Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-10-10

i Admiral Taylor has the voice of n
Sunday-schO superintendent rather
| than that of the commander of a fight
| ing ship. 1t is soft and smooth and
he talks slowly and easily. He told
about the battle of Santiago in the
| TO use in the discussion of a social
event.
He became emphatic, however. when
he was asked if the Spanish warShip
attempted to ram the Brooklyn. He
declared he was watching them and
there was no move made by them that
he could see that indicated such an
attack. The witness WAS anita agOniStic
to Admiral Schley in all his answers.
Rayner endeavOred to show by the sig
nal book of the Indiana that Admiral
Simpson had signaled Taylor TO ac-
company him to Siboney, but that Tay-
lor had refused. saying that he be-
lieved there was going to be battle
and he wanted to befthere.
Judge Advocate Lcmly protested
against reading these signals. He said
that they did not pertain to the in
Quiry. Rayner asserted that they
were wanted to show that Schley was
commander-in-c at the time of the
battle Finally the matter was set
tied by Captain Lemly agreeing to re-
call the witness at any time Rayner
desired if il was found necessary to
put these signals in the record of the
inquiry.
Can you state generally in what di-
rectiOn the Brooklyn was headed when
You last saw herr asked the judge
advocate.
Not more than two points differ
ence from when l first saw her-ap-
parently not any difference; but can
say il could not have been more than
two points, and if she was headed as
raw her across the bows of the Texas.
she was not headed more than south
by west when l last saw her"
Did you see Cervera's vessels when
they came out of Santiago harbor?"
Yes. sir
What direction did they take first
after getting out. and how far outside
<he mouth of the harbOr were they
when they changed their direction?"
Their change appeared gradual.
porting their helms as they cleared
the mouth of the harbOr and proceed
ing. perhaps with change of course OF
one or two points at n time. until they
were in line parallel with the shore
Did you observe whether there was
any attempt on the part of any of these
vessels to ram any of the vessels or
the American squadron
Il observed that there wns no such
attempt"
He saw the cruiser Brooklyn but
twice at the commencement of the en-
gagement. and those times were not
at the beginning and execution of the
loop.
An Impor ant Order.
During Commander Potts eXamina-
the court to introduce as evidence the
order of Secretary Long to Admiral
Sampson. dated April Is. in which he
was admonished against the exposure
of the American vessels to the fire of
strongly fortified ports. The para
graph in tnat order which he especial
ly wished to have considered reads as
follows: THE department does not
wish the vessels of your squadron to
he exposed TO the fire of the batteries
at Havana. Santiago de Cuba. or other.
strongly fortified ports in Cuba. unless
the more formidable Spanish vessels
should take refuge within those har-
bors. Even in this case the depart
ment would suggest that a rigid block
ade and employment of our torpedo
boats might accomplish the desired OBJ
ject. viz: The destruction of the
enemy's vessels. without subjecting
unnecessarily our own men-Of-war to
the fire of the land batteries"
Lieutenant Edward f. Leiper. who
was on the New Orleans during the
war. followed Potts. He described the
engagement with the Santiago batter
les. saying that the first shot from the
Massachusetts had fallen outside the
Morro. and Notwithstanding the range
wsIS increased all the shots fell short
of the Colon. There were. he said, no
orders esther to fire at or to make OBJ
servationS of the batteries. But not
wfthstanding this he did fire at the
eastern batteries on his own RESPONSE
bility. He had personally aimed the
guns. but the distance was so great
that only the red line of earth could he
seen: neither guns nor men were dis
cernible.
One shot from the enemy fell thirty
or forty yards from the New Orleans.
The projectile was so small he had
been surprised that il reached such a
range All told. the firing of his YES
sci upon the Colon had not consumed
more than six minutes He thought
all the shots from the United States
ships had fallen short of the Colon.
The witness said he had seen no evi-
deuce of the presence of large or pow
erful guns in the shore batteries. and
was of opinion there We're none to ex-
ceed six inches in caliber.
The witness said that he had Sc
cured his most accurate idea of the
of the shore batteries by the
fact that on June II the New Orleans
had approached to within 1850 yards
of them. remaining for twenty min
utes and silencing them after four or
five minutes.
Lieutenant Leiper was still on the |
stand when the court adjourned for |
the day.
When to Drink Water.
Water is an aid in the process of &C. |
luiring flesh. but should not be taken |
~ ,,,1aIS Tho host tir,a 10