Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-15
Mr.. Joseph BeaIe.

Commander Fulham was then excuse 1
and Mr.. joseph Bcale was called He
said he had formerly been in the navy
bat resigned in 1888. returning to the ser
vice as Il volunteer during the war with
spain. He had served as an office on the
Harvard.
IL detailed the meeting Of the Harvard
with the Tying squadron. May 81 when
the Harvard carried dispatches To Com
mudore SCh"y from Mole ST. Nicholas
lnerc were i've of these dispatches which
had come in cipher and which he hat
translated. one was from Admiral Samp-
SON and the utnrr four from Secretary
Long Til" last one from the secretary
was received at Mole ST Nicholas al SO
y. NJ. May e. ana was the dispatch di-
reCting the commander If the Harvard u
proceed at once to inform Schley that
all the departments Information Il tina,
the Sraniards are at Santiago. etc.
He read this dispatch and also one
from Admiral sampson saying that tn.
Spaniards were at Santiago. Both thes.
dispatches We're, he said. delivered Ia the
commanding officer Of the Harvard BY
him.
MIR. Beale also detailed the particulars
Of his proffer To so ashore and secure in
formation concerning the situation
saw. he said. that had tie first
Information from the department ana |
thought 1t was my chance. ANA by max
ing carly Application | thought | would
get the opportunity. nc had brought his
desire to the attention OF CAPT Cotton
arrival at Santiago, MAY II
Mr.. Beale also said he had translated
into cipher Commodore SChlcy's response
70 the dispatch Of May 26 He expiained
the verbal changes in this message. saw
ing:
in the first place. in regard to the
verbal differences in putting the MESSAGE
IN CIPHER. IL often occurs that a certain
word cannot be found in the code book
In that case il was my practice to get an
equivalent WOru if | could possibl. do
50 and avoid the labor OF spelling out a
WORD letter BY letter, For example, bad
the word 'hoisterous' | would use bad
So that it would appear bad weather. In
the same way IL is sometimes possible
To send number Of words as a phrase
or to find in the code book an equivalent
phrase Of Very nearly the same wording
and the same meaning.
AS regards the difference in the
amount Of coal ordered 10 be at ke,
West ! have very clear recollection OF
that The number '1G.WO was much cas-
Ter and simpler to send than $500 and sn
sent u as 10000. believing that an ex-
cess of go tons would do no harm | be-
lieve, also. there is a difference about tho
Harvard being ordered in the original to
Port ROYAL instead of Kingston. lamar
ca. Explaining TINS | would say that
Port Royal Is the naval station a mile or
Two below Kingston and in all proba bili:v
the cod" book contained only the name
of Kingston.
Now, as regards the added sentence
have copy of that message in mv
daily journal That copy does not con-
tam the added sentence. | find further
along i'll the journal a note testifying to
TINS message. which reads: And very
difflcult to tow collier. Cannot get cable,
TO hold: From that inter that after the
typewritten sheet was prepared an ;tddi-
tion TO this message was given to me-"
Judge Advocate-"What. shown by the
notes in your journal was the tenor of
this message with regard to the ODE iience
or d.sObedience or difficulty in obeying the
orders of the department?
Il nave here only the copy of the mes
sage gwen me to translate into cipher. |
have not 4 copy Of the translation at thu
Washington end. Ny copy reads: 1T is t
be regretted that the departments orders
cannot be obeyed. earnestly we have nj;
StrlNen 10 that end. | am forced to re-
turn to Key West.