
gH-. lem the principal points that might
-ar them to write their deck log cor
..rIr. After they had written up their
went to the captain and told him
..HHl like TO put in a little Information
Dwn to make it more fun and com
... nd there Was an addendum writ
It day by myself and / think in
j be found the way the helm was
.. Veil. I suppose you are more famil-
this than / am. Just point out
nat is in the addeHdum TO the log.
IN Lemly handed the witness the
E1's log.
Fext of the Addendum.
-4. tcndum was: In order to estab-
llsh m le clearly the events Of the fore
noon a.d afternoon watches Of this day
the following facts are added to the days
record; The vessels Of the Spanish feet
came out Of the entrance in the following
order, Maria Teresa. flagship; the Viz
caya. Colon, Oquendo. and two torpedo
boats The first shot fired by this Vessel
was at the Maria Teresa. As we passed
the Maria Teresa we became engaged also
with the VizCayd and the Colon. We