Evening star., 1901-12-14

Eagle TO Port Antonio to coal and then TO
return to Key West. At noon of May 26
the Eagle had sufficient coal to steam ten
knots per hour for three days.
At $50 pm. the squadron stopped about
twenty-five miles to the southwark of the
port of Santiago and was Joined by the
scouts Minneapolis, Yale and st. Paul.
At pm. May 26 the engines of the col
lier Merrimac were temporarily disabled.
The engines were changed to work com
pound. and at 420 pm. of May p she
was able to make six knots with her own
steam. The broken parts of the engines
We're repaired on board the flagship, all re-
pairs being completed at midnight of May
Is The Yale towed the Merrimac while
disabled.
The commanding officer of the ST. Paul
visited the flagship, in obedience to sig
nal. took with him Cuban pilot, and had
a conversation with Commodore Schley.
Commodore Schley had no conversation
with the senior commanding officer of the
scouts. and obtained no positive informal
ton from the scouts regarding the Span
iSh squadron.
At 7:45 pm, May 26, Commodore Schley
changed the course of the flying squadron
to the west ward, and signaled to his squad
ron. Destination Key West, via south side
OF Cuba and Yucatan channel, as soon as
collier is ready; speed, knots The
squadron proceeded westward eighteen
miles, stopped at 11:15 pm (the tow lines
of the collier having parted, drifted until
$40 pm, May q, resumed its westward
course for twenty-three miles, stopped
again at i.lD ID. m, ana UriItSU ullll i u.
of May 2S.
At $50 I'm, May 81, the Harvard joined
the flying squadron, and her commanding
officer delivered to Commodore Schley the
following dispatch, dated May D. addressed
by the department to the Harvard at st.
Nicolas Mole. Haiti:
Proceed at once and inform Schley and
also the senior officer present off Santiago
de Cuba as follows All departments infor-
nation indicates the Spanish division is
still n Z Santiago de Cuha The dpDa mpQt
looks to you to ascertain fact, and that the
enemy, if therein does not leave without
decisive action. Cubans familiar with San
tlagO de Cuba say that there is landing
place five (o) nautical miles west or six (6)
from mouth of harbor, and that there in
surgents probably Will be found and not
Spanish From the surrounding heights
can see every vessel in the port. As soon
as ascertained, notify the department
whether enemy is there. Could not squad
and also the Harvard coal from Merri-
mac, leeward Cape Cruz, Cuba; Gonaives,
Haiti channel or Mole, Haiti? The depart
ment will send coal Immediately to Mole,
Haiti. Report without delay situation at
Santiago de Cuba.
This dispatch was answered by Commo-
dore Schley about noon, May p, as fol-
lows
Received dispatch. of May %, delivered
| by Harvard off Santiago de Cuba. Merri-
macs engine is disabled and she is help
| less; am obliged to have her towed to
! Key West. Have been absolutely unable
| to coal the Texas Marblehead, Vixen and
| Brooklyn from collier, owing to very
| rough seas and bOiSterouS weather since
| leaving Key West. Brooklyn is the only
| one in squadron having more than suffi-
| cient coal to reach Key West. Impossible
| to remain off Santiago in present state of
| coal account of the squadron. Not possi-
| BILE to coal to leeward of Cape Cruz in
| summer. owing to southwest winds. Har-
| ward just reports to me she has only coal
| enough to reach Jamaica, and she will
| small vessels could coal at GonaiveS or
Mole, Haiti. Minneapolis has only coal
| enough to reach Key West. and same of
Yale, which will tow Merrimac. 1t is to
be regretted that the departments orders
cannot be obeyed. earnestly as we have
all striven to that end. l forced to
return to Key West via Yucatan Passage
for coal. Can ascertain nothing certain
concerning enemy. Was obliged to send
Eagle to Port Antonio. Jamaica, yester-
day, as she had only twenty-seven tons of
coal on board. Will leave st. Paul here.
viii require $500 tons of coal at Key
West.
The coal supply of the vessels of the
flying squadron at noon May 81 was
| sufficient to have enabled them to steam
at ten knots per hour:
The Brooklyn for liz days
The Iowa for ~ days.
The Massachusetts for 10 days.
The Texas for 6A days.
The Marblehead for 81 days.
The Vixen for liz days.
Or to have remained on blockade duty
off Santiago de Cuba:
The Brooklyn for 81 days.
The Iowa for 16 days.
The MaSSa chusettS for 90 days.
The Texas for 10 days
The Marblehead for days.
The Vixen for % days
and then steam to Gonaives Haiti or to
| Cape Cruz Cuba, to coal.
AT that date the flying squadron was ac-
companied by the collier Merrimac con-
| tanning 3sJl of
The amount of coal required to COM
| pletely fill the coal bunkers of all the ves-
| sells OF the flying squadron on this same
| date was 2.I5O tons.
| The conditions of wind sea and weather
| from noon on May 26 to June 1 were ia
| vorable for taking coal from a collier at
sea off Santiago de Cuba.
The Iowa, Castine and Du Pont coaled at
| Cienfuegos from the collier Merrimac on
| May 23 and the Massachusetts and Castine
| on May 81. The Texas asked permission to
| coal first on May % and was refused by
| Commodore Schley, who ordered the Iowa
| TO coal first and the Massachusetts, second
| The Texas was ordered to coal from the
collier on May "a. but the order was re-
voked. as the Massachusetts was alongside
OF the collier and the commanding officer of
the collier deemed 1t unsafe to place his
| vessel Between two battle ships.
The Texas and the Marblehead coaled at
| sea, off Santiago, from colliers May 81 and
/ %, the Massachusetts, and Vixen on Nav
-, lle brookiyn ana iowa on May 30, the
| Brooklyn, Texas and Marblehead on May
| 81
| At 3:35 pm. May 81 Commodore Schley
| signaled to the st. Paul: ''If Sampson
| comes here tell him half of the squadron
| out of coal and collier engines broken
| down.
At 1916 pm. May 81 Commodore Schley
| signaled TO the Texas: ''The more coal YOU
| take in this smooth weather the less Won
| will have to take In Haiti'
| Commodore Schley made no effort m as
| certain whether the Spanish squadron was
| in the harbor of Santiago. He left said har-
bor entirely unguarded from pm. of May
| % to p.m- of May 27. and guarded only by
/ the scout St. Paul from 5 pm of May n
| until about pm. of May 2S.
/ The fiYing SQUADRON arrived off the harhor