The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-11

They were followed by Lieutenant Ed ward F. Leiper. who had begun his testi- mony yesterday, but had not concluded when the court adjourned for the day. Lieutenant Leiper was an officer on the New Orleans and participated in the bom- bardment or reconnaissance of the Span- ish steamer Colon on May 31, 1898, the day before the arrival at Santiago Of Con- mander-in-Chie Sampson. He was also on the New Orleans when that vessel bombarded the Spanish shore batteries of Santiago. His testimony again today dealt with those events.
 The new witnesses on the list for today included Lieutenant Commander Schuetze, who was on the Iowa in the Santiago campaign; Lieutenant A. W. Grant, who was on the Massachusetts; Lieutenant Commander c. c. Marsh and Lieutenant E. L. Bennett, both of whom were on the New York, and Lieutenant J. H. Holden, who was on the Scorpion. Captain Chad wick, who was in direct command of Ad- miray Sampson flagship, the New York, and who was the Admirafs chief of staff during the war with Spain, is also ex- pected to arrive during the day and to give testimony and especially concerning the sending of dispatches to Commodore Schley when he lay off Ctenfuegos from May 22d to May 24th.
 Captain Cook, who occupied the same relative position toward Commodore Schiey that Captain Chadwick occupied toward Admiral Sampson, was also pres ent in the court room during the day, but he is not expected to testify until Admiral Schley begins to present his side of the case, he being one of the most prominent | of the Admiral's witnesses.
 Assistant Judge Advocate Hanna was not present in the court room today. He | was detained at his home by illness and the entire presentation of the case on | behalf of the Government was conducted | by Judge Advocate Lemly.
 Captain Parker of counsel for Admiral Schley, was also absent, having gone to his home in New Jersey.
 Captain Lemly resumed the questions of Lieutenant Leiper by asking him con- corning the blackade of Santiago by Com
 modore Schley. The witness said that when the New Orleans joined the block ade the vessels were lying in column from
 six to eight miles off shore, little to the
 eastward of directly south of the mouth
 of the harbor. At night they steamed
 slowly back and forth in front of the
 harbor 800 yards apart. They were so far out, witness said, that 1t was impos-
 sibIe to distinguish points on the shore
 or to determine where the shore line met 1.-the water line. He could distinguish the vessel nearest to him ahead.
 On the first night of the blockade he
 
 Brooklyn and the Vixen The Marblehead
 and the Vixen had occupied places be-
 tween the blockade line and the shore, but he had not been able to distinguish
 them. Practically the distances of the
 vessels from the shore line was the same in the day as at night He could not say how far east or west of the mouth
 of the harbor the fleet had steamed, as
 he could not see the harbor.
 | On cross-exe imitation, MT. Raynor call
 ed the attention of the witness to the
 statement of Captain Folger, who had been in command of the New Orleans. | that the fleet was nearer the shore at
 night than in the day. He asked whether ] he agreed with his comma nding officer. l The witness replied:
 | As a fleet or squadron. do not agree
 that they moved closer to the shore at
 night. I have an indistinct recollection | that the New Orleans, the first evening,
 was lying a little further off shore than
 the Brooklyn. When the Brooklyn took
 up her course east, the New Orleans had
 to go in probably a quarter or possibly
 half mile to get her position in rear of the Brooklyn, but it was no more than
 that. It was simply to stand in. It may
 have been that gave the captain or com l manding officer the impression that We
 were closer at night
 MT. Raynor called attention to the fact that the log of the New Orleans placed the distance of that vessel from the Nor TO at four and one-half miles, and the witness said that this was true. | Lieutenant Leiper said in further reply to questions that his estimate of the dis tance out was entirely due to visual ob- | St rVation. Asked whether he agreed with | Captain Folger in stating that the recon- roisance of May 21, when the Colon was be nbarded, was a success in developing the StraDpth nd nf GhOrp hat tories, the witness replied that he thought 1 1t had been success to that extent, but he could not agree with Captain Folger in all that he had said. He found that the fire of the batteries was slow. He also found that the greatest calihre probably was six-inch gun on the Zo- copa battery: that there appeared ro be only two or three guns; that on batteries east of Morro there appeared to be four | or five guns fired, and from the volume of smoke and the range attained, 1t appeared that they were light guns, less than six inch calibre.
 In response to Captain Lemly on re- direct. Lieutenant Leiper said that the distance to Santiago harbor was about eight miles at the point where the vessels turned at night.
 l The Judge Advocate: What really, as matter of fact, was developed by the
 affair of May Sl as to the strength or | weakness or the gunS?
 The witness replied: "As compared with the strength of the ships of the squadron.
 or as compared with the strength of the
 guns of any ship in the squadron. any of
 the battleships. the Brooklyn. New Or leans or Marblehead. the batteries were | weak
 Lieutenant Lelper was then excused and Lieutenant Bristol called for the purpose of correcting his testimony of l yesterday.
 | While Lieutenant Bristol was on the stand. Mir. Raynor read to him reports from Captain R. D. Evans. Ceptain Henry Glass and Lieutenant Wainwright Kel- logg. dated in 1895, saving that the stadi- meter. whose accuracy he had discred- | ited, is reliable within its range. | Judge Advocate Lemly then asked him:
 Does what you have heard read from these reports, made in 1895, and which do not appear to have been based upon &C., tual experience in action, change your views formulated upon your own practice | with the stadimeter and in actfon?" There is no change in my idea of the stadimeter. The stadimeter is an lnstru- | ment that is accurate at snort ranges, as I stated before. and becomes inaccu- rate at higher ranges I believe that ob- servatons taken in the heat of battle with all the smoke of battle are still more Inaccurate"
 i Lieutenant Commander Schuetze, who as lieutenant was navigator of the battle ship Iowa during the summer of 1898. and
 who is now superintendent of compasses
 Continued on Page Eight.