The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-11
NUMBER 1885.
SCHLEY COURT CROWDED.
Unusual Attendance at an UnintcF-
esting Session.


Admiral Dewcy's Nephew Called
The attendance at the Srhlcy Court of
Enquiry today was unusually large. there
being in the ncighborhood of 800 or more
spectators. the most Of whom were ladies
There We're present also several dclega-
tons composed of visitors 20 the city.
who remained throughout the afternoon
session There was nothing i'm the evil
denco to cause the lcast ripple of excite
ment. the q1estous and answers being of
the most routine character, covering only
points brought out many times preyi-
ousiy.
Mr. Rayncr today adopted new meth
Cd of procedure Three naval officers
were upon the stand. and or two of them
he asked no questions I'm croSs-cNalriaa-
tion, and ne had only few enquiries To
make Of ;he third.
Each Of the three witnesses repeated in
substance what has already uesn told 10
the Court many times before. Their tos-
timony related chiefly to the hIockadss of
CieEfuoEos and Santiago and to the re-
connoissance of May 81. Each said that
the shots fired at the Colon al fell short.
but they agreed quite generally as 70 the
ranges at which the projectues were dis
charged.
Nothing particularly new was brought
out in relation to any Of these matters
except that Lieutenant Boughter. who
was aboard the MarbIehead. one Of the
picket boats, said tina, he could not have
seen the Spanish ships escaping unless
they had turned to the westward at night
Had they gone 10 the east or south the
Marblehead wouId have been unable to
see them.
One Of the witnesses this morning was
Lieutenant Dewey, a nephew Of the Presi-
dent Of the Court lie described the re-
connoissance and said that ne had been
told 10y Commodore SChley that the yes
sels Wcre going in 10 Try 10 sink the Colon
Considerably more time than usual was
devoted this morning TO the correction of
testimony. Immediately after the session
began. 1t was accordingly close to l.
O'Clock before any evidence was introduc-
cd. The corrections made by the witness
es Of yesterday were not material as to
the facts. but in making them considera-
bic time was consumed
The MRSsHchusettS at CienfuegOs.
Lieut. Adelbert Althouse. the watch Of
icer Of the Massachusetts. was the first
witness called to give testimony. He
told Of the arrival Of the Massachusetts
at CienfuegOs and described the blockade
there. The Hawk arrived at Cienfuegos
on May q During May p, the witness
said, the squadron remained six or seven
miles out until about 1 o'clock I'm the
afternoon. Then the vessels steamed in
passing the entrance at a distance Of g. 900
or 1900 yards Then they steamed out
again about five miles, standing to the
southwest. and then TO the westward and
stopped at about $50 I'm the evening Dur
ing the night they formed in column
eight or nine. and possibly ten miles ont
On the following morning they went in
four or five miles, he said, and during
that day they laid around" at about that
distancC- That evening they again form
Cd IN column and steamed to the south
ward and remained six or seven miles out
The following day MAY 2D the Marble
head arrived. The witness said there
was a picket line
Q--State what effort If any. within
youl knowledge. as made to communicate
witt: the insurgents
A--No effort whatever that ] saw We
saw hreS on the beach 20 the westward
OF the entrance We did not know what
they were No effort was made To- com
municate that know Of
Vessels Approaching SantiuEo.
Q.-What progress was made toward
Santiago
Avery slow.
Q.-What kind Of weather.
A--On the 18th the weather was rough.
The squadron was delayed by the Eagle
The witness also said ne believed there
was some injury to the collier Merrimac
en- route. which made it necessary TO stop
for a short time.
O--Whaf D.. frer A-,.rf,,.- ---.
TO Santiago
Ave met no vvo5C1- until we arrived
twenty or thirty miles Off Santiago Then
we met the St Paul Yale. and the Mimi
eapolls- We arrived there about dusk
and communication was had with the
Brooklyn by these vessels
Q.-How do YOU estimate that distance
Of twenty or thirty miles south of San
Any recollection is from the chart
as / looked at IL then
The Merrimac Broken Down.
Q--Where did the vessels next proceed p
A.-They started that evening for Key
west but the next morning when /
woke up / found they had not proceeded
far, as the MeTrlmaC was broken down
and the Yale was ordered to take her in
tow. She did so and We proceeded fur
ther 20 the westward. The Brooklyn ask
ed the Texas II she could coal. and the
Texas said she could The Texas and
the MarbIehead COsled that evening NAV
%. The Texas continued 10 coal until il
OF y O'Clock on the following day About
O'Clock on the 9th we formed Ia column
and steamed back To Santiago. arriving
F. that evening We then laid around 0uf
Vol all formation The MarbIehead dis
covered the feet in the harbor and made
signals TO that effect TO the BROOKLYN.
Al s O'Clock we formed in column and
steamed past the entrance The Marble
head remained inside the line.
shots nj the Colon
Q.-How near the MORO did you go that
time2
A-Between five and six miles.
Q.-Hou Were on board the MasSachu-
setts on May 81, the date Of the affair
with the Colon2
Al was officer Of the dc-ll that after
noon. We steamed in about O'Clock from
the westward.
Q.-How far did you steam in?
A.-The speed was eight 10 ten knots.
and we steamed for about twenty-five
minutes.
ODD you have any Instructions from
the commauder-in-chief IN regard to FIR
ing2
A-AfteT We started IN I received a
message 20 the effect that the commodore
wished TO see the third officer ] went on
the bridge. but did not talk with the
commodore. He was present. however.
and 4 received my instruction from the
commanding officer We were 90 proceed
by the entrance at 7oG1 yards range. ten
knots speed ] asked N We were 10 steam
SO far and ne said yes, that that was the
order AS We steamed past my port bat
tery vas engaged We fired two shots
ZOO 10 5000 yards,
o.--S1ow l0u- while passing were YOU
- - ~. -Hs-H.H