The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-10-07

WASHINGTDN. September g6 when
the SDhI.E count uf inquiry began ira
session today counsel for the Navy
Department continued their efforts tl
show that Admiral SChleN had iuformaa
tiOn of Admiral Cervpra and his fleet
Don the harbur uf santiago. and intro
ducod for this purpose additional officers
of the auxiliary cruisers which were lt
Che time doing duty as out boats in
West Indian waters.
Captain Wise who commanded the
FCoutship Yale during the spanish war
continued his narrative of the retro
grade movement Of the flying squ1d"pn
toward Key West on MAY 21th He arst
told how the Yale had taken the NDr-
rimac i'm tow under direction of Al
miral SChley lie said that the Admi-
raj had signaled upon starting to ask
if there was coal enough To carry uim
to Key West To which he had respond
he had reported i'm response to am iu-
quiry that he had coal sum lent for Two
days of fun steamng and for four days
of moderate steaminE.
He was then dispatched 90 Newport
News, reporting To Admiral Sdmpsol on
the way. He had told Admi -al Samp-
son, he said, that the dying squadron
y
tiago. In response to a question Of the
Admiral he had said he dad not know
what it was doing there.
Edwin Il. Hanna read the following
extract from Admiral Schley's report Of
February Is, 1899, to the Committee of
Naval Affairs, in reference to the letter
from the Secretary of the NaVy Of
February 6, 1899 beginning: after nav
ing been informed by the ships com.
manded by Sigsbee Jewell and Wise
that, although they had all been off
Santiago de Cuba for a week, they had
seen nothing of it (the Spanish fleeD,
and knew nothing of its movements OF
its whereabouts, etc" He then asked
Captain Wise if he had had such COM
versation with the Admiral.
81 did not" was the response.
Did you give Admiral Schley any in
formation respecting the Spanish squa-
drong'
"Only through Captain Sigsbee. did
not go on board the Brooklyn at all l
gave Captain Sigsbee all the informa-
ton | had"
Had you been off Santiago for a
week?"
Il was there from the morning Of the
22d until the evening of the 18th, when
the flying squadron arrived"
Captain Wise was crosse examined on
this point by Mr.. Raynor. He asked:
From the morning of the 22d until
the arrival Of the flying squadron on
the evening of the 26th you were trying
to get in touch with the enemy and
watching the harbor?"
YES"
You saw nothing in tnere?"
81 could not see any harbOr at ALL"
You could see around the corner Of
Smith cay?'
I'VE saw the masts Of a small veesel.
Could not distinguish what it was"
you sent no one on shore to try to
establish communication"
Not at all"
rs not the natural condition of the
harbor such that it is possible to see
considerably IN the harbor?'
you can see only short distance up
the harbor."
And there was nothing in sight
whatever, was there"
Nothing at all"
The witness had said that captain
sigsbee had taken the dispatch begin
ming Get in touch with the enemy"
The court, through Admiral Dewey,
asked: Was ii your duty or Captain
Sigsbee's to convey the information in
the dispatch referred to Commodore
Schley?"
Il think it was Captain Sigsbee's, as
ne went Immediately on duty and I was
intercepted by orders from the Com
modore to take the Merrimac in tow"
Hanna-Did you receive any inquiry,
or did the commanding officer of the fly
ing squadron ask you for any informa-
ton at any time?"
Nothing"
Raynor continued his questions, de-
voting himself especially to the signal
ing between the Yale and the flagship.
The witness said he was sure that on
May 26th when he hailed the Texas, he
had not passed within hailing distance
of the. Brooklyn, being one and half
miles distant.
Raynor read from a report made on
May 80 by Admiral Sampson in which
he stated that Captain Wise had told
him that he believed Santiago harbor to
be strongly fortified us that true?"
Raynor asked.
1T is" was the reply.
Captain Wise said in reply to ques-
tions by Saptain Parker that he would
at any time when off Santiago have
been able to signal any information he
might have had in regard to the situa-
ton. He had seen the masts of YES
sci and thought ii to be a small military /
vessel. He had gone near enough to .
observe the land batteries.
At this point Captain Wise was eX-
cused, and Admiral Cotton was recalled .
to make verbal corrections in the testi- !
lpuS previously given ny Hlllls Az .
miral Cotton was questioned concerning
some points of the morning of May 81.
after arriving from Kingston, he had
gone aboard the Brooklyn with dis
patches for Admiral Schley.
Asked by Captain Lemly to relate his
with Admiral Schley on
he occasion of that it had been ascer-
aimed that some at least of the ships
If Admiral Cervera's squadron were
within the harboT of Santiago; that
hey had been seen and were in sight,
md, as a matter of fact, one of them
vas in sight at the entrance to the har-
lor. In language as nearly as ! can re-
member he said: After dinner ! am
soing to hoist my flag on board the
Massachusetts,, and take her and the
Owa and go in and have pot shot at
hose fellows
Lemly-"Anything further?"
There was, of course, some further
conversation. ! cannot recall the words
Or aside from what / have mentioned,
he particular subjects"