The age-herald., 1901-09-21
EY COUL D HAVE DESTROYED
 THE COLON" SAYS HIGGINSON

day lime and two or three miles out at nigNst. In reply to a question, he said that after the bombardment of March 3l
 no further effort had been made to de- stroy the Colon because the vessel had
 gone inside the harbor.
 Captain Chester.
 Admiral Higginson was then excused and Capt. w. N. Chester, who command ed the Cincinnati during the Spanish war and who in now in command of the naval war college at Newport, was called
 Captain Chester related an interview he had had with Admiral Schley on board the Brooklyn off the south coast of Cuba on May 26 1898. He had told the admiral that from his examination of the charts he believed coallng was feasible, but he thought 1t would be done under great disadvantages. He had expressed the opinion that boats might be used or that a more secure point might be gained to the eastward.
 Major John Wood of the marine corps, who commanded the marine force on the Massachusetts during the Spanish war, testified to the circumstances con- nected with that vessels operations during the siege of Santiago. He said that the second day Santiago bay was reached by the nying squadron he had seen the Cristobal Colon lying in side the harbor; that there was at that time another Spanish vessel of the Vis- caya class partly visible He thought both were in view for three or four days He also said that when Admiral Schley came aboard the Massachusetts previous to the bombardment of the Co., lon on May 31 he had heard that officer say to Captain Higginson
 We are going in, but we will not go in sufficiently near to endanger the ves- sels.'
 He had been told that the distance was to be about 1000 feet.
 After the bombardment ceased, Major Wood said the Spanish shore batteries continued to fire at the American ships. At this point he had gone forward where
 he had again seen Admiral Schley. Did you hear orders or instructions given by Commodore Schley after the
 bombardment? asked the judge advo- cate.
 Let's Get Out of This. | T went upon the superstructure to ask I if we were going in again or going any closer so as to know whether we would have a chance to use the six-inch batter les, of which I was in command and
 heard, as I believe, Commodore Schley
 say to Captain Hlgginson: Starboard your helm and let's get out of this."
 This had occurred on the port of the I coming tower, he said, and the commo- dore had been about eight feet from him. Capt Giles ?, Haroer attache at Paris
 and St. Petersburg, who was executive of- ficer on board the Texas during the Span- ish war, was asked in the absence of Captain Phillip to give a detailed account of the opera ore ',nat vessel during the war and he did so. Il 1 The Texas had aet-l part of the fly i ingsquadron" and the witness said that when they steamed for Clenfuegos the
 flagship had signalled: We go to Cien- | fuegos to bag the Spaniards; wish you | good luck" l Ss3 :! | In reply to questions he said that | when Cienfuegos was reached earth
 works were discovered there. but no | effort was made to destroy them.
 Now, Captain" the judge advocate
 said, q want to ask you, as executive | officer of the Texas. in case of the sud-
 den death or disability of Captain Phil
 lip, who would have taken command of | that vessel?'
 '1 would naturally have" was the re- ply.
 Had No Orders. What instructions did you have, writ | ten or verbal, respecting the order of battle which the flying squadron was | to follow in case the enemy should sud- denly appear?"
 "The matter was never broached. The | commanding officer never gave me any | nor did 1 know that he had any. Captain Harber volunteered the state ] ment that on May -l, before the new supply of coal was taken on the Texas | there were about 400 tons of that fuel | on the vessel
 Recurring to the Brooklyn, he said | he had seen that vessel immediately af- ter 1t had executed the loop when 1t was on the port bow of the Texas about | 800 feet distant. The Texas was then moving at her | full speed because the Oregon was pass | ing her. If the Texas at that time had | backed or stopped he was not aware of | the circumstances,
 At this point the court adjourned promptly at o'clock until Il o'clock to- morrow