Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-10-16
COURT OF X
Sp
* INQUIRY.
PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST WEEK.

| incident and the battle itself and swore
| under oath that Sehley made the remarks
attributed to him.
| On cross-eXaminstion Hodgson testified
! that the Brooklyn would have made a
quicker turn if tie vessel had turned
towards the Spaniards, and he also said
he was under the Impression that the
Spaniards would have rammed the Brook
lyn it the latter had turned the other
way.
1t developed that the Brooklyn was
not only in the thick of the battle all
the time, but that the guns of the ship
actually inflicted 80 per cent of the dam
age done Ceryera's fleet. The Brooklyn
was the only vessel in the fleet armed
with fiye-inch guns.
A commission was appointed to inspect
the wrecks of the Spanish vessels TO de-
termine what injuries they had sustain
ed. Captain Rodgers of the Iowa was
the president of the commission. It M.s
found that two 12-inch, eleven S-inch,
twelve 5-inch and ten 4-inch shells, to-
tai OF thirty-ive, pierced the hulls OF the
Spanish vessels. Aside from these there
We're many punctures, but it could not
be determined whether they We're made
by four or six-inch shells. As the Brook
lyn was the only vessel armed with 5-inch
guns it was clear that the twelve 5-inch
shells which pierced the Spanards were
fired from the guns of the Brooklyn. Thus
twelve of the thirty-five shots were fired
by the Brooklyn, making a total percent
age of nearly 80. The Brooklyn had
S-inch guns, and as eleven S-inch shells
took effect it is assumed that some of
them We're fired by the Brooklyn.
Fifteenth Day.
Only one session of the Schley court of
inquiry was held On this day. Practi-
cally the only witness of the day was
Lieutenant Commander Albon c. Hodg-
son, who was navigator of the flagship
Brooklyn during the campaign of 1898,
and almost his entire time was taken
up with the reading of correspondence
between himself and Admiral Schley con-
corning the alleged colloquy between them
during the battle of Santiago, which the
witness was reported to have detailed
TO a newspaper correspondent.
The correspondence has been publish
ed, and this fact rendered the proceeding
of comparatively little popular interest.
Lieut. Doyle was ON the stand again, but
only for the purpose of correcting his
former testimony. He made number Of
changes in phraseology. His attention
was called to an error in his former testi-
mony in stating the distance the Brook
lyn stood out from the Moro ar Santi-
ago. in reply to a question from the court.
He had formerly placed the distance at
two or three miles, but he had errone-
ously based his statement on the log for
June % instead of May %. Looking at
the log for May 2S he found only one es-
innate of the distance out, placing it at
seven miles.
Sixteenth ay.
Rear Admiral Schley's flagship, the
Brooklyn. and Captain Clark's vessel,
the Oregon, were largely If not entirely
responsible for the destruction of Ger
veras feet. This point was brought out
by Lieutenant Commander Hodgson, who
testified that these two ships were the
only ones in the vicinity of the Colon
when it surrendered, the masts of two
other American ships being visible in
the distance.
Captain William NJ Folger, who COM
manded the New Orleans speaking of
the action when the Colon was fired on in
Santiago harbory said that as a recon
noisance it was emincntly successful as
it not only developed the location of the
shore batteries at Santiago but demon
strated that these batteries were weak.
He testified, in response to a question
from Admiral Dewey, that Admiral
Schley signGled to the vessels that par
ticipated in this action to engage the
forts.
This testimony is in support of the con
tention of Admiral Schley that the pur
pose of the bombardment of May 81 was
a reconnaissance, and was not made with
a view to destroying the Colon.
An examination of the log of the Mas
sachusetts, which was serving Temporal
rily as the flagship, did not show that
such signal had been made, but Captain
Folger admitted previously that the log
of the Massachusetts was not correct.
Captain Folger was called as an expert
for the Navy Department to testify as to
the strength Of the batteries at Santiago.
After saying the ba teries were weak, he
swore that the flying squadron did not
approach near enough to the shore to be
endangered by the shore batteries. During
the reconnaissance one of the guns IN the
Morro hill was demolished. He said the
batteries were of such small Importance
that he directed the principal fire of his
ship toward the Colon.
Speaking of the character of the block
ade, Captain Folger said the patrolling
fleet was not near enough to shore TO pre-
vent the escape of the neDly if the wealth
or was bad, which was generally the case.
He could give no reason for the retro
grade movement. No plan of battle had
been communicated to him by Admiral
Schley, but the Brooklyn had signaled
TO the feet on the day of the battle to
clear ships for action and close in on the
enemy.
Lieutenant Commander Hodgson was
subjected to CALLING fire from both the
judge advocate and Mr.. Rayner. He had
been called on the stand to explain the
controversy he had with Admiral Schley
relating to the loop of the Brooklyn and
the colloquy which is alleged to have
taken place between Sc'Iley and Hodg-
son in which the admiral is credited with
saying. DIN the Texas, she must look
out for herself"
He was placed in an extremely embar
RAISING position. as not less than three
sets of letters written by himself were
produced, all Of which differed in some
respects !
In addition to these communications |
Lieutenant Commander Hodgson told
story upon the witness stand which was
at variance with his previous statements. |