Evening star., 1901-10-04
COAL SCHLEY HAD
CONTINUED from First Page,


was to clear for action and make speed of
| twelve knots an hour. He also told Of the
bombardment reconnaissance of the
Cr1stobal Colon on May 81, in which the
Iowa participated He said the vessels were
all in formation and following the flagship.
which In that instance was the Massachu-
setts. The range was at first given at
1000 yards for this engagement but the
shots fell so far short that the range was
increased to 11,OO0 yards These latter
shots fell into the channel in which the Co
lon lay. Some Of them must have fallen
with 500 yards of the Spanish ship.
Describing Commodore Schleys blockade
of the harbor at Santiago. Captain Rodg-
ers said that the fleet maintained a posi-
ton of seven or eight miles out, with the
Marblehead and Vixen inside the line. He
remembered that the Marblehead was on
the inside from the fact that some of the
vessels In the squadron had fired at her.
He could not say whether the feet was far
ther out In the day than at night, nor vice
versa. He thought the Vixen and the
Marblehead could have been seen by moon
light, but not after the moon had set.
Captain Rodgers had concluded his testi-
mony In chief when the court adjourned
for luncheon.
Hits Made by the Brooklyn.
At 2 o'clock Commander Rodgers again
went on the stand and was questioned by
Mr. Rayner In order to bring out the num-
Der of times the Brooklyn had hit Spanish
vessels during the battle off Santiago. Com
mander Rodgers was a member Of the
board that examined the wrecks.
Mr.. Rayner had a paper which he an
nounced had been prepared by Admiral
Schley, showing that there were two
twelve-inch, eleven eight-inch, twelve five
inch and ten four-inch hits, or thirty five
hits in all, judging by the indications on
the Spanish ships seen by board of Of
ficers appointed after the battle to make
the investigation.
Mr.. Rayner brought cut the statement
that the Brooklyn was the only one of the
ships that had used five-inch shells, SO that
Of the whole number of hits "a per cent
were made by the Brooklyn. This exame
ination did not undertake to show whether
the Brooklyn had made hits with other
sizes Of shells which were possessed by
other vessels.
Considerable delay was experienced in
examining the witness over the point of ad-
mitting Mr.. Rayner's statement Of the num-
ber of hits as entirely correct, but it was
understood that if it was not correct it Will
be corrected later.
The witness said that he presumed the
Brooklyn had six-pounders and one-pound-
ers but he only spoke from general knoWi-
edge.
She had eight-inch guns, and, therefore,
he presumed that she had eight-inch shells.
The witness said he did not examine the
Brooklyn to see how much injury she had
received, as another board was appointed
for that purpose, of which he was not a
member.
Mr.. Rayner read letter to Admiral
Schley from Admiral Sampson of May 20,
1898, which letter had been printed in
Senate document. In the first part of this
letter Admiral Sampson speaks Of holding
Havana and Cienfuegos, and in the latter
portion Of it, as printed it states 1--WE will
continue to hold Havana and Santiago"
Mr.. Rayner said he presumed that this
would be admitted as a mistake, and that
| it really meant Cienfuegos. The Judge ad-
vocate would not make any admission of
this kind. but said that the original would
be produced tomorrow. He resented any
further charge of Misrepresentation on the
part of Mr.. Rayner, but the latter declared
that he had no such intention. He said he
thought the error was SO palpable that 1t
would be admitted at once.
A lively colloQuy ensued between Mr..
Rayner and the judge advocate. the latter
again resenting charge which he said
documents, but Mr.. Rayner said it was not
In his mind to make any such imputation
The witness, being questioned by Mr.
Rayner, said that he had received no in
formation in regard to the secret code es-
tablished by McCalla before he left Key
West.
He had learned of it after he reached
Cienfuegos, on the 23d or oath Of May. He
was satisfied that he did not know Of this
code on the 22d Of May, the day the flying
squadron arrived off the harbor of Glen
fuegos. Captain Evans had told him of the
code and he had communicated it to the Of
f1cer of the deck, SO that he might under
stand the signals when he saw them on
shore.
To Summon Sampson -
In the Schley court this afternoon the
question as to whether the word in the
Dear Schley'' letter should be Santiago or
Cfenfuegos again came up on a statement
by Capt. Lemly who said he would con-
tinue to hold to the Santiago version.
Mr Rayner then said II this was the case
he would be compelled to summon Admiral
Sampson, the author Of the dispatch, as a
witness.