The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-30
SCHIEY DEFENDS HIS
RETROGRADE MOVEMENT
Admiral Gives His Reasons For Turning Back From
the Blockade Of Santiago.
Closely examined Regarding the Ability the Flying Squad
ron to Take on Coal.

court of inquiry today. The progress
made was exceedingly slow. Practically
the whole day was consumed in ques-
tioning the admiral about the cruise
from Cienfucgos to Santiago and the
motives and Influences that governed
him in turning back after his squadron
had arrived in the vicinity Of the latter
port This l4tter branch of the cross
examination had not been concluded
when tie court adjourned.
The blockade at Santiago. the recon-
noissance on May 81 and the battle of
July still remain to be covered It
IS hardly probable that the judge ad-
vOcate can conclude before adjourn
ment tomorrow. After he finishes quite
a humber Of questions prepared by the
members OF the court viii be SUBJ
mitted.
The Judge advocate. in conducting
the cross examination. used a carefully
prepared typewriter list of questions.
They called for comparison OF state
ments Admiral Schley has made either
In his direct testimony. in his COM
munic6tion TO the senate or in his dis
patches to Admiral Sampson or the
navy department. with the testimony
o. witnesses who have preceded him
and the logs and signal books CT the
other vessels o. the fleet. The questions
were not asked in chronological order,
buJ jumped from one subject to an
other. and from one stage of the cam
paign to another.
Retains His Composurs.
Throughout the strain to which the
witness naturally was subjected while
under examination. the admiral re-
tanned his customary conDosure. Only
once or twice did he display impa-
thence or WEAKNESS. At one point.
when asked a question. he replied that
he had been asked The same question
yesterday. at the same time telling
what his reply had been then. On an
aHa.
searchingly Intercepted as to his dis
tances from shore at CienfueRos, and
as 70 whether tire distances were a
matter of record, he responded, rather
tartly:
"Oh. I did net know tI.ey ever would
become matter OF such great import
ance. or ] should have plotted them
and made memorandum. as I should
have Of many ether things"
fhe main points to which the cross
examination was directed today were
the ability of the shi,4s 70 coal off
CienfueEos. and the reasons for what
is known as the "retrograde move
ment."
Cause of Retrograde.
The latter point was dwelt upon with
much emphasis and detail, and had not
Deem disposed of fully when the court
adjourned. The admiral gave three
reasons for turning back First. the
state fnent Of Captain SiCsbee. who
comt Banded the scout ship St Paul.
that 3the enemy was NOT at Santiago.
second. he opiniOufOf Nunez. the pilot
'n'i NJ y tFdnCe was too narrow and
-fOW Tor the Spanish fleet to enter
ana. third, the ambiguity Of the de-
purfments telegram.
IN the course of the cross-exan,ina
ton the admiral said he regarded the
departments dispatch as a suggestion
rather than an order. a suggestion
which he carried out after the sea had
a.lf tod rrFH
had been replenished.
Position of Elockadine Fleet
Concerning the blockade of Cienfie-
COS. Captain Lemly asked Admiral
schley how he estimated the distance
or the olockading fleet to be between
three and four miles from shore.
IN the daytime / took q bow and
beam bearing. This. together with the
surf and the land. seemed to confirm
mat that distance was correct"
Tbs admiral. in answer to another
question BY Captain Lemly. said He
mad plated the dis-snce on chart
1or his own Information. He did not
y know this would ever become a matter
! pL Such Importance. otherwise he
houid have kept the memorandum as
,.ould have kept a great many 9TH
Admiral schley said he kept a close
watch at day and at night while awake
while or Cienfuegos. He said he had
near the entrance to the harbOr as
testified TO BY Lieutenant Griffin. The
witness had an indistiact recollection
.f having seen the mast or perhaps the
top OF pipe over the hills. He saw
nothing larger coming near the mouth
OF the harbor than an ordinary steam
launch.
Reads from the log.
In response to a request from Can
iaia Lemly. the witness read extracts
ftom the Broollyn's log with the view
nI showing mat the admiTars memory
haI been at fault when he had stated
Eat the feet Das closer in at night
than during the day. The admiral Rad
also testified hat the set Of the cu-,
rent was toward the share. The log
showed that at various times the
s4uedron had steamed in as well as
cut
captain Lemiy called his attention
10 the log on the following day. Nav
o. and asked him whether these en- .
tries in the log should not show that I
tho ships steamed both in and out.
Yes" replied the witness. but as
tne CGtries DO not show the speed IL
IS Impossible to tell the distance. We
usually stestmed as slowly as possible.
simply kePS Storage way
Had ,ervera's fleet appeared dur
ing the nights you were at CfenfueZos.
either comjnS out or coming in from
seward whef. under your instruc-
lions. would your fleet have done7'
Knocked hem out" a sir in
courtl
"What were your instructiols?"
ITO follow the ag-instructions Civ.
en- at Hampton Roads"
What were your 4nstructions2''
There we're none. I do not consider
that the regulations or customs re-
quired writer Instructions"
Follow the Flag.
us It not the unwrif zen law at sea
that the vessels in squadron shall fol-
'Yes. except under certain circum-
stsnces
What circunstances2
''xVe9. q vessel might see one OF the
enemv's ships drop out and follow to
ettack her. That mighx be one OF the
cfvums tances.
IN respeus~ IT, other questions. Ad-
miral Schiey said there We're three or I
four boats stretched across the harbor
at Cienfu sszos.
Captain Lemly called the attention
OF the witness to the fact that in his
formar testimony he had said that
Iaeuttnant Wood had reported him as
speaking disrespectfully II Admiral
Sampson. called him captain. The ad-
niral replied that he might have got Z