The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-10
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.

ing of the battle of July 3, the Indiana had signalled: '"The enemy is escaping.
 The Indiana was. he said, at that time always cleared for action. He had, ne | said, personally seen the Brooklyn while on her southern detour, commonly known | as the loop. The witness recounted the signals made by the Indiana during the battle. He also had seen signals from other ships during the battle. but he did not recall what they were.
 Mir. Raynor also questioned the witness as to the relative value of the stadimeter | and the sextant in ascertaining distances at sea. He said he regarded the stadi- meter accurate to the extent that 1t is | used.
 By the court: "was the Indiana fin such position with reference to the Brooklyn and the enemy's ships just as they cleared the entrance of the harbor | that you could form a fairly correct es- timate of the distance between them?"
 The reply was:
 "At the time mentioned, there was but | two occasions when the smoke permitted me to see the Brooklyn distinctly. I could not therefore. say what was the distance between the enemy and the Brooklyn just after the Spanish fleet | came out of the harbor"
 | Admiral Taylor was then excused and | Lieutenant Commander T. M. Potts, who was navigator of the Massachusetts, was called.
 Commander Potts.
 Commander Potts said that during the | blockade off Santiago the distance ob- | served by the flying squadron was from | seven to nine miles from the mouth of the harbor. At Cienfuegos the distance was from four to five miles. an increase of the distance at night The witness | said he had been on the Massachusetts on | May 31, the day of the bombardment of the Colon when Commodore Schley had used that vessel as his flagship.
 Detailing Commodore Schley's conver- | sation on that occasion. the witness said:
 "When Commodore Schley came on board heard him say: 'Higginson. am going in with you and the Iowa and pot the Colon with your big guns. l want to fire deliberately. Admiral Sampson will be here tomorrow morning, and I wish to destroy the Colon,' or words to that effect After that, there was conversa- ton between Commodore Schley and the commanding officer of the ship as to when we would go in, and it was then we would allow the men to go to dinner, and go in afterward which we did. Later on. about o'clock, I think. while on the port bridge, just abaft the pilot house, I was present at the conversation with Commodore SchIey and Captain Higgin- son. in which the question of where the shin was to be fought was under discus sion. Commodore Schley asked Captain Higginson which position he intended to take. He replied: I think the coming tower Commodore Schley replied, Yes. think that is wisest.'
 schley Wanted to Leave.
 Shortly after this. Commodore Schley and his staff. the captain and myself, went down to the coming tower on the forward 13-inch turret. Commodore Schley. Commander Schroeder. I think. Commodore Schley's personal staff. and were standing as the ship was turned in toward the entrance The Commodore said in my hearing and presence, Gentle men. we are very conspicuous objects here in white. I think we had better get ont of this Commodore Schley left inc forward 13-inch turret, and took his place on the small platform on the lee side of the coming tower"
 Cantsin Lemly: At what stage of the l action was this?"
 "As we were steaming in toward the entrance before we had turned to the eastward. Captain Lemly: Did you near any further conversation?"
 CT heard the conversation when Com modore Schley was leaving the ship In which he stated that he was satisfied with the reconnaissance that he had made in drawing the fire of the batteries or in words to that effect.
 | Cantain Lemly: What was the bear tng and manner of Commodore Schley dnring the engagement of May Sl, to which you have already referred?"
 His bearing and manner was that of | a man who was suffering under extreme mental excitement as of one who had dieagreeable duty to perform, and per- | forrned it reluctantly and tried to get through with 1t as soon as he could"
 Rayner Takes Witness.
 Mir Raynor then began his cross ex- animation.
 asked
 "Francis J. Higginson."
 .,I want to read you what Captain ,Hig- oinson says about Commodore Schley's manner and bearing upon that occasion. He savs: His manner was that of aav,rnarder in chief He left a different i,nnression in your mind from what he ieft on Captain Higginson's mind, then?"
 Apparently"
 "nid the Commodore use the coming tower" ., c,.s. = ,-.- .bo coming tower. To the best of my tr.ov,,edre and belief he did not. He was outside the coming tower and between tto oorriug tower and the heavy plate 1 that nrotects the manhole in the coming tn1,er My pre-conceived idea of Com roodore schley previous to that occasion .,,os an entirely different from the im- , rrassion [ received on that day I conclu- dad that he certainly was under tre-