The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-10
Secretary Longs Order to Sampson
in Regard to Exposure of Ships
introduced Evidence.
TESTIMONY OF H. C. TAYLOR
FORMER COMMANDER OF THE BAT
TLEsHIP INDIANA A WITNESS.
Incidents of the Battle on Santiago
ReIated-Lieuts. Bristol and
Liaper Also Testify.

WASHINGTON, Oct 9.-In the Schley
naval court of inquiry to-day Lieut.. Mark
L. Bristol completed his testimony begun
yesterday, and three new witnesses were
introduced. They were Rear Admiral
Henry c. Taylor. who. captain, COM
manded the battleship Indiana during the
war with Spain; Lieutenant Commander
Templin M. Potts, who was navigator OF
the battleship Massachusetts, during that
period and Lieut.. Edward F. Leiper. who
was on the New Orleans during the war.
the last named being still on the stand
when the court adjourned for the day.
Admiral Taylor related incidents of the
battle off Santiago on July 3, including the
BrookIyn's famous turn. He said that none
of the Spanish ships had made any effort
To ram the American vessels when they
came out of the harbor at Santiago.
Commander Potts's testimony dealt es-
pecially with the bombardment of the Co
lon Answering a question from Judge
Advocate Lemly TO the conduct of Com
modore Schley during that engagement,
he said il was that of a man laboring un
der great mental excitement and of man
who was anxious TO discharge soon as
possible "A disagreeable duty. Lieutenant
Leiper expressed the opinion that the Span
ish shore batteries at Santiago had not been
at any time formidable.
During Commander Potts's examinati ton
Mr.. Reyner secured permission from the
court TO introduce as evidence the order
of Secretary Long to Admiral Sampson
dated April s. in which he was admonished
against the exposure of the American YES
sells TO the fire of strongly fortified ports.
The paragraph in that order which he es-
pecially wished to have considered reads
follows:
THE department does not wish the yes
gels OF your squadron to be exposed to the
fire of the batteries at Havana. Santiago
dc Cuba other strongly fortified ports
in Cuba unless the more formidable Span
ish vessels should take refuge within those
harbors. Even in this case the department
would suggest that rigid blockade and
employment of our torpedo boats might ac-
struction OF the enemy's vessels without
Subjecting unnecessarily our own men-Of
war to the fire Of the land batteries"
This dispatch also contains the follow
Ing order:
The department further desires that In
case OF you will maintain strict
blockade of Cuba. particularly at the ports
of Havana, Matanzas and. if possible of
Santiago, Manzanillo and Cienfuegos-
Mr.. Rayner began his examination of
Lieutenant Bristol with questions concern
measurement of distances at sea. He asked
IL he would rather trust his own Observa-
tion for a 4,OoO-yards range than the instru-
ment The witness stated that the stadi-
meter was more accurate for distances be-
low 1900 yards than above that distance.
At that distance he would make several OBJ
servations for confirmation of visual obser-
vation "The error" he said. becomes
the greater the distance
Gould you give me-" asked Mr.. Rayner.
"a point from which it is entirely reIiable?'
YES" was the reply; lat zero it is abso-
lutely correct"
The witness considered the sextant much
more reliable in measuring the distance be-
tween ships. He had. he said. taken sew
eral observations with the stadmeter just
before the Spanish fleet came out of the
harbOr and had checked these with the
sextant. He found the distance from the
MORO 10 be 100 yards.
After further testimony in regard to dis
tances there was colloquy between coun-
at the request OF Mr.. Rayner. the witness
made measurements from his chart 10 show
the distance the Brooklyn was from the
Spanish ships during the fight off Santiago
The reply was: The distance of the
Oquendo from the Brooklyn. taken from
the chart just before the turn is 1000
yards. the Maria Teresa $500 yards. Taken
from the chart when the Maria Teresa and
ashore which
is practically the narest point. the Oquendo
was 2SO0 yards from the Brooklyn and the
Maria Teresa 1900 yards"
Quoting Lieutenant Commander HOdg-
sons statement that the shortest range OF
the Brooklyns guns I'm the battle was / 400
yards and her greatest 900 yards and re-
ferring TO the fact that a number of the
BrOOklyn's five-iuch shells had struck the
Spanish ships Mr.. Rayner asked a number
OF questions for the purpose OF showing
that If the distance great a the
chart shows and the guns were set for the
range given. il would have been impossible
for the shots to go To the mark Isn't it
that the chart is incorrect"
Witness replied that the Maria Teresa
and the Oquendo could have been hit with
hve-inch guns.
EYES She could do il. ! have seen some
very wild firing when ship has any mo-
tiOn on.
The. judge advocate asked; How far
would have been the Brooklyn from the
leading Spanish ships emerging from the
harbor OF Santiago provided she had imme-
diately started ahead at twelve knots?''
I'm reply the witness said: AT twelve
knots speed she would go in five minutes
2.op0 yards. II she was going at that speed.
but she was dead in the water. as | under
stand Therefore. / should say she would
make about 100 yards the fiTst i've min
utes. That would mean that she was close
20 6.00 yards from the MOrro The ships
when / first sighted them. were at Cay
smith; believe that. the best OF my
recollection 20 be about 1000 yards inside
the MOrTo. These ships came out OF there
at apout ten To twelve knots At twelve
knots they would go One-tWelfth OF one
knot In i've minutes. That is 1900 yards
but they turned 10 the westward so they
did not go 300 yards But call IL 1000
yards Then 200 and 900 subtract from
ZOO plus lO01 makes 5000. which would
ma Ike them 5000 wards on at the first shot
The court asked. Did YOU hear any firing
at or near Cienfuegos on the day the flying
squadron arrived of that port"
Il did not.
b. the eourt-While on the passage to