The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-10

Dattle ga. ana on TWO occasions
thereafter"
After the beginning of the battle
please state where you observed the
Brooklyn, whether you noticed her
proximity to the Texas and what it
was"
when the battle had been on about
ten or fifteen minutes my attention
was attracted to the Brooklyn by my
signal officer, Capt. Dawson. He said
to me that the Brooklyn must be in
jured, or words to that effect, as she
was dropping out of action. l OBJ
served the Brooklyn heading apparent
ly about south or off shore. She was
then on my port bow half a mile per-
haps ahead of me, and that time a
quarter of a mile outside of the line
of our column. She was not turning
as far as l could see. The Texas was
apparently lying still in the water
did not see whether she was backing
or not. The distance between those
two ships was impossible for me to
see, as they were too nearly in a line
for me to judge of the distance between
them. A few minutes later my atten-
ton was again turned to the Brooklyn.
She had then proceeded a distance not
over two miles, and not under one mile
from the time 1 had seen her first, and
the second time l saw her, as near as
could figure out, one and a half miles
to seaward of our column of battle. -
did you observe whether there was
any attempt on the part of the Spanish
vessels to ram any of the vessels of the
American squadron"
II observed that there was no such
attempt"
SIMPSONS Invitation TO Taylor.
Mr.. Rayner began his cross ss-examina-
tion with an effort to introduce GER
tain signals which had passed between
the Indiana and Admiral Sampson S
flagship, the New York, in the early
morning of July 3, 1898. Capt. Lemly
made immediate objection and Mr..
Rayner presented an earnest plea to
be allowed to read the signals. He was
not permitted at that time to do so but
it is understood that the signal which
he desired to introduce as having been
sent from the New York to the Indi-
ana was dated at S:15 a. m. of that
day, and was an invitation from the
flagship to accompany her to Siboney,
while the response was a declination
to do so. The Admirals invitation
was wig-wagged by Capt. Chadwick
and was as follows:
THE admiral wishes to know if you
will join him this morning in going to
see Gen. Shafter?'
To this Capt. Taylor replied at S:37:
Work aboard ship previously going
on prevents me from going with you
to-day"
Mr.. Rayner contended that the sig
nails were among the most important
occurrences of the day prior to the
time that the command of the fleet
developed upon Commodore Schley
Capt. Lemly replied that under pre-
vious rulings of the court the reading
the signals was clearly inadmissible.
He, however, agreed that he would con-
suit with Mr. Rayner and that, if af-
| ter this consultation the question in
| Guiding the reading of the signals
should appear proper. Admiral Taylor
could be recalled and the question ask
ed. To this Mr.. Rayner consented.
Indiana Gave the Alarm.
At the afternoon session of the court
| Admiral Taylor said that on
the morning of the battle of July 3
| the Indiana had signalled: "The enemy
| is escaping" The Indiana was, he said,
| at that time always cleared for action.
He had, he said, personally seen the
| Brooklyn while on her southern detour
commonly known as "the loop
The court asked only one question of
| Admiral Taylor, as follows
WAS the Indiana in such a position
| with reference to the Brooklyn and the
| enemy's ships just after they cleared
| the entrance of the harbor that you
could form a fairly correct estimate of
the distance between them?"
The reply was:
"At the time mentioned there were
but two occasions when the smoke
permitted me to see the Brooklyn dis
tinctly. I could not therefore say what
was the distance between the enemy
and the Brooklyn just after the Span
ish fleet came out of the harbor."
Potts Is Hard on SchIey.
Commander Potts said that during
the blockade of Santiago the distance
observed by the Flying Squadron was
from seven to nine miles from the
mouth of the harbor At Cienfuegos
the distance out was from four to five
miles, with an increase of the dis
tance at night.
The witness said that he had been
on the Massachusetts on May 81, the
day of the bombardment of the Colon,
when Commodore Schley had used that
vessel as his flagship.
Detailing Commodore Schley's con-
versation on that occasion the witness
said:
When Commodore Schley came on
hoard 1 heard him say 'Higginson, 1
am going in with you and the Iowa
and pot the Colon with your big guns.
I want to fire deliberately. Admiral
Sampson will be here tomorrow MORN
ing and l wish to destroy the Colon.
or words to that effect. After that
there was a conversation between Com
modore Schley and the commanding
officer of the ship as to when we would
go in, and it was determined that we
would allow the men to go to dinner,
and go in afterward, which we did .
Later on, about 1 o'clock, I think. while
on the port bridge just abaft the pilot
house, was present at a conversation
between Commodore Schley and Cant
Higginson in which the question of
where the ship was to be fought was
under discussion. Commodore Schley
asked Capt. Higginson what position he
intended to take. He replied: L think
the coming tower Commodore
Schley replied: Yes, I think that is
wisest.' Shortly after this Commodore
Schley and his staff the captain and
myself. went down to the coming tow
er on the forward 13-inch turret Com
modore Schley, Commander Schroeder.
l think Commodore Schley's personal
staff and myself were standing as the
ship was standing in toward the en-
trance. Commodore SchIey said in my
hearing and presence. Gentlemen. we
are very conspicuous objects here in
white. / think we had better get out
of this. Commodore Schley left the
forward 13-inch turret and took his
place on the small platform on the lee
side of the coming tower"
Capt. Lemly: did you hear any
further conversations"
"I heard the conversation whom