Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-10-01

May 90 he delivered dispatches from
Sampson to Schley when the latter
was off Cienfuegos. He read dispatch
number eight from Sampson to Schley
under date of May 81 telling the latter
that the Spanish squadron was probab-
ly at Santiago, also the Brooklyn re-
ceipt showing dispatch had been re-
ceived at S:15 a. M, May %. Hood re-
lated a conversation with Schley, af-
ter delivering the orders, as follows:
What schIey Said.
"Schley readat the dispatches then
turning to me said: Captain Sampson
wishes me to go to Santiago. can
not do it, Il told Sampson the ad-
miral certainly expected the squadron
to leave the instant arrived. Schley
then said, I am not at all satisfied the
Spaniards are not here in Cienfuegos,
besides my ships all want COAL. The
Massachusetts, Texas and Brooklyn
wanted so many tons of coal and the
day before Sampson had sent him
down the Iowa with only half her coal
supply, so she could not go anywhere;
that it was useless to send ships down
there only half filled with coal. I told
Schley / passed a collier conveyed by
gunboat only little before daylight
that morning and it certainly would
be there with at least four or five
thousand tons of coal within two or
three hours. He referred again to his
belief of the Spaniards being in Glen
fuegos and stated he had heard firing
about forty miles from port which he
took to be a welcome to the Spanish
squadron; he had also seen
some smoke which he conceived to
be the Spanish squadron and believed
they were there. I said the informa-
ton which Sampson had he consider
ed as definite; he had no doubt but
that the Spanish squadron was at San
tiago.
"Schley then said to me: Sampson
doesn't understand. He is not on the
spot and cannot judge I also inform
ed Schley they certainly expected the
squadron to leave Immediately and
that I had verbal orders from the COM
mander-in-chief which did not appear
in the written orders to remain with
the Hawk alone at Cienfuegos after
the squadron left, and conduct the
blockade as long as my coal lasted"
The witness testified the steamer
Adula in passing had reported to the
Brooklyn that cable report had been
received at Kingston May 10 saying
the Spanish squadron was in the har-
Dor at Santiago. Schley's report of
this occurrence was also read, as was
his statement descrediting the infor-
nation, because he then believed the
squadron to be in Cienfuegos harbor
All these reports have heretofore been
published.
At 2:30 o'clock this afternoon Lemly
read letter from Sampson dated at
Lake Snuapee N. H., Sept. 10, asking
that Stayton and Campbell be allowed
to represent him in the case. The
court decided they could not appear.
Washington, Sept. 2S.-Today's sesI
sion of the Schley court of inquiry be-
gan with recall of yesterdays wit
neses for the purpose of correcting
mistakes in their testimony.
Commander of Marblehead on Stand.
opt. McCalla, who commanded the
Marblehead during the war, continued
his testimony. In reply to questions
by Hanna, McCalla said as far as he
knew there were no vessels assigned
for duty to engage the batteries May
81; that there We're no shoals or 9TH
er obstacles of any kind which would
have prevented the battleships ap-
preaching Santiago harbor close
enough to have been within easy range
of the Colon; that no battleships went
within range of the Colon. He said
he was so situated that he observed
all the shots fired from the fleet, all
falling short but one; that the Amer
lean ships engaged in the Colon bonn
bardment steamed in distance about
two miles. McCalla testified at some
length concerning the weather and the
sea May &c and 27. He said there
was no difficulty in coaling May ~ as
the sea was smooth.