The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-11-01


ing some Of the Cuban insurgents. went
into the interior. He returned June 1sf
or End with detailed information or the
location OF the Spanish ships In b
harbor. .I sent him." added Admiral
Schley ito the commander-in-chiefs
with that information
Admiral Schiey said he regarded h
orders OF the department concerning
the probable presence OF the Spanish
feet at Santiago as more OF q ugges
ton than q mandatory order. He Con-
sidered hat IL would take only o little
while to get back In any event. Also
he repeated that the proper military
mancuver would be to proceed vest
ward toward the bases ut Havana and
Key West
ARRIVAL At SANTIAGO
He had arrived with the squadron on
Santiago at about I O'Clock q. m, Nay
18th. he said. ana had ken up IN
position i've o. six miles out. afteE-
wards holding the feet In formation
day and night. He had on TIA first
night sent ms Marhiehead closer In
with instructions % keep close watch
on the mouth Of the hartor. That
night he had. he said. noticed thu sig
nails on the shore known rs biinkers.
and he had also observed at that time
lights on = lower plane which ne had
since became convinced were from the
Colon lying In the harbor. The next
day be a discovered the presence @
that Spanish vessel there as he had
also that Of Others OF The enefny's wa
vessels. He sai hat when he had
thus secured irrefutable proof OF the
fact that the vessels were there n
old Captain Sigsbee OF the fact. that
officer expressed surprise that such was
really the fact It was ut this period
III he sent his dispatch tn the depart
ment giving absolute ~forTnatto OF
the presence OF the Spaniards. and SiES-
bee had carried This message TO Mole
St. Nicholas.
BLOCKADE OF SANTIAGO.
Admiral Schley said that after locat-
ing the fleet in Santiago he formed the
blockade in the only way he believed
such a small squadron could be utilized
for such duty. The ships were In
column broadside on to the entrances OF
the harbor so that n simple turn OF the
wheel would bring them in line IL the
enemy appeared. He called the zap
tains of the ships aboard and explained
his idea Of the blockade to them and
also his general plan of attack. His
plan was to attack the head OF the
column first and cripple each in turn.
The picket boats were to be used as
torpedo boat destroyers. The ships were
TO maintain steam so as To be capaDte
of twelve knots. The fleet steamed
EeaGh anu LOTIn btAofs Va NAA@
harbor. MORO castle he thought, was
at no time more than five miles away.
He Judged this by the distinctness with
which he could see the surf. The bot
toms OF all his ships were foul. perhaps
n knot or a knot and a half slower
than they should have been.
The admiral explained how the fleet
teamed back and forth using the bold
headlands at night TO determine their
position, with the picket boats always
inside. Every night except when rain
squalls occurred. and they were usually
brief. the admiral said. he could see the
pickets either with the naked eye or
with night glasses. He never went TO
bed without looking for them and there
was not a night when he could not dis
tinguish the land and the MORO.
In concluding his description OF the
blockade that had been maintained the
admiral said: That ii was sufhcient
is shown by the fact that during Its
existence no vessel entered or escaped
from the harbor."
Reconnaissance OF MAY sfst.
Coming to the reconnaissance Of May
31st, Admiral Schley said: Ion the
31st. while the Brooklyn. the Marble
head and the Texas were coaling L
transferred my flag to the Massachu-
sets and determined that j would de-
velop the Notifications. h general be-
llHl WAS lTdI dlA VI II SodAAtA bE&~
were very heavily fortified. 1 deter
mined to go in and take advantage OF
what I believed to be the longer range
of our guns and develop fully what
these defenses were. and, incidentally.
if we could get a shot int the Colon
that was lying exposed somewhat, TO
do il. I think We were lying In a po-
sition perhaps four or five miles to the
westward. The steaming in was at
slow speed. | transferred my fiag.
named 1000 yards and went on board
the Massachusetts.
When I boarded the Massachusetts
it was near the dinner III and Cap
tain Higginson suggested that we pont-
pone Until ] o'clock the going in to de-
velop these batteries. / assented TO that
After the meal we went TO quarters
and steamed in pretty nearly head on
There was not much opportunity Tor
ANYBODY to seek cover behind a turret
unless he got behind the protecting
plate which was a guard TO h en-
trance to the rear"
SCHLEY DID NOT TAKE COVER
Once on board he had, he said. en-
gagged in a conversation with Captain
(now admiral) Higginson. Il was not
excited he went on, nor nervous. for
/ need not have undertaken the recon-