Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-10-26
LONG WARNED SCHLEY
Secretary Ordered Admiral to Be-
ware of Shore Batteries.
THE DEAR SCHLEW LETTER
Lieutenant Wells Says Admiral Was thorough
" Fearless and eIf-Possessed Brook
yn Fired at Short Range.

Wd6HlERtOn, OGA-
B. w. Wells, Jr., who was the flag
lieutenant Of Admiral Schley while
the latter was in command of the
flying squadron, occupied practically
the entire time Of the Schley court Of
inquiry yesterday On his direct ex-
animation he continued his narrative
of the Cuban campaign. Lieutenant
Wells was under cross examination for
about two and half hours, largely
at the hands of Mr., Hanna, whose
questions were directed mainly to the
dispatches received and sent by Adj
sniral, then Commodore, Schley. While
this line of investigation was being
exploited Mr.. Rayner, speaking for
Admiral Schley, said that the admiral
was willing to admit that he had re-
ceived the Dear Schley letter" ON
the Dupont, which arrived at Cienfue-
COS on May %, but he added that no
duplicate of this dispatch had even
been received by Admiral Schley. He
said also that the admiral admitted
the receipt of two copies of No. s,
Admiral SIMPSONS dispatch, saying
that the Spanish feet was probably
at Santiago, and telling Commodore
Schley, ''if satisfied that it (the Span.
ish feet is not at Cienfuegos to pro-
coed with all dispatch to Santiago"
one of these being received by the
Hawk on May 20, and the other by
the Marblehead on May "a. Lieuten-
ant Wells was still on the stand when
the court adjourned for the day, and
will continue his testimony today.
Captain Cook, who commanded the
Brooklyn during the Spanish war, was
the first witness. He was recalled at
his own request and made the follow
ing statement:
tIn my testimony I stated that the
Oregon on the morning OF July was
under all boilers, having shifted her
boilers from forward to aft. | stated
this from hearsay and presumed 1t
TO be correct as accounting for her
extraordinary speed. | find that she
had not shifted boilers that morning,
but that she had steam on all her
boilers at all times while in the San
tiago blockade"
I<lGulpHdHL WGllS lGSitHtu IEEil ulhA
the battle of July 3. He said he did
not remember the ranges at which the
Brooklyn fired, but thought LOO
yards was the shortest He described
the turn of the Brooklyn and the chase
after the Spanish ships When the
yiseaya ran ashore the Colon was
about 10, 900 yards ahead of the Brook
10
said that he had received orders to
get up a quantity of rapid-fire am
munition. Owing to the character of
the coast 1t was expected that the
Brooklyn and the Colon would come
TO close quarters. He was ordered to
have this ammunition ready to close
with the Colon and to give her rapid
fire when they got close together He
then described the rest of the chase
and the final surrender of the Colon.
He said he had not seen the Texas
when the Brooklyn made her turn. At
one time during the battle, he said,
the Brooklyn seemed to be alone, en-
gaging three ships.
= When Lieutenant Wells had finished
his description of the battle the ques-
tion of dispatches was taken up A
number of dispatches were shown to
the witness and he was asked as to
their receipt by Commodore Schley.
One from Secretary Long to the
American consul at Kingston, dated
Washington. May 2S, saying that it
must be delivered to Schley at once,
sxf l. not
less unsafe for his squadron the de-
partment wished him to remain off
Santiago and asking if he could not
take possession of Guantanamo as a
coaling station; also a dispatch from
Secretary Long to Captain Cotton, of
the Harvard, dated Washington, May
2S, enclosing a dispatch to Commodore
Schley, telling him to hold on at all
hazards. that the New York. Oregon
and New Orleans were on the way
also two dispatches from Secretary
Long to the dispatch boat Harvard,
dated Washington, May 30. one in
forming him that the commander-in-
chief had started to join him, and the
other telling him that Sagua, 20 miles
as a good place to land from which
it would be easy to reach the heights
in the rear of Santiago, the witness
said had been received on May 81.
The cablegram from Secretary Long
dated Washington, May 27, 70 the ca
BILE Office at Mole St. Nicholas, Hayti,
directing that it be delivered to the
next American war vessel to arrive
and informing Commodore Schley that
the most absolutely urgent thing now
is to know positively whether the
Spanish division is in Santiago, etc,
was shown witness. He stated that
It had been received by Commodore
Schley on May 80. The Colon had been
discovered in the harbor of Santiago
by Commodore Schley on the morning
of May 20.
"Now give me the date the navy
department Issued the order which
has been referred to in this case about