New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-01
EVANS HURTS SCHLEY.
NC EVJDENCE TENDS TO SUP
PORT THE PRECEPT
- TELLS OF THE BROOKLYN'S LOOP,
,vn SAYS SHE ENDANGERED THE
TEXAS DECLARES CHART OF
caNTIAGO FIGHT is WRONG.
fay TELEGRAPH TO THE rR1BUNE.I

,,-ost;reron. Sept 30.-Rear Admiral Evans,
vas the most important witness before the
c,,ev court Of inquiry to-day. gave testimony
= x,nnort of nearly all the articles of the
lent along which the conduct of the COM
a,ding officer Of the Flying Squadron has
so., criticised His evidence tended to confirm
a.. ,nnnression that a depiorable state of affairs
listed in the squadron. from the strict military
lint of view; that the Commander-in-Chief did
.o+ seek the advice of his captains: that coun-
NJ If war were never held. and that at least
we NJ the captains had no great confidence in
his senior onncer.
Evans cleared away number of the obscure
,,c.s bearing upon the campaign which had
h.e7ed schley's partisans and opponents up to
.h;s time He took sealed dispatches from
Soonson to Schley which Schley said he never
On, Evans explained to-day that he did not
deliver them in person when he got to Glen
+,egos. because he had injured his right arm
an the voyage and 1t was bandaged to his side.
: He tntrusted the envelope to his executive off,
cer Commander Raymond P. Rodgers. who
went to the Brooklyn and presumably deliv-
cred it.
Evans admitted that Captain Chadwick gave
him In writing the code of communication with
the insurgents at Cienfuegos before he left Key
West but he supposed Schley also knew 1t. 1t
ether cantains Of the squadron did not know
ali about t. Notwithstanding Schley's signal to
,he fleet. which the Iowa had to have repeated.
that Cervera was thought. for several specified
reasons. to be in the harbor OF Cienfuegos.
ITnon this point alone was Rear Admiral Evans s
testimony materially shaken on cross examina-
ton He disclaimed any necessity for the Iowa
10 leave Santiago almost soon she reached
there and was emphatic that there was no oc-
casion for his ship to start back to Key West.
He did not regard the attack on the Colon as
at all serious, and saw no reason why the recon-
Nuisance could not have been safely made at
much less range.
His description of the Colon incident threw
plenty of new light that article OF the pre-
cept and his description of the Brooklyn's loop
and its effects. we'll as Of the part the Brook
lyn subsequently took in the chase of the Colon
on July g. was extremely entertaining. He de-
cared that the chart of the navigators showing
the positions and periods of the battle of July }
was all wrong. subsequently modifying this
Characterization by leaving out the word all
As showing the relations existing between
himself and Schley, Evans told how he went
aboard the Brooklyn two days after the battle.
and as he entered the cabin the Commodore
patted him on the shoulder and said: Bobby,
am just writing my report and I'm saying you
handled your ship with consummate Skill
Another witness to-day was Captain Jewell
Of the scout Minneapolis who said he did not
give information TO the Flying Squadron war
rantng the belief that the Spanish fleet was
not in Santiago Harbor, and who had never
been asked for information the subject. He
admitted that his ship could barely have reached
Key West, and that her machinery was in bad
condition. E@
The remaining witness was Commander Miller
Of the Merrimac, who SAID he was unceremoni-
ousy detached from his vessel at such short
notice, TO let her be used TO stop the entrance
TO Santiago. that he lost all his private records
and signal books. His evidence gave more COM
fort TO Rear Admiral Schley than that of any
witness up TO this time.
Captain Sigsbee will be the chief feature to-
morrow, after the completion of Rear Admiral
Evans's cross examination which is expected to
be severe