New-York tribune., 1901-10-17


ferent directions Of the fear of torpedo
attacks.
The Judge Advocate-In regard 70 the conversation
in the wardroon OF the Massachusetts, as alleged
May g. in order 10 refresh your memory IN re-
gard to that matter you informed that Lieu
tenant Potts, Lieutenant Grant, Lieutenant GleL-
non and Major Wood are supposed TO have been
present and participated in that conversation
DENIES CRITIcIsING sCHLEY.
'T do not recollect It at all It could not De pos
sibe I said such thing. They have misunoerstooo
what 7 said. I irritated at the delay III 'iIe
wardroom talk something might have Deeh coA- "
strued in that way. statements often are Du' II
is entirely innpossibe that / could have said that
was impatent-excited, perhaps-it oeihs MY Ia -
engagement and might have made some remark
It is something some one might nave iniSui'u
stood but that remark L never mace. -.
What do you mean by irritated at the HeidS .
.,Telay of not going Immediately into this WORK
..E-xnlain what YOU mean by Immediately
Mr. Rayner-Just one moment. Does the state VI
his irritation enter into this case! ne saiu ne
never had such conversation suppose ne "'
irritsted about II? Does that affect this case?
Tho Judge Advocate-If the court peases, 1t Is
not tba irritation I am directing questions ABOUT
but II is the delay. He says he was rr'dteu az
the delay ] think it is fair to the witness, ian 20
the applicant that he should state what oelaS "e
has reference to; whether 1t Is the ueldS ", -
particular dav in going in. as we understand 'nei
was a delav on that day. or whether II Is the gen
ora, deIav as compared with previous days WINE
the vessels were in that vicinity.
Mr. Rayner-I do not object to tnat
The witness-As 1 recall. I was irrtated at cap
.t 1z,sgirson,s request to delay the reconnaissance
until after the mems dinner. remember 'na' 'e''
well.
COMMANDER MAsON'S EVIDENCE
,,.,,+ora,+ Commander Sears was then excused
"a c,oronoarder Mason was called as the hrst ne"
witness of the day. Regarding the siege OF lien
fuesos he said that on the frst day OF 'le' a. Ht
rival the vessels kept in column, anu -
sundown steamed in slowly 10 within z'"'' VI 49,
wards of the entrance and then sheered OUT 1i'eI
that the blockade was between three and seven
miles The squadron was kept steamng Slowly a.
all times but II occasionally dritted IN at nlSH'.
The torpedo boat Dupont arrived the norhlhs o1
the first day and that night performed picket
duty inside the squadron. Inc 'asuhe Was ''
picket duty the next night
Referring TO the blockade of Santiago. he SAID
that the vessels were In column, steamins slowly
Internationally to the north and south line Of the
harbor at a distance of from four to six miles
The custom was he said, ito steam certain
distance 10 the eastward turning in toward the
shore or out, and then TO the westward. the total
run being about two hours As the Brooklyn could
not steam slower than three knots, shouo say
that the length of the line would he from six to
eight and half miles-that is. three miles each
side Of the entrance"
Mr.. Rayner asked the witness how many times
he had seen Commodore Schley under fire. to which
he replied: During all the engagements.
What his general conduct. manner and
bearing on these occasions?" Mr.. Rayner asked.
scHLEY CALM UNDER FIRE
Excellent, in every particular He was calm,
collected and brave"
Asked for brief account Of the battle Of July 3.
Commander Mason, after giving the preliminaries.
said
When the he eadns orgr hP Of be t4e oT ago
What was done to the engines do not know, a.
though Impression is they were started at once once
in the coming tower, asked him him If we should
commence hring. He replied ~Flre as soon as a.
Lieutenant simpson the senior officer Of the for
@ Tab Of o & e yards s soon as hnk Ff fGe fRe 5 @
was fired within five minutes very close 10 five
aeTy took SdeG up 's the e e at and oontn@ed
fire on the port bow until the ranges commenced 10
Cook to which way he was going round. it being
the battery below shifting from one side 10 tho
other. He answered that he was going with FORT
Vent below AS arrived in the after cabin the
after 5-inch gun fired for the last time on the
immediafeiy The starboard battery then was en-
fhe S 1SF We e tuFned o as W far as was
about 400 yards, although have recollection OF
by way Of explanation, that the ranges were sent
70 me if I was near at hand; If not, they were
swinging AROUND the range went from too to 2 oC
and 1000 yards none OF our vessels aItel
the first signal alarm As 70 the position OF the
enemy. they were on the port bow outside Of the
At the end Of the turn they We're on our star
board beam and quarter, with one Of them little
ahead. The Maria Teresa very shortly after this
about the end of the turn, dropped astern and
sheered in for the shore the Oquendo f9loWine
and the Colon. made the statement a moment
ssuadron. 9GG' It was Just about this time saw the
Oregon coming out Of the smoke At After tbs tae
the vizcaya for some time. the Colon going ahead
OF her an ana on ne insde SO me @ Vl5eaya @ bI mhsy Ia
70 starboard II looked as If she was going to turr
and started ashore. After that we had a chase OF
@ er @ apee6 as Go2 6an wa a GHcR @ when 9T e
managed TO overhaul her.
On crcss-exa anination Commander Mason said ht
had not made the coal supply his especial concern
He had not discussed the question with the Com
modore, nor had he any conversations with him or
any other official matters. He that the
Brooklyn not particularly short Of coal
After the turn Of the Brooklyn the lowest range
was tyventy-three or twenty-four hundred yards
The starboard 5-inch guns had been slightly de
ranged by previous engagements, rendering IL diff
fcult to elevate them, but this defect had beer
remedied by the ingenuity of the men, and none
Of the guns were put out Of action. though the
rapidity of the fire reduced
The court asked number OF questions before dis
charging the witness. In reply Commander MasoT
said that beyond sending men aioft and having
Captain McCala go ashore no effort had been made
by the Flying Squadron to determine whether
the Spaniards in the harbor al Cenfuegos
that he knew Of no American ships being between
the Brooklyn and the Spanish ships when the
Brooklyn turning to starboard July 3: tha
when the Spanish feet came out Of the harbor tht
Brooklyn was near her regular blockading posi-
tion which was six thousand yards from the Moro
that the voyage from Cienfuegcs 10 Santiago
the fleet had been delayed by the smaller vessels
especially the Eagle and that but for those vessels
better speed could have been made; that he had OBJ
served the bombardnent OF the Colon from the fore
tnn Of the Rrnnklvn as she Law coalng seyera