The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-09-25
SCHLEY ANXIOUS
ABOUT COAL SUPPLY
Rear Admiral Cotton Gives Important
Testimony--Why the Squadron Re-
turned to Key West.

the battleships and protected cruisers OF
the BROOKLYN and New York class l said
thinking OF the fact thai my own ship
had been there and WAS of some izw~
tons displacement and nearly GOO feet IN
length, possibly under favorable condi-
tons YOU might ba able to coal the large
ships there, one at time. But the area
of deep water for the anchorage Of large
ships IL SO little there ~ was not pracu-
cable 10 coal at the very utmost more
than one large ship at time, and IN case
the weather became bad she would imme-
diately have 10 go to sea. ! was ANXIOUS
while I was there with the Harvard. on
account OF her size and I would have left
al once In case bad weather had come on
As | remember. / recoliect no quainca-
lion AZ TO Gonaives channel
WAS anything said al this time about
going to hey West for coal
Returning 10 what ! said with refer
ence TO the difficulty which Commodore
Schley stated to me. he had had In get
ting coal on board of any OF the ships
at Cienfnegos. he said he was very anN-
ious The coal supply was getting short,
The. weather WAS bad and IL had been bad
almost continuously.
A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
"ft was very serious problem as to
how or whether he could possibly get
said n he found the weather did not
improve and he found Il impracticabe 10
coal there he could only see one resort.
and that was he would be compelled 10
return 20 Key West IN order TO suppl
his ships with coal Having that aies-
,lon In view he was apprehenstye and es-
pecially as 10 the Texas.
lie did not even know AZ That mssinrNt
whether she had on board sufficient coal
10 enable her 10 return 10 Key West
During my visit he gave an order Ia
make signal. a general signal A. J re-
member IL. not limited 10 the rying luad-
ron alone to report whether the ships had
sufficient coal 90 reach Key Nes' rms
signal was made. or a; least ! assume u
was made At all events during my
presence with Commodore SchleY he re-
cefved report To- the effect that all the
ships. including the Texas. had sn1iiclcnt
coal to return Ia Key West
RETURN TO KEY WEST
81 think the commodore was very much
relieved when he received this informa-
tion shortly afterward should say
within a few minutes. he directed sia =
nal 10 be made preparatory far the ships
To return 20 Key West. The order vas
given in general way ] cannot give
the words OF the order. but what l have
stated was the purport
w ME \ WAS sun lNtlr Nv iN'tiNfN ~
report 10 the effect that the signals were
ready Before I left shin he ordered sig
nails 10 be made for ships TO form pre-
paratorv for steeming 10 Key West
ITO go back = bit--l had Informed Conf
modore Schley that II wes utterly impos-
sible for the Harvard To get anywhere
excspt TO Kingston had not sunicient
coal 10 get to Key West and he NerballN
authorized me 90 proceed At once 10
Kingston 10 receive such amount or cos
az / could get there sufficient TO enable
me 10 return to the nearest United states
port left the Brooklyn about noon,
possibly 2 few minutes before. lmmedi-
ateiy after my departure the BrooklNn
commenced Steaming ahead. and noted
that many of the shlps ~ that moment
under Commodore SchleNs command
were IN motion. presumably preparatory
To taking their stations I'm steaming order
10 return 20 Key West. As soon as re
turned to my own ship. after my boat
was hoisted 7 steered TO the southwest
for Kingston a.,
"Did YOU state I'm specific terms that
won agreed with Commodore SchieN a. 10
the difficulty of coalinHP
THE question was not discussed, ana /
eynresSed no opinion,
"Did this conversation occur before or
after the dispatches which You TOOK
aboard had been read by the commander
in-chief2
After