Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-22
LIEUT.. WELLS
Continued from page -

ordered 70 have this ammunition ready
to close with the Colon and give her 4
rapid fire when they got close together
He then described the rest OF the chase
and the final surrender of the Colon.
Mr.. Rayner-"Did any vessel pass the
blockade either at Cienfuegos or San
tiago without the authority of the
commodore?
mo sir. none without his authority
The Adula passed with his permission
at Cienfuegos. and at Santiago the
British cruiser interchangeable came to
the blockade and asked permission Il
go in, which was granted, but she did
not avail herself of the opportunity
She then withdrew"
! When Lieut.. Wells had finished his
description of the battle the question
Of dispatche was taken up. 4 num-
Der of dispatches We're shown to the
witness and he was asked as TO their
receipt by Commodore Schley. One
from Secretary Long to the American
| consul At Kingston dated Washington
May IS. saving that it must be deliver
ell to Schlcy at once and informing
him (Schlcy) that unless unsafe for his
squadron. the department wished him
to remain off Santiago and asking if he
could not take possession Of
| Guantanamo as d coalinC station: also
| = dispatch from Secretary Long to
! CAPTAIN Cotton Of the Harvard. dated
Washington. May %. enclosing dis
| patches to Commodore Schley to hold
on, at all hazards. that the New York.
| Oregon and New Orleans We're on tn"
| way: also two dispatches from Secrr-
tary Long To the dispatch boat Harvard
| dated Washington. May 80, one inform
| ing him that the cOmmander-in- chief
| had started to join him and the other
telling him that Sagua, 70 miles east
of Santiago. had been reported as Il
good place to land, from which it would
be easy to reach the heights in the
rear of Santiago. the witness said had
been received on May 81.
The cabiegrlm from Secretary Long
dated Washington. May -. to the cable
| Office at Mole st. Nicholas. Haitai. di-
rectinS that il be delivered 10 the next
American war vessel to arrive and in
forming Commodore Schley: That the
most absolutely urgent thing now is 10
know positively whether the Spanish
division is in Santiago. ETC." was
shown the witness. He stated that it
had been received by Commodore
Schley May 20. The Colon had bean
discovered in the harbor Of Santiago
by Commodore Schley on the morning
OF MAY %.
Mr.. Rayner at this point exhibited i
CHAT upon which there We're rotations
regarding the soundings taken in the
vicinity of Santiago harbor ana the
strength Of the batteries there. this in
forma ton being given as Of date Of
April :. 1879. The notations were as
follows.
Armament in forts in IS?!: Morru
Castle. old guns IS and 2t-pounderS
l0-inch all Sistrclla. old guns. seven in
all: Santa Castallina. partly in ruins
Blanto. is ana 24-pounders. 9 guns.
smooth bore. one small rifle. two small
MOI tars: cable landing at Rlanco bat
teIy. back Of cay Smith. preparing t.
mount new guns back Of Morru.
Now give me the date the navy de
partment issued the order which has
been referred TO in this cas-" about NOT
Gripping ships by the shore batteries.
said Mi. Eayner.
Apfli V. IN3e. WAS me response.
Mr.. Rayner asked the witness if Il Z.
had any other information in reference
to the batteries at Santiago except tina
given or the map referred TO- II"
stated that The commodore had re-
ceived a memorandum Of information
from the bureau of naval intelligence.
cmhodyinE about the same facts a
contained on the chart.
In response To questions by MI Ray
ncr as To Commodore Schley's general
bearing. conduct and manner on any
day in which there was a battle or at
any other time. Lieut.. Wells said:
SO far as my observation went h.
vas thoroughly fearless and self pos
sessed on all occasions
Was he at any time within your
knowledge laboring under any mental
excitemcnt"'
No. sir.
Nj. Hanna ross-cxamincd the wit
nee.
Mr.. Hanna exhibited to the witness
IA letter dated May 30. 1895. and written
by Commodore Schlcy. which contained
a reference TO the dispatches that had
been brought by the Dupont. and Civ
lIS al StuCf tNtoGIll VI tHt bI1cI
inns of thc flying squadron. He sought
by this letter. as stated by him. to
show that the No. dispatch. known
as the Dear Schlcy letter" was re-
crivcd on the I'D of May and not the
ED. The witness said:
The conjunction of this letter and
the changed Endorsement in lead penci!
on the back of one Of the dispatches.
would seem to indicate that the dis
patch might have been received on the
22d"
After the examination had proceeded
along this line for some time air Ray
ner addressed the court as follows:
May it please the court, we admit
| that we got No. by the Dupont
| (Which joined the dying squadron off
Cienfuegos on May %. 1899. and we
| admit that we got No. $ by the Hawk
| and the Marblehead. Now. the troubl,
| is about the other No. {. Where did the
| duplicate of No. go? We cannot adj
nit that we got it by the Iowa. but we
agree upon three propositions:
The Dupont carried No. I. the Hawk
No. and the Marblehead No s. We
admit the receipt of this memorandum
from Captain McCalla by the Hawk.
but what we have not been hlp to fiol