The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-10-01

ose that Commodore schley knew

pose that Commodore Schley knew
it?"
'He was the commanding officer of
the squadron"
From what sources did you sup
pose he got this information"
II did not suppose anything about
it. 1t never entered my head If
it had l should have said, of course,
that the commanding officer of a
naval force would not expect one of
his junior captains to give him in
formation about his signals. It was
given to me as piece of information
which l thought every captain in the
fleet had. never thought of Com
modore Schley in connection with it.
If l had supposed for minute that
Commodore Schley did not have it
would have given it to him first thing
on my arrival there. l did not in
tend to say that Commodore Schley
had this code.''
/, At this point Mr.. Rayner produced
Admiral Evans book, A Sailors
Log" and began to quote a passage
from it on the subject of the code,
when the judge advocate interrupted
with an objection, which was sustain
ed by the court, Admiral Dewey re-
marking, 81 would rather you would
get statement from the witness here"
Mr.. Rayner then, while reading
from the book, put the question:
"Have you ever stated, Quoting from
! Admiral Evans book,) I, of course,
took it for granted that the commo-
dore understood these signals as we'll
as 1 did Otherwise, l should have
informed him of their Significance, !"
''That is absolutely a fact" replied
the witness.
Therefore you did take it for
granted that the commodore under
stood the signals?'
81 did"
'He could not have understood
signal unless he knew something
about it, could he?"
II took it for granted he under
stood it,
"Well, you found out that he did
not understand, did you not?"
s'No.''
Mr.. Rayner questioned Admiral
Evans at some length concerning the
signals displayed On the coast near
Cienfuegos, which the admiral said
the officer of the deck had told him
had been seen on May % and %, but
the witness said that he had no con
versation with Admiral Schley about
. these lights and had made no report
, to him of their appearance or signi
} ficance.
, Mr.. Rayner then changed the base
, of his examination from Cienfuegos
, to Santiago and began by asking Ad
[ miral Evans if he had seen the ofticia
chart showing the positions of the
Brooklyn and other battleships on the
day of the battle off Santiago, July 8
1898.
The admiral replied that he hat
seen the chart but that it was wrong
: Mr.. Rayner: "When did you frs
know about the turn of the Brooklyn
as YOU say, a short distance from the
: Texas?"
"When 1 saw her cross the bow O.
f the Texas
2 "Do you recollect the conversation
YOU had with Commodore Schley Jul!
! 5. the second day after the battle re
Y garding the loop of the Brooklyn?
"No sir, do not. l don't remem
: ber mentioning the subject at ALL
"You do not recollect that Commo
: dore Schley first told you on July
: that it was the Brooklyn and not tn
l Texas that made the turn?'
: 81 never imagined anything of tn
= Sort"
"Give briefly the purport of you
conversation on that date with Com
modore Schley.'
Briefly, as recollect the converse
j, ton, he was talking to a person nam
ed Graham. He was sitting at hi
desk writing. walked into hi
cabin to report. He put his hand Of
my shoulder and said:
h "'Bobby, I am just writing my re
s port of the battle Of July g.
t 81 said: I have said of you tha
e you handled your ship with consr
mate skill Then he introduced m
e to Mr.. Graham. Then Captain Coo
: came in and asked me if would tel
him whether the position of certai
v ships was correct which came on