The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-18

1 Will SOHlIUOuOTe SCnley COHCSi AAh5
| that range, he replied in the negative.
| Did you not state otherwise in the
ward room Of the Massachusetts? Mr..
| Lemly asked.
81 have no recollection Of stating any
thing else" replied the witness.
| Now refresh your memory. I ask IL
you did not say in the ward room Of the
| Massachusetts,: For Gods sake don't
| discourage him. 1t is all we have been
| able to do to work him up to this or
| words to that effect?'
| mo, 1 never said anything OF the
| kind replied the witness.
In reply to further questions the wit
| ness said that while no conclusion
could be reached from the signal fires
| on shore at Santiago on July End, that
| the Spanish fleet was preparing TO es-
cape, yet the situation was so tense
| that Commodore Schley felt something
| unusual was going to occur.
CAPTAIN COOK RECALLED.
The afternoon session of the court be-
gan with the recall of Captain Francis
| a. Cook for the pupose of correcting
the testimony given by him yesterday.
While he was on the stand Judge Advo-
cate Lemly asked him the following
| question: What conversation, if any,
| die you have with Commodore Schley
| about the retrograde movement either
| before or after the signals were made
and the order given on May 26th to re-
| turn to Key West?"
LAS near as l recollect the circum-
| stances there was a conversation after
| the message had been brought to me
| that signal had been made bound for
| Key West by Yucatan channel l did
| not understand the signal and went in
| to see the commodore about it. asked
| him what the signal meant and he
said that he must coal the ships; that
| he must seek some place to coal them
| and that he was going toward Key
| West until he could find an opportunity
| to coal from the collier and if he did
| not find that he must be near a coal
| base to keep the ships coaled. I made
| some remark concerning the weather
| conditions-that I thought they would
| be more favorable later. He said: I'm
| til they are and until am able to coal
/ from the collier. must keep within
| striking distance of COAL I said that l
| recognized that he felt the responsible
| ity as no one else could and that it was
| a serious question. He answered that
| he recognized that fact, but that he
must act in accordance with his judge
| ment, whether right or wrong; that
personal consideration was Of no ac-
| count when the safety of the fleet was
| to be considered
| QUESTIONS BY THE COURT.
| The court asked the witness the fol-
| lowing questions: What instructions
did you receive from Commodore Schley
| regarding the movement of the Brook
| lyn after it was discovered that Cerve-
ra's squadron was coming out of the
harbor of Santiago?"
| "I do not recollect any specific in
structions. We were standing for the
| enemy"
| please repeat any conversation that
| took place between Commodore Sch.ey
| and yourself from the time the Spanish
| squadron came out until the Brooklyn
| was steadied on her westward course in
| chase?"
| He several times spoke of the posi-
| ton of the enemy. At one time he
| spoke of the turning of one of the ships
| from the line. I saw it, the Viscaya, l
| think, turn out and then turn in again.
| He spoke of that. He said to me at
| one time to look out for torpedo boats.
| L know at that time that the executive
| officer had come from below and I turn =
ed to him and said: Lookout for torpe-
| do boats,' or torpedo attack He said: ::
| Aye, aye. sir and left me. J have no
| recollection of seeing them. I did not
( concern myself much about them. He
| spoke frequently to me during the ac-
| ton about cautioning the men at the
| batteries to fire steadily and slowly,
| not to lose their shots. He called out
| a number of times, loud enough to be
| heard in the turret and to be heard op
the lower deck by the men manning the
| auxiliary batteries, to fire steady, es-
| pecially at a time when the ships were
| doubled on each other, as, for instance
| the Colon passed from third to first
| place inside of the other ships. He
| spoke to me a number of times asking
| me if I could not edge in on them. /
recollect that distinctly, because 1 was
anxious to keep a straight and steady
course, believing we gained by that and
1--we had them at all times under a steady
| range. We had their range completely
and our shots were landing. Theirs
| were not"
please state what was the conduct
| and bearing of Commodore Schley dur
ing the battle of July 3rd. The answer
to this question previously given by you
does not refer specifically to this date?''
| Il cannot imagine any conduct in bat
tie more admirable. He was cool, brave
and enthusiastic. from the beginning to
the end Of the action
THE DAMAGE TO THE BROOKLYN.
Mr.. Rayner: What damage or injury
was done to the Brooklyn on the day of
the battle by the Spanish ships?"
Ny recollection is that she was
| struck twenty times. She had the
marks of some forty injuries, but axam-
ination showed twenty shot holes. She
was in such a condition at the end of
that battle, that so far as the ship her
self was concerned, she was ready foY
action again. She was not materially nj
| jured. The most injury was done by
! a shot that entered the midship COM
partment, and tore things up pretty
badly. There were shots through the
smoke stack that might have inter-
| ferred with her draught."
| Mr.. Rayner: 'fWas Commodore
/ Schl6v'S naSifion on tho prooE1yO nm
the day Of the battle one Of danger"
| Yes. as much as anyone on board
lie was in the open all the time"
BY the court-"How far was the
| Colon from the Brooklyn when the
turn to starboard was completed?"
Two thousand yards or twenty-five
hundred yards"
| SEARS CROSS SS-EXAMINED.
| Captain Cook then withdrew and the
cross-examlnation Of Lieutenant Sears
| was continued by Mr.. Hanna.
Il Hko yyf -.rl->