The sun., 1901-10-12
ADEVEY ON THES7AND
Nenhew Of Admiral Before the Schley
Court. -s.s.as .s..ss.ss
THE ATTACK ON THE COLON.
Witness puts Rnnge Of Fire at Nine
Thousand Five Hundred fnrds.
says ships on blockade Were
out Five TO Eight Miles.

Washington, Oct. 11.-After several /,
witnesses had been recalled In the !
Schley court for the purpose of cor I
recting their testimony Lieutenant j.
I'll. Holden was rcintroduced to con- $
time his examination.
Lieutenant Adelbert Althouse, for
merly watch and division officer on the
battleship Massachusetts, was then
called. lie detailed the movements OF
that vessel In connection with the n.y. ,
ing squadron. He said that at Glen
fuegos the vessels lay six to ten miles
out mt night, going nearer IN the DAY
time.
lieutenant Althouse said that on the
day of the bombardmcnt of the Cristo-
bal Colon lie had been in charge OF the
eight inch turret of the Massachusetts.
lie said that the ship had not been TO
exceed three minutes in passing the en-
trance TO the harbor on the first pas
sage and that only two shots were then
fired The instructions were to make
the range 1000 yards, but the shots fell
short, and the range Was Increased on
the return trip to $500 and then to w.
600 yards. Asked what was developed
as to the strength of the land batteries
by this reconnaissance, he said that to
HIS mind 1t was shown they were very
weak. In reply to question as TO
whether he had made any notes con
ccrning the engagement he replied:
'~No. We went In under instructions to
sink the Colon" His orders had been |
to direct his fire at that vessel.
When Lieutenant AlthOuSe was eX-
cuscd, Captain Lemly introduced as ev-
idcnce the reports made by Commodore
Schey to the secretary of the navy
of the engagement of May 81. In one
of these, dated June 3, Commodore
Schlcy said. Reconnaissance was in
tended principally to injure and de
stroy Colon The fire was returned
without delay by the heavy batteries
to the east ana to the west entrance.
large caliber, long range. Rcconnois-
snnce developing satisfactorily the pres
ence Of the Spanish squadron lying he
hind island near inner fort as they
fired over hill at random. Quite salts
fed the Spanish fleet is here"
Dewey's Nephew Called.
Lieutenant =. &. Dewey, nephew of
Admiral Dewey, who was watch oiii-
ccr on the Massachusetts. was the next
witness. He placed the distance of the
blockadng line under Commodore
Schley from the mouth of Santiago
harbor at from five TO eight miles, the
distance being about the same day and
night. There was, he said, no particu
lar formation of the vessels.
The examination on this point was as
follows:
Captain Lemly-When You were at
the western end of the blockade with
the leading vessel making the turn,
what orders were there for .attackin.
if you saw the enemy coming out Of
the entranceI
Il do not believe we could have seen
the enemy coming out. There We're no
orders | have any knowledge Of"
'.Why do You think you would not
have seen the enemy coming out il
such had been the case!'
"Owing to darkness and the distance
from the harbor For instance. whcI
we were at the western end of the lin,
The ships could have come out ant
stood 10 the eastward without our BE-
ing any the wiser unless they showed
lights"
How about the reverse of that prop
ositiony'
II think it would have been the sam,
in either case"
Captain Lcmly then asked: "Did yol
have any conversation with the com
mDnIiDp ntiirnr ff hn HVnp pnI
or any one in his presence in relation
to the fire on the Colon or otherwise?'
The Attack on the Colon.
Lieutenant Dewey replied: II wa
told shortly before we started into til
entrance that the commodore wishe
to see the tulrct officers in the pilo
house. | went to the piothouSe, an
the commodore said that he intende
To 20 in Il few moments and have
Try at the Colon ana that lie hoped W
would sink her | asked what spec
we would make and was told 'abo,
ten knots | remarked at the tim
that thought that was giving us yer
little chance at the Colon, as she woul
be in sight between the headlines onl
couple Of minutes and that the Smol
from the guns would probably maxi
cur fire very slow. TO the best of III
recollection the commodore stated "
would have to do the best we coul,
that the speed would be ten knots"
Describing the range at which he hH
fired his guns on that occasion, he sa
nj first it was 1000 yards under order
- and then he had increased it to %,
yards. but that all the shots fell shol
He said in reply TO questions that IL
Spanish shore batteries had not give
%& the American ships much trouble I
that occasion. "None from the Cole
came near" he said, but two or thr
shots from the batteries fell about Il
Massachusetts at the time, one passii
over It,"
S52a& What conclusion did YOU arrive
|4} as to the caliber of the shore guns:"
! zl Il did not think they We're of We
large caliber, not over inch"
H 3 In reply to a question by the court
to whether he was ordered To direct
fire on the Colon or on the batteries
# May 81 Lieutenant Dewey said til
W his orders We're to direct his fire ut [
and NiN1I l.