River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-10-31

of the InterFogatiOns - Admiral
Asked to Explain His Alleged ViO-
Iation of Naval ReguIatiOns-De-
clares He Had "a Plan of Battle.
Washington. Oct. 29.-When the
Schley court of inquiry resumed its
sitting at IL O'Clock Monday, Admiral
ScbIey took the stand, and, after be-
| ing reminded by Admiral Dewey that
he was still under oath, continued
his testimony. When he left the
stand on Friday his examination in
| chief had been almost concluded, ana
when he resumed Monday it was with
the understanding that after com
paratiyely few questions had been
asked by Mr.. Rayner he would be
placed in the hands of Judge Adyo-
cate Lemly and Mr.. Hanna for cross
| examination Mr.. Rayner's questions
were again directed toward throwing
light upon disputed points in the con-
troversy, and most of them concerned
| conversations which various wit
nesses for the navy department had
reported as having had with the adj
miral. Before the adjournment on
Friday he had asked him about the
minority of these conversations and
the principal ones left for Monday
were those which were reported to
have taken place between Admiral
Schley and Admiral (then captain)
Evans, of the Iowa, and Commander
Sbarne. of the Vixen. The admiraPs
version of these interviews differed
considerably from that of the other
parties to them. The cross-examlna-
ton is evidently calculated to cover
quite an extended period of time.
The attendance was large Monday as
II had been every day since Admiral
schley went on the stand.
Evans Memory at Fault.
| Mr. Rayner asked Admiral Sehley re-
| oardirg alleged conversation with Ad-
mlraL then Capt. Evans, on July I or ?.
~ did have a conversation with him,
| RENTED the witness, but ! do not remem-
| her whether 1t was on the fourth or htth.
/ would say Of Capt. Evans, as have SAD
| of All the Others, I do not believe he would
willingly misstate l think his recoliec-
| tton is at fault He did have converse
tion with me in relation TO shooting the bow
off Of one of the torpedo boats and the
stern off another and putting his helm
astarboard and raking one ship ana theh
aport and raking another. My recollection
now Is that preliminarily he SAID 10 me-
Did YOU see Jack Philip start to run
away?"' and | said NO; that he was
mistaken 1t was the Brooklyn that made
the turn. and / asked him If he did not
see the tactical necessity for it,
Contradicts other Testimony.
Mr.. Rayner then called Admiral Schley's
attention to the testimony Of Admiral Tay-
lor who as captain commanded the battle-
ship Oregon during the battle off Santiago
and Capt. Dawson, who commanded the
marines on that vessel to the effect that
the Brooklyn, when she made the loop went
southwark a mile or mile and half
Il think they are entirely and absolutely
mistaken replied the witness.
THE Brooklyn did not pass to the south-
ward Of the line except the distance per-
haps Of her tactical diameter, which sure
w was not greater than 600 yards, and
from that time she steered a course par
allel to the Spaniards, and / do not think
we were over 200 or 400 Yards at any
time from the Spanish line / say emphat-
ically that the Brooklyn did not run south,
and any statement to the contrary IS
mistake"
Cross-Examination Begun.
court reverted to his narrative of Friday
and spoke of the hits on the Spanish squad
ron The Brooklyn, he testified, was the
only ship carrying fiye-inch guns. rec
ord Of the hits received by the enemy
| showed that rs per cent Of the hits scored
| hy the American feet came from those
| guns on the Brooklyn The Brooklyn re-
| ceived so of the q hits from the Spanish
| fleet or about 20 per cent With this state
| ment Admiral Schey concluded his direct
| testimony and the judge advocate then
| began the cross-eXamination He was
| asked first about the consultation with the
| commanders at Hampton Roads before the
! flying squadron sailed to the southwark
| in reply Admiral Schley said that Capts.
! Higginson, Jewell, Sands, Cook and Mark
were present, He explained that they had
| discussed the order of battle in case the
| Spanish feet was met and also the ques-
| ton of place below the war heads of the
over-water torpedoes.
WAS there any other consultation with
| the captains?'
Yves, off Santiago, for the purpose of
| explaining the formation of the blockade
| a..d the method of attack in case we met
the Spanish fleet
WAS there any prescribed order Of battle
in wrting?"
4 did not consider II necessary. We
| would fight the ships by signal
Was there time 10 place the order of bat
lie I'm writug?"
yes"
DO not the regulations prescribe that
the order of battle shall be reduced to writ
ing?"
Il do not recall"
Made nv Good Time aS Possible.
Admiral Schley said he and Admiral
| Sampson talked of many things Ii was
a rather iong conference. and he reiterated
that he could not recall whether Capt.