The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-22
THE SCHLEY INQUIRY
NOTHING SENSATIONAL IN THE
TESTIMONY AS YET.
GUAM'S GOVERNOR TESTIFIEs.
HIGGINsoN AND HARBER AGAIN ON
THE STAND.

Colon and in PatrOlling Santiago
Ray Gone Into in Much Detail.
Commandant Schroeder Thought
Better Time Might Have Been
Made From CienfuegOs and That
the Attack on the Colon Might
Have Been Conducted Differently.
Washington, Sept. 21.-Only one new
witness was introduced to-day to the
naval court which is investigating the
conduct of Admiral Schley during the
Spanish war. This witness was Com
mander Seaton Schroeder, who was ex-
ecutive officer of the battleship Massa-
chusetts during the war and is now
governor of the island of Guam. His
testimony dealt with the cruise of the
Flying Squadron from Cienfuegos to
Santiago and the bombardment of the
Spanish ship Cristobal Colon as she
lay in the harbor at Santiago on May
81. The commander said that the
cruise was not as expeditions as it
should have been. He also said that
fleet had not acted as deliberately as
the commander in chief had announced
it to be his purpose to have it act.
While Commander Schroeder was CIV
ing his testimony Judge Wilson, coun-
sci for Admiral Schley, sought to have
him make a comparison of the distance
of the fleet from the shore under Ad
miral Schley with the distance under
Admiral Sampson after the latter Off
Ger arrived and took command, but
the judge advocate objected and Mr..
Wilson withdrew the question, saying,
however, that he did so temporarily
and that he would raise the point at a
later stage in the investigation.
The first witnesses called was Capt.
Harber, executive officer of the Texas
during the Spanish war, who was on
the stand when the court adjourned
yesterday. %
Harber Differs with SchIey.
The judge advocate asked no ques-
tion OF him and he was immediately
turned over to Mr.. Rayner of counsel
for Admiral Schley, who questioned
him concerning his statement made
yesterday to the effect that he did not
recall that there was any picket line
eStdDIlSH6Q the IilC Ol UfOChetuS
at Cienfuegos. A report by Admiral
Schley was read to the effect that a
picket line had been maintained, but
the witness declined to change his
statement.
Asked if the Brooklyn had not, ON
May "a, signalled the Texas to go
alongside the collier and coal, he said
he did not recall anything of the kind.
Mr. Rayner read the signal message
as follows:
go alonside the collier and coal as
rapidly as possible" but no amount OF.
pressing could bring the witness to
say that he remembered the incident.
He had, he said, very little to do with
the signalling.
Capt. Harber was also questioned
closely concerning the rate of speed of
the fleet on the sail from Cienfuegos
to Santiago on May rs.
He said the weather was fresh and
the sea moderate; that it was hard for
small vessels, but it was nothing
much" He thought the Texas could
have made from ten to twelve knots.
Mr. Rayner had the witness read
from the logs of the Massachusetts,
the Iowa, the Brooklyn, and other ves-
sells concerning the weather at that
time. Mr.. Rayner read a report from
Capt. Higginson, saying that the
weather ndQ DSGn anu SQuduy
on the 25th. Capt. Harber stated that
the report of Capt. Higginson was not
borne out by the log book of his ship.
TT does not correspond with the log"
he said, and he added that having
given his best recollection concerning
the weather. he thought Mr.. Rayner
had an ulterfor motive in his ques-
tions. Mr.. Rayner said that he had no
such end in view.
Capt. Lemly objected to the exami
nation of Capt. Harber on the record
of ship which he had had no part in
preparing.
The court retired to consider the
point
After an absence of ten minutes the
court returned and sustained the OBJ
lection that the witness could not be
examined upon the log of the Massa-
chuSetts.
Capt. Harber maintained that it was
his recollection as stated yesterday
that the fleet was further out at night
than in the day time.
When his attention was called to
contrary statement by Admiral Hig-
ginson the witness said that it was not
material to him what any other man
had said.
"Then you object to having your
memory refreshed?" said Mr.. Rayner.
"I said nothing of the kind" replied
the witness. II am here to give my
testimony and l object to being spok-
en- to in the way you speak to me-"
Admiral Higginson, who preceded
YOU on the stand" said Mr.. Rayner,
testified that the blockade of Admiral
Schley cruised nearest at night than
day. Now, do you still maintain that
you did not cruise nearer at night than
during the day."
Certainly j gave you my estimate"
Texas Had "A Collision.
Capt. Parker asked: you did some
coaIing on May q and 2s?"
"On the night of the 9th and morn
ing of the 2Sth."
"Did not, in the course Of that coal
ing, the collier spring leak because
of a collision with the Texas?"
'You could not call it springing
leak. The plates were indented and in
the Texas very little water came
seeping through
$50 the sea at that time was bad
enough to cause the vessels to col
lide?"
1.-The inference, sir, is quite wrong.
That was due to a float which we put
I'm between the vessels, and did not
notice that 1t was just abaft the arm
or belt. The float consisted of square
timbers."
THAT would have been worse in a
worse sea, and It was bad enough in
that sea2"
ssrr,,nartance told IL was not neces-