The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-23

| own use.
 | The witness said that as the log giving the account of the Brooklyn's turn had at first been prepared, 1t read: We engaged with port battery at first, but just as soon | as the enemy stood to westward. we put our helm starboard at first,' then hard l aport so as to bring our starboard bat | tery to bear. and swinging clear of the l Texas fire, we stool parallel with and to l the enemy"
 This entry, he said, had been changed at the instance of Lieutenant Hodgson SD as to make it read as it does in the per- | manent copy, as follows: l As soon as the enemy stood to west ward. we put our helm aport, swinging clear of the Texas, etc" George Edward Graham, the Associated Press correspondent, was then called. He said he was on the Brooklyn from March | 18th to August 20th, 1898. Did you see Captain Sigsbee on board the Brooklyn on May 26?' Yes, sir"
 I Did you hear him in conversation with Commodore Schley?" "Yes, sir; after he had reached the quarterback from the gangway he stop | ped and Commodore Schley said to him: | Have you got 'em, Sigsbee" Sigsbee | said: No, they are not here have | been here for a week, and they are not l here.'"
 We then went aft, further back on | the quarter deck. and he continued the | conversation. Schley said: Are you sure 1 they are not in there" Sigsbee said: I have been very close to the harbor en- trance two or three times. Captain Cot | ton has been in and cut cable, and they | are not there.'"
 You heard Sigsbee say that?" 'Yes. sir. I took some part in the | conversation
 Did you record that conversation, and did Captain Sigsbee know you recorded | it?"
 "Captain sigsbee knew that I was a newspaper man and was there looking for information, and Captain Sigsbee later took a dispatch written by me and vised | by Commodore Schley. He took 1t aboard l his ship and he was to deliver 1t to one of the small boats or else take it over | himself"
 And Captain Sigsbee took that dis patch?'
 "Yes. sir. It was open; it detailed the fact that the fleet was not there.'' 1 Do you remember the reconnaissance of May 31?"
 "Yes, sir. was aboard the Massachu- setts."
 Were you present at any conversation between Commodore Schley and Captain | Higginson in the pilot house of the Mas | sachusetts?"
 "On the Brooklyn I heard they were going in to bombard and the flag would be transferred to the Massachusetts. asked permission to go aboard the Mas | sachusetts with the Commodore. He had | just given peImission to MT. McCauley to | go, and. turning to me, he said: l "I don't think you had better go think you can see 1t better from the | Brooklyn' She was then coaling He | said that they did not intend to do any l thing except to find out what the hatte- ries consisted of I kept urging him to let me go, and he finally consented"
 Now tell me regarding the conversa- ton between Commodore Schley and Cap tain Higginson."
 There was some discussion about what the Spanish fleet had brought with them. I, A report was current that they had
 brought arms and ammunition for the de- i fense of Havana, and there was also a
 discussion as to whether they had time
 to mount them, or whether any ships in
 the harbor prior to the arrival of the fleet had taken any large guns and
 mounted them. The two officers smoked
 their cigars and chatted over it. Commo- ddre Schley said his idea was to go in about 1000 or 75O0 yards and fire, simply to draw their fire. So far as I remember, Captain Higginson acQuiesced in that. Later MT. Potts came in."
 Were you in the presence of COmmo- dore Schley during the whole of this re- connoissance of the Massachusetts?
 "Only part of the time. At times I was behind the coming tower and he was on the other side of it.'
 l Did you see Lieutenant Potts on board the Massachusetts"
 He came into the pilot house during the conversation and took some part in it."
 At this point MT. Raynor read to the | witness portion of the testimony given | by Mir. Potts. wherein he had referred to the conversation between Commodore Schley and Captain Higginson as to go- ing in for the bombardment, and asked: | Were you present at that cOnversation?" | No" answered the witness, that con- versation must have been when they stepped outside the pilot house. Potts was in there a short time with us''
 Did you hear any of the conversation?"
 "Only that the range was between 1000 and 7.500 yards"
 That was the only remark you heard made by the Commodore when Potts was present."
 "I don't think the Commodore made the remark. My impression is that Captain Higginson made the remark to Potts"
 Were you present at any conversation | at all between Commodore Schley and Lieutenant Potts. or were you present at any time when Commodore Schley made any remarks during each time Potts was present.? ".:.: l "No, sir. I followed them right out of | the pilot house and down to the coming tower. I did not hear any conversation of that kind" -" ...:
 Lieutenant Simpson told of the battle of | July 3. saying:
 The Colon was In the neghborhood of, roughly speaking. six miles ahead of us. She continued to gain, but later We held l her. The Oregon came along with us, and got pretty near up abeam. Then as our steam came up our speed increased. We still held her and finally commenced gaining on her and the Oregon. Nine | thousand yards was the elevation of my forward guns. I was ordered occasional ly to try a shot at the Colon simply for
 range using armor-piercng shells, be- cause l had very few common shells left 1 at that time.
 "We would try a shot at her, and it would fall short. Then the Oregon would | try shot, and there was wig -Wagging | going on between the vessels as to the | results of the fall of the two shots. Final l Iy my range decreasing and firing not at | will. but by order. 1 was told to try again. | I tried at the Colon at 6,S00 yards. and I saw the splash of my prOjectile on the other side of her. l jumped out of the turret to ask permission to fire another shot immediately at 6.100 yards. Before they gave me permission, or I had a chance to do it. the oregon fired one of her 13-inch guns and that also went over | her Then the Colon turned in, ran to 1WHV