The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-09-27
Admiral Higginson Changes His
Estimates Concerning Distance
of Fleet Off San tiago.
PROCEEDINGS OF The COURT OF INQUIRY
Can't, Harder Objects to Having His
Memory Refreshed Commander
Schroeder on the Stand Says Schley
Might Have Gone to Closer Range
in Attack ON the Colon.

tiOn of the time was devoted to his
cross-eXamination by Mr.. Rayner. He
adhered to his statement made Friday
concerning coaling at sea and objected
when Mr.. Rayner sought to refresh
his memory by quoting the log book
of the Massachusetts. Admiral Hig-
ginson was recalled and modified his
statement of Friday concerning the
distance which the fleet before San
tiago stood out to sea. He said that
during the first portion of the time it
was out about five miles during the
day and about four miles at night.
Commander Schroeder Testifies.
Promptly upon the striking of the
hour of two the court reconvened
after the noon recess. The first wit
ness called was Commander Seaton
Schroeder, now governor of the island
of Guam, who, during the Spanish war,
was executive officer of the battleship
Massachusetts,. His appearance Great
ed a slight stir of interest.
Commander Schroeder was ques-
toned as to the details of the entire
campaign. He knew, he said, of no
efforts to communicate with the shore
while the flying squadron" lay off
Cienfuegos. He could give no details
concerning the voyage from Cienfue-
Cos to Santiago, having been on the
sick list. On the first arrival off Sam
tiago the feet had, the witness said,
been 20 miles to the south of the port.
He did not know of his own knowledge
why a westward movement had been
undertaken after arriving at Santiago,
nor did he know how far the fleet had
Travelled in that direction. He stated
that upon the return to Santiago on
May 90 he had sighted the Spanish
ship Colon, and that it lay 1900 or 1900
feet inside the harbor, the American
fleet being six or seven miles out.
Distance from the Shore.
The witness stated in response to
questions by Judge Advocate Lemly
that the squadron remained out about
six or seven miles, maintaining this
distance during the day, and keeping
under way, countermarching eastward
and westward at night. At one point
they were nearer shore than another,
the ships describing an elongated
ellipse in their maneuvers. The aver
age distance out, however, was about
the same at night as during the day.
Referring to the bombardment of
the Colon, May 81, Commander
Schroeder said he did not observe
that there was any firing from the
Spanish shore batteries.
The Bombardment of Colon.
He testified that he was with Capt.
Higginson when he went to meet
Commodore Schley as the latter came
aboard the Massachusetts,, and that
the commodore had remarkd to Capt.
Higginson upon boarding the ship:
II am going to take you and the Iowa
in this morning to pot the Colon"
The bombardment had, he said, be-
gun about two o'clock, and had con-
tinued for only about half an hour
He said that the instructions had
been to put the range at 5000 yards,
and told of seeing the first shot fall.
He said it had been a fine line shot,
but had fallen short. There had been
WV PoHSoSSo oSiOo CuC SOlOhs
What was the effect of that bonn
bardment?" asked Capt. Lemly.
"There was no effect of it so far
as I could see," the witness replied.
What Might Have Been Done.
Capt. Lemly asked for statement
of what was left undone on that date
for the destruction of the Colon.
zone thing" Commander Schroeder
replied, "that might have been done,
and which was left undone, was to
have gone to closer range. Further
more we might have passed the
mouth of the harbor more slowly so
as to have given time to correct the
range"
"Was there anything to prevent 60
ing in nearer?"
Nothing
An Objection Sustained
Asked to state in more detail any
conversation on the part of Commo-
dore Schley during the engagement,
the witness said that at the end of
the run to the eastward he had gone
to the coming tower and found Com
modore Schley talking with Capt.
Higginson. The captain had then d.
rected him to port helm and he (Com-
mander Schroeder) had suggested
that in case this order should be OBJ
served the Iowa would blank the fire
of the Massachusetts,. He was pro-
ceeding with this statement when
counsel for Admiral Schley raised an
objection because the witness could
not say whether the commodore had
overheard the conversation.
The court withdrew to decide the
point at issue, and upon returning
announced that the objection had
been sustained.
The witness then stated that the
commander in chief had addressed
him later, telling him to "Starboard
the helm adding Sand let us get
out of this but he found when he
started to give the order that it was
already being executed, from which
he had inferred that the order had