The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1901-09-27
THE BROOKLYN LOOP
The Proceedings of the Schley
Naval Court of Inquiry.
Commander Bates Admitted the OIL
cial Steam Log Contains No
Record of the Signal to Re-
verse the Engines.

1898, in which the Spanish fleet under
Adm. Cervera was sunk, was the basis
of the greater part of Mondays pro-
ceedings in the Schley naval court
of inquiry. Of the four witnesses eX-
amined during the day, three had
been officers on board the Texas dur
ing the battle and two of them were
new witnesses. They were Comman-
der George c. IIeilner, who was nav
igatOr of the Texas and Commander
Alex. B. Bates, who was the chief en-
gineer on that battleship. Comman-
der Harder, executive officer and the
chief surviving officer of the ship
since the death of Capt. Philip, was
recalled. The fourth witness was
Commander Seaton Schroeder, eXecu-
tive officer on the Massachusetts, and
now governor of the island of Guam.
The testimony several times during
the day was somewhat exciting, and
it was especially so when Commander
Heilner described the battle, the part
the Texas had taken in it. He said
when the Brooklyn made its loop at
the beginning of the battle it had
passed across the Texas bow at
distance not to exceed 100 or 200
yards, and that at the command of
Capt. Phillip the Texas had been
brought to dead stop.
Engineer Bates testified that the
starboard engines had been stopped
and said he thought this also had
happened to the port engines. Com
mander Heilner expressed the opin-
ion that three miles had been lost
by this maneuver and the fact that
part of the machinery was de-
ranged. He said he considered that
the Texas was in greater danger when
the Brooklyn crossed her bow than
at any other time during the battle.
On cross-eXamination Commander
Heilner admitted having taken in the
preparation of the official navy de-
partment chart showing the positions
at different times of the ships which
participated in the battle. He said
according to this chart the two ships
never were nearer than 200 yards of
each other. But, he contended, the
chart was inaccurate, and he said
he had only consented to it as a
compromise. Commander Bates adj
mitted that the official steam log of
the Texas contained no record of the
signal to reverse the engines. Com
Inander Schroeder then finished con-
corning the coal supply of the Mas
sachusetts, which he said would have
been sufficient for blockade of from
16 TO 20 days.
The day closed with another ami
mated controversy between counsel as
to the policy of bringing Adm. Samp-
sons name into the trial.
Washington, Sept 25.-The Schley
court of inquiry was brought to a
sudden termination for the day IS
minutes after converting Tuesday
by tie announcement of the sudden
death of Judge jeremiah Wilson,
senior coul.sel for Adm. Schlcv. Tie
announcement was made TO the court
by Hon. Isador Rayncr, assistant
counsel, in the following language:
Il have a very sad announcement to
make to the court. have just heard
of the death of Judge Wilson. 1 LEI,
him at 10 o'clock this morning,
slightly indispOsed. 1 was with him
until late last night. l saw him this
morning at o'clock and left him ut
10. We have confirmed the rumor
through the telephone that he has
just died at the Shorehan hotel, a1d
1 would respectfully ask the court
if it meets with the approval of The
court to adjourn"
Adm. Dewey said: 81 have to an.
nounce that owing to the death OF
Judge Wilson of counsel the court
will adjourn until Wednesday morl
ing"
Washington, Sept. 26.-Two new
witnesses were introduced in the
Schley court Wednesday. They were
Adm. Cotton, who as captain COM
lnanded the auxiliary cruiser Harvard,
and Capt. Wise, who commanded the
auxiliary cruiser Yale during the
Spanish war. Both these vessels were
used as scouts and both came up with
the flying squadron off Santiago on
May 27, before the retrograde move
Inent to Key West was being made.
Adm. Cotton testified that he had
gone aboard Adm. Schley's flagship,
the Brooklyn, on that date to take
dispatches to him, and he said at first
that he gave him four or five dis
patches addressed to commander of
the squadron. He afterwards modi-
fed this statement, saying that prob
ably all but two of those dispatches
were addressed to himself adm. Cot
tom, but that they contained infor-
nation which he thought should be
in Adm. Schley's possession. One of
these was a copy of a dispatch from
Adm. Sampson, which had not been
printed in the official records, stating
that the Spanish fleet was at San
tiago. He also said that coal could
have been taken from the Merrinac
on May %. the day of which the ret
rograde movement to Key West was
begun for the purpose of coaling.
Capt. Wise testified that on May %
he had signaled Capt. Phillip, of the
Texas, his opinion that Cervera was
inside the harbor at Santiago, but
the facfimOnv was rulpd ont