Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1901-10-03
SITTINGS RESUMED.
The Schley Court of Investigation in
Session Again.
TWO WITNESSES WERE EXAMINED
Nothing Startling Has Been Brought
Forward Thus Far By the Witnes-
Ses Against Schley.

Washington. d. c., Special-Two
witnesses were introduced in the
Schley court Wednesday. They were
Admiral Cotton. who as captain com
manded the auxiliary cruiser Harvard
and Captain Wise, who commanded the
auxiliary cruiser Yale during the Span
ish war. Both these vessels were
used as scouts and both came up with
the flying squadron of Santiago on
the 9th of May, before the retrogade
movement to Key West began. Ad-
miral Cotton testified that he had
gone aboard Admiral Schley's nas
ship. the Brooklyn. on that date to
take dispatches to him ana he said at
first that he gave him four or five
dispatches addressed to the COM
mander of the squadron He afterwards
modified this statement saying that
probably all but two OF these dis
patches We're addressed to himself
(Admiral CottOn) but that they con
tanned information which he thought
should be in Admiral SChlcy's posses
sion. One of these was n copy Of
dispatch from Admiral Sampson which
had not been printed in the official re
cords, stating that the Spanish ile"t
was at Santiago. He also said that coal
could have been taken from the Mcrri-
mac on the 27th of May. the day on
which the retrOgade movement to Key
West was begun for the purpose If
COaling. Captain Wise testified that On
the 27th day of May he had signal"l
Captain Philip, of the Texas. his
opinion that CerVera was inside the
harbOr at Santiago, but the testimony
VISA ruled out.
The first witness called was A..
r. ClaXtOn. the machinist on board the
Texas who had begun his testimony
when the settings of the court were 80
abruptly terminated Tuesday morning
by the death Of Judge Wilson. Mr.
C1aXtOn said on July 3. 1898, he had
been on duty in the engine room Of
the Texas. The engine Indicator had
called for full speed ahead early in the
morning. which had. within an hour
after the beginning Of the action been
changed to full speed aStern. To his
knowledge there had been no signal
for the revrsal of the engine. He said
that he had been excused from service
in the engine room, but still he knew
that the engines were reversed for
about two minutes.
Rear Admiral Cotton, now com
mandant of the Norfolk navy yard,
who commanded the auxiliary cruiser
Harvard during the Spanish war, was
the next witness. He said that on May
27, 1898, he had delivered dispatches
to Commodore Schley from Admiral
Sampson and the Navy Department.
He had, he said, boarded the Brooklyn
about 1920 o'clock. The weather was
then moderate and he had had no diff
Guilty in going aboard the Brooklyn.
What was said about the dispatch
esq"
81 delivered to Commodore ScElcy
the original ciphCrS in which the C'S-
patches had been received by III" AZ
st. Nicholas Mole, together with trans
latiOn of those dispatches made by
Lieutenant Beall. Of the Harvard. }
handed them personally to him in his
cabin in the order of their date. IL"
received them, read them ana com
mented in a general way upon th"lr
DurDOrt: spoke of the difficulty he had
in getting coal on board his shlpS
while at CienfuegOs and subscquentY
to the date Of which | am speaking.
Nav 27. and said it had been an a.,
most mpOsSibility to get coal on bo2'o
on account of the weather. lie quc5-
toned me TelatlNe 10 tNc pId' Ii' dplI
tv of coaling ship at st. Nicholas Mo!e
and Gonaiye's Channel. As to st
Nicholas Mole. | said: There IS no
question the small ships can coal
there. AS to GOnaivc'S channel. |
know Of no reason why you should not
be able to coal there The commodore
made remarks upon my statements
the language of which do not recall
but he asked me, How about the large
ships at ST. Nicholas Mole" | SAID 4:
You cant coal your big ships there.
| had special reference in my reply 10
the battleships and protected cruiser"
of the Brooklyn and New York cIaS"'
| said. thinking Of the fact that ny
own ship had been there ana was %
some u 900 tons displacement ana
nearly coo feet in length, possibly uh'
der favorable conditions, you might b'
able 10 coal the large ships there one
at a time But the area OF deep Wal.
for the anchorage Of large shlps - ~
little there it was not practcab!' ~
coal ar the very utmost more than on"
large ship at a time and in case th'
weather became bad she would lmiho
e.