The sun., 1901-11-08

WEN roaS. The Colon and the forts were
al upon at ranges varying from about
200 TO II, 900 yards. the vessels steaming
past the harbor entrance S twice at .noosa; about
~ view, as the evidence shows. about two
nonutes, perhaps little but not much more.
on each run The total time Of all firing
was 7 minutes and IS seconds. The Colon
the rossible exception Of one shot, all fell
bo,, only three vessels OF the force
available, the Massachusetts,, the Iowa
anL tho New Orleans, were employed in
Jis affair, the others being engaged in
ooaling. The applicant cannot now sue
ccssf,llIy plead that he did not know how
cosc his vessels went in. 1t was his duty
40 Know, and during the bombardment
hc wigwagged to the Iowa at 2oe r. M
spo not 70 In any closer
WIGHT HAVE DESTROYED THE COLON
+, IL believed that. had vessel been
s,otioncd on each side Of the harbor mouth
90 enfladc the batteries 10 "a to silence
them or at least engage their attention, the
remaining vessels might, steamng slowly
and running closer In each time, have easily
destroved or materially injured the Colon.
without serious damage TO themselves.
II is shown by the subsequent experience
or tho New Orleans and the Texas. each
~ which alone on different dates silenced
tho batteries and drove the men away from
their guns. the first-named vessel receiv-
ing no injury and the second none that
proved Of serious consequence, that the
batteries about Santiago were not strong
IL has been claimed that the object OF
this flair OF May 81 was to develop the
enemv's batteries, and that this was accom-.
nlished There is, however, great deal
Of doubt. in view OF the varying signals ana
.,otements made by the Commodore. both
before and after the action, "a to what was
tho real object. whether a reconnaissance
oran attenpt to destroy the Colon. was
reported TO the Department by commodore
Schey on Nav 81 Ipage i2s, Appendix
as hoinG intended principally TO injure
and destroy the Colon" But he now states,
Gs he stated in his detailed letter of Feb
is. 1899. To the Senate Committee on Naval
Affairs page i09, Executive Document D.,
that il was incidentally to inJure or Destroy
If possible, the Colon.
FUTILE AS A Reconnaissance.
Regarding il as a reconnaissance. could
the strength Of the cnemy's fire and the
calhre of his guns have been successiully
developed by such distant firingy had
the enemy heavy guns unknown TO the
attacking force he should not have been
tempted 10 show the fact in view of the
range employed. His game would have
been to deceive his assailants into
coming closer, either then or on another
OCCASION But the weight Of the evidence
above referred TO. is that even as n recon
noisSance the affair was futile
Il is again submitted that, by running
In closer and steamng slower, or even by
adoptng the latter course alone with the
nearest range that was actually emploYod,
the Colon, with the i3-irch guns of the
Massachusetts and the Pinch of the Iowa
might have boon materially lnJdrH
SO that neither aS n reconnaissance nor
as bcrnbardmcnt was ANYTHING important
accomplished on thai dtr.
Reference has been male 20 the possible
destruction of one Of our vessels, thus
reAlcing the hGht'nG culC'ShtN nuS 81,
that Of the enemv. What OF IA" enect
unon the enemy of the destruction at tMs
tine Of one of E's vessels?
ORDER OF APRIL Q, II KNOWN. MIsCoN-
srRIED.
The defence 10 the failure to 20 in closer
on Nav II bv ple1ding that AZ 'ElS time the
cautionarv ord Of April a, to be found on
page III 81 the appendix and now IN erl-
dcncc. does not appear to bc sufficient. oven
II the Commodore was acquainted with Us
contents. Such claim was, not made IN
terms until ha appeared before this court,
altLouvh referred 20 in Executive Docu-
men, ~ where II ia sail that the course
followed was iu accord wiz 'heD"partment
policv, and whore he referred also 70 two
OF the three other orders on this subject,
though r. 7fmits I'm his evidence that he
hal sp,l g.'.1r~ uf them. tn" order OF
kr.'l e. W, ,;iro4 il self and from first TO last
c'.7,lv 'rdicatrs that our fleet was 10 he
l.ui i.r '.c Sp1uish shins and that the de-
r--.-''rn the latter was hs paramount
mi-t.r Referring 20 this letter, para-
C---r = formidable Spanish vessels were
NNTNnT J..
ard II may be added that IN" Notifications
of Csrti4vo are shown 10 have been never
st-prc End that on May 81 they were Ger
tairlv v"1k
I~7i, f., tho despatch ~ April 20. II is said
that Sar.'sh vessels ~ war nav I've attacked
md ihat yht batteries protecting vessels
may ba DESTROYED The letter Of May 9
A. sti!. clearer in its significance.
WHERE RISK Is JUSTIFIED.
Certainly the ineHpcdiency 81 ptting ships
against forts Hs such Is well established:
but the matter il wholly changed when the
question il that Of compas sing the destruc-
tlon Of a fraction Of the enemys battle
feet, which was the opportunity with the
Colon The supreme object of naval war
A. the destruction Of the enemy's battle
foa, For this II NAV be proper TO run
risks which would under other conditions
h. entirely un nlustlilahle.
On similar occasion Nelson. In letter
from the ~ George, May ~, 1901, addressed
o. Alexander Dawson. ESQ, relative 10 get
ting az q Russian feet IN kevel. when y
was represented % him that II was covered
ty batteries, said
''The feet when out of the mole always
moor on the east side Of the bay; the outer
ship is supposed 10 te protected bv the
fort which IL marked there are, n IL true,
a snumiar of slns but as the ofio@r who goes
there " not 20 he supposed 10 mind guns,
n he can get Ia aud out again, in my Opinion
The Rsvel host Whsiher in of out ~ The mole
would - DESTROYED by a vigorous attack.
.nd that Il may. n the Russians again give
b. onenos IL ~. sinoere wish 81 yOui ahro-
CYnate sick friend
ooNFAhisog Win TAhhA1rr
Did Decatur i.ss tate Wh"n b" vent ~
b. destroy the Philadelphia a. luloh'
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