The age-herald., 1901-10-10
Potts TestiRes Admiral Wanted to Get Out as Soon as
 Possible
ORDER FROM LONG QUOTED
Admiral Sampson Was Told Not To Expose His Vessel to the Fire Of Formidable Shore
 Batteries.

Washington, October 9.-In the Schley naval court of inquiry today Lieut. M L. Bristol completed his testimony begun and three new wit nesses were introduced. They were Rear Admiral Henry c. Taylor, who, as captain, commanded the battleship Indiana during the war with Spain; Lieutenant Commander Templin M. Potts, who was navigator of the battle ship Massachusetts during that period, and Lieut.. Edward L. Leiper, who was on the New Orleans during the war, the last-named being still on the stand when the court adjourned for the day.
 Admiral Taylor related incidents of the battle off Santiago on July 8, in- cluding the Brooklyn's famous turn. He said that none of the Spanish ships made any effort to ram the American vessels when they came out of the harbor at Santiago. Commander Potts testimony dealt especially with the bombardment of the Colon.
 Under Great Excitement.
 Answering a question from Judge Advocate Lemley as to the conduct of Commander Schley during the engage ment, he said it was that of a man laboring under great mental excite ment and of man who was anxious to discharge as soon as possible dis agreeable duty. Lieutenant Leiper ex- pressed the opinion that the Spanish shore batteries at Santiago had not been at any time formidable.
 During Commander Potts examination MT Rayner secured permission from the court to introduce as evidence the or der of Secretary Long to Admiral Samp- son, dated April 6, in which he was ad- monished against the exposure of the American vessels to the fire of strongly fortified ports. The paragraph in that or der. which he especially wished to have considered, read as follows:
 .'The department does not wish the ves- sels of your squadron to be exposed to the fire of the batteries at Havana. Sam tiago de Cuba, or other strongly fortified ports in Cuba, unless the more formidable Spanish vessels should take refuge with in those harbors. Even in this case the department would suggest that rigid blockade and employment of our torpedo boats might accomplish the desired ob- feet, viz: the destruction of the enemy's vessels without subjecting unnecessarily our own men-of-war to the fire of the land batteries"
 The dispatch also contained the follow ing order:
 "The department further desires that in case of war you will maintain strict blockade of Cuba. particularly at the ports of Havana. Mantanzas and. If pos sible. of Santiago de Cuba, Manzanillo and Cienfuegos."
 contradicts Admiral SchIey.
 Lieutenant Bristol who was on the stand when court adjourned yesterday was questioned by Mir. Rayner concerning the distance out of the blockading ships ct Cienfuegos, but he declined to change his estimate of yesterday, that 1t was from eight to ten miles distant from the harbor
 Mir. Rayner said: q will read you Com modore Schleys report as to the block ade at Cienfuegos. He says: "A line of blockade was established about four miles off shore and at night an in-shore line was maintained, consisting variously of the Scorpion, Dupont and Castine. The last named vessel arrived on the 23d con- veying the Merrimac. If you are right the Commodore has stated what has not occurred when he says: A line of block ade was established about four miles off shore at Cienfuegos That is not a correct statement of the Commodore's, is it?'
 "The statements I made are what thought and what believe to be right. do not question other peoples words,
 ''Now refresh your recollection with an official report. The statements you have made are that during the daytime the squadron lay off Cienfuegos some four to six to ten miles, and during the night from eight to ten miles. Without ques- tioning either Commodore Schley or your self when read you his official report, do you still stand on your statement about six to ten milesf"
 ''I have to stand by my st tatement."
 MT. Rayner also interrogated Lieuten ant Bristol concerning his estimate made soon after the arrival of the fleet at Sam tiago, that the Spanish shore bait cries amounted to but little. He said yester- day that the elevation of these batteries were from 15o to 200 feet. MT. Rayner pro- duced a chart to show that the Moro battery was 22o feet above the water line and the zecapa battery 250 feet
 Nov. then" asked MT. Rayner, 'are you as positive about the distance you gave here as in other cases in which you have given distancesr'
 LemIey Enters Objections.
 Captain Lemley objected to the form of the questions, saying that counsel was putting language in the mouth of the witness which he did not use.
 Mir. Rayner then made objection to the. Aferruptionc and after stating this ob-