The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-04

Santiago was a WlLneSS DC
fore the Schley laval court of inquiry
today. His testimony covered the en-
tire period from the time the Iowa LETT
the port of Key West, on the goth OF
May 1898, until the 5th of July, when,
Admiral Evans testified, he had a con-
yersation with Admiral Schley concern
ing the battle of the 3rd. He described
in detail the principal battle off Santa
go. and also gave particulars concern
ing the bombardment Of the Colon on
the 31st of May.
Other witnesses of the day were Cap
tain Theodore r. Jewell. who was COM
mander of the cruiser Minneapolis dur
ing the Spanish war. and Commander
James NJ. Miller, who was in command
of the collier Merrimac until that vessel
was turned over to Lieutenant Hobson
to be sunk in the mouth of the harbor
at Santiago. Admiral Evans had not
concluded his testimony when the court
adjourned for the day.
Commander Miller read from the COL
Iier's log to show that the Iowa, the
Massachusetts and the Castine had
been coaled on the 23rd and 24th. The
sea on the 18th he said was nasty. On
lIe ZOlh liz III q AAoE4AS ~
six to eleven knots and the sea was
smoother. Vessels could have coaIei
that day. He had objected to having
two battleships coal at once as they
had a peculiar rolling motion and might
have crushed the collied between them.
In response to the court
Miller said he could have coaled any
of the ships on the 25th, though not
comfortably.
Captain Theodore F. Jewell sai that
he had fist fallen in with the flying
squadron on the evening of May 18th.
Captain Lemly quoted from Admiral
Schley'S letter to the senate committee
on naval affairs, dated February IL,
1893, saying After having been inform
ed by the scouts commanded by such
officers as Sigsbee, Jewell and Wise,
that, although they had been off San
tiago for a week they had seen nothing
of Cervera's fleet since it left Curacao"
and asked whether he had given to Ad-
miral Schley this information or any
other information concerning the Span
ish fleet.
The witness replied: II gave him no
information with reference to that SUBJ
ject whatever"
The Judge advocate asked: "At the
time you were within signaling distance
of the flagship of the flying squadron
off Santiago were you at any time ask
ed any question by Commodore Schley
as to the presence of the Spanish squad
ron in ~Santiago?"
Not to my recollection"
The witness said in reply to a Ques-
ton from Mr.. Raynor that he had no
knowledge that Captain Sigsbee, speak
ing for himself and for Captain Jewell
and Wise, stated to Commodore Schley
on the 26th at Santiago that neither he
9th witnesS) nor Wise nor himself
(Sisbee) a seen anything or knew
anything of the movements or where
abouts of the Spanish fleet, nor did he
know whether Captain Sigsbee wrote a
letter to Commodore Schley stating that
as a fact.
ADMIRAL EVANS TESTIMONY.
Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans was
called to the witness stand. He stat
ed that he had first Joined the flying
squadron off Cienfuegos on May 22rd
at l o'clock p. m. when he took dis
patches he had sent to Commodore
Schley b. his executive officer, Com
Rogers, he not seeing the COM
modore himself. AS the dispatches
were sealed he did not know their con-
tents.
The judge advocate: please state
what, if anything, was done while the
squadron was off Cienfuegos toward
developing the fact as to wehther the
Spanish squadron under Admiral Ger
'Nf IN 0ASOA ~
~Cienfuegos."
There was nothing done so far as
I know"
What. if anything, within your
knowledge, was done toward destroy
ing or preventing the further compile
ton Of the enemy's batteries in the vi
cinity OF Cienfuegos?"
"On Sunday afternoon, 1 am quite
sure it was, Commodore Schley formed
his squadron in columns n stood in
to a range of about a mile and a half
from shore, made a turn and stood QUE
again. That is the only thing I know"
Where q then within range of the
batteries in the vicinity of Cienfuegos
with the heavier guns of your ship"
I did not see any batteries. There
was a work they were completing
there"
Were you within range of this?"
Quite easy range, yes"
Did the Iowa coal ship while in CT
enfuegos and if so how much liz she
take"
I'VE took in $50 tons of coal on the
s3rd."
WAS any effort made by the flying
squadron on May 18th, Goth or 30th 70
communicate with the insurgents on
shore near Santiago?"
None to my knowledge"
Testifying that he had first seen the
Colon on May 2sth, Admiral Evans
Sa1Q tnat VeSSel was not inside the har-
Dor at all, but was about $500 yards
inside the MORO. He then detailed the
particulars of the bombardment Of the
Colon on May LIST, saying that on the
forenoon of that day Commodore
Schley had signaled to transfer the
flag to the Massachusetts; that he was
going in to engage the Colon. Describ-
ing that engagement the witness said:
About 1875 o'clock I saw the first
shot from the Massachusetts, fall short
a long distance, and s~upposing h was
firing at 1000 yards / gave the range to
my guns 5000 yards. I saw these shots
fall short and increased the range to
5000 yards. After the Massachusetts
had passed the entrance to the harbor
she turned with port helm and steamed
back. the New Orleans and the Iowa
following. On the run back across the
harbor / again fired at 10000 yards.
The shots still fell short n as the
Massachusetts, and New Orleans slowed
down n stopped after they got across
I slowed my engines, then increased
h range TO 1900 yards and fired two