The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-10-01
Wise Denies Commune
eating With Schley.
NO ORDER TO S|GSBEE.
To Tell Him Of the Inform alton
He Had From the Naval
Department--Thought
II Sigsbee's Duty.

Washington. Sept. 27.-At the
Schley court of inquiry Captain Wise,
who commanded the scout ship Yale,
continued his testimony. 1t was In
part:
Mr.. Hanna read the following ex-
tract from Admiral Schley's report of
Feb. 1S, beginning: After having
Leen informed by the scouts COM
manded by such officers as Slgsbee.
Jewell and Wise. that. although they
had all been off Santiago de Cuba
for q week. they had seen nothing OF
IL (the Spanish 1eeD, and knew moth.
ing of its movements or its where
ebouts. etc." he then asked Captain
Wise il he had made such communi-
cation to the admiral.
Contradioted Admiral schley.
81 did not" was the response.
ibid you give Admiral Schley any
information respecting the Spanish
bquadron?"
only through Captain Sigsbee.
did not go on board the Brooklyn at
all. | gave Captain Sigsbee all the
information | had"
Mr.. Rayner asked: From tho
morning of the 22d until the arrival
CT the flying squadron on the even.
| ing OF the 26th you were trying to get
IN touch with the enemy and watch.
ing the harbor?" Yes, SIR"
You saw nothing in there?" IL
could not see any harbor at all"
You could see around the corner
Uf Cay Smith," I'VE saw the masts
| OF small vessel. Could not dis.
tinguish what 1t was"
| oh TN
to establish communication" mot
at ALL"
isn't the natural condition of the
harbor such that it is impossible to
gee considerable up the harbor?"
You can see only short distance up
the harbor."
"And there was nothing in sight
whatever, was there?" Nothing at
oil"
The witness had said that Captain
Sigsbee had taken the dispatch begin.
ning Get in touch with tn. enemy"
| The court, through Admiral Dewey,
asked: WAS 1t your duty or that OF
Captain Sigsbee to convey the infor-
nation in the dispatch referred to to
Commodore Schley?"
Il think it wSs Captain Sigsbee's,
as he went Immediately on duty, ami
[ was intercepted by orders from the
commodore to take the Merrimac in
tow"
Mr.. Hanna--Did you receivs any in
CURRY, or did the commanding officer
Of the flying squadron ask yoa for any
information al any time?
Nothing"
At one point the court asked:
who Was the senior officer of San.
tiago prior to the arrival of the flying
sQuadron?"
Il was senior of:ce until Captain
Cotton came on the 23d. He was
there until the 2ith, and | was senior
officer on the 25th and the squadron
came there on the Goth"
did you not direct Captain Sigs-
bee to give Commodore Schley the
information that you had received
from the navy department with re.
gard to the whereabouts OF the Span.
ish squadron?"
81 did not"
Admiral Cotton was recalled to
make verbal corrections in the testi-
inony previously given by him.
William G. Gray, who was chief ma.
Chinist on the Texas during the bat.
tic off Santiago ON July 3, testified
that on that date he had been on duty
at the throttle Of the starboard en-
gine OF the battleship He said that
when he went to the engine room the
vessel was gcing ahead. "The next
signal" he said, was to stop and a
minute afterward to reverse. The
engines were then reversed"
Carried Dispatches to schley.
Lieutenant Spencer s. Wood, who
commanded the dispatch boat Dupont
during the Spanish war. related some
particulars of his mission as dis
Latch carrier from Admiral Sampson
lying ut Key West to Admiral Schley,
who was off Cienfuegos. He had left
Key West on May 20, carrying dis
patches of which the Iowa carried
duplicates, and had reached Cienfue-
COS several hours in advance of the
Iowa. His testimony was In part:
"On my arrival l went aboard and
personally delivered the dispatches
which carried from Admiral Samp-
son to Commodore Schley in his cabin
at o'clock. He asked me Admiral
| Simpsons idea about where the Span
lsh squadron was. I told him | did
not know; he asked me Of Admiral
Simpsons intentions. told him
did not know them. He told me he
thought the Spanish squadron was
there. He had heard firing and was
almost convinced that they were
there. The conversation was on the
line to endeavor to find out from me
what Admiral SIMPSONS plans were.
could give him no information"
"Have you anything further to state
with respect to this interview which
will bear upon the subject of this in
quiry?"
"The commodore hesitated some
time about giving me coal. He did
not think he could spare coal at first.
said 1t was absolutely necessary;
that We were almost out Of coal, hav.
ing made the run from Key West.