New-York tribune., 1901-10-12
THE EARLY PROCEEDINGS.
TESTIMONY AS TO THE BOMBARDMENT
OF THE COLON AND THE DEAR
SCHLEY" LETTER

OF THE COLON AND THE DEAR
SCHLEY" LETTER.
Washington Oct. n-when the court was called
to order Captain Lemly made brief explanation
OF Of his statements of yesterday concerning
the statement received from Commander Mark.
He had said that the statement was ''unsworn."
II would like 1t to appear" he said, that. al
though these to. they not, being in
the shape OF dispositions and parte statements.
such sworn evidence as is usually admitted before
the court. but came in with their full value merely
because there objection either side
ADMIRAL TAYLOR RECALLED.
Among the witnesses called early in the day for
the purpose of correcting early testimony was Ad-
mral H. c. Taylor. While he the stand he
questioned to whether he had received in
formation that the Spaniards were coming out OF
the harbor Santiago before they appeared on the
/ morning of July g. The question asked by Cap
tain Lemly, and the answer was: None whatever
Mr.. Rayner-You did not get message from the
Vixen in reference TO smoke coming out of the har-
! bor7
None"
Captain Parker-Your attention was not called to
smoke?
Not at all. SIR
DO you remember anybody on your vessel who
! did observe smoke and reported 1t TO your
II do remember"
Captain Lemly read a report from Captain Merrill
Miller. formerly of the Raleigh concerning the ac-
curacy of the stadmeter. This report dated in
1895, and said that the stadimeter had been found
! to give accurate results in measurements OF less
than eight hundred yards but not so when the
| distance greater. In case the writer no
| ticed of hundred yards in a sixteen
| hundred yard measurement
HURRIED PAST THE COLON.
Lieutenant Adelbert Althouse. formerly watch and
! division officer the batteship Massachusetts,
! was then called. He detailed the movements OF
! that vessel In connection with the Flying Squad
/ ron. and said that at Cienfuegos the vessels lay
! from six 10 ten miles out at night going nearer
in the daytime.
On the day Of the bombardment OF the Cristobal
/ Colon he In charge Of the snch turret of
the Massachusetts. He said that the ship had not
| been than three minutes In passing the en-
trance to the harbor the first passage, and that
only two shots were then fired. The instructions
were to make tHe range seven thousand yards. but
the shots fell short, and the range was increased
the return trip to eighty hundred. and then
TO ten thousand yards. Asked what developed
as TO the strength of the land batteries by this
reconnaissance. he said that his mind it
/ shown they very weak. In reply 10 n ques-
/ ton whether he had made any notes concern
ing the engagement. he replied: NO we went in
under instructions TO sink the Colon" His orders
/ had been direct his fire that vessel
/ When Lieutenant Althouse excused Captain
Lemly introduced evidence the reports made by
! Commodore schley the Secretary OF the Navy OF
/ the engagement of May 81. In Of these. dated
/ June 3. Commodore Schey said:
/ Reconnaissance intended principally 10 In
! jure and destroy the Colon. The fire returned
without delay by the heavy batteries to the east
and 10 the west entrance. large calibre long
| ence OF the Spanish squadron lying behind island
near inner fort. as they fired over hill at random.
/ Quite satisfied the Spanish feet is there.
LIEUTENANT DEWEY TEsTIFIEs
/ Lieutenant r G. Dewey nephew Of Admiral
/ Dewey. who was watch officer on the Massachu-
! setts the next witness He placed the dis
tance of the blockadng line under Commodore
schley from the mouth of Santiago Harbor at
hafV,e afOtt
the day and night There was. he said no
particular formation OF the vessels
| The examination on this point was as follows:
Captain Lemly-When you at the western
end OF the blockade with the leading vessel making
the turn. what orders were there for attacking II
you the enemy coming out OF the entrance?
II do not believe could have the enemy
coming out. There were orders have
knowledge Of"
why do you think you would not have seen the
enemy coming out If such had been the case?"
lowing to darkness and the distance from the
harbor For instance. when we were at the west
of the line the ships could have come out
and stood to the eastward without our being any
the wiser unless they showed lights"
How about the reverse OF that proposition"
81 think it would have been the in either
| case
Captain I.emly then asked: "Did you have any
| conversation with the commanding officer OF the
Flying Squadron any one in his presence in re-
lation TO tie fire on the Colon otherwise?'
! Lieutenant Dewey replied 'I told shortly
! before started into the entrance that the
modore wished to the turret officers in the pilot
house. I the pilot house and the
dore said that he intended TO go in a few moments
| and have try at the Colon, and that he noped
| we would sink her I asked what speed would
make. and told. About ten knots I remarked
| at the time that thought that giving very
little chance at the Colon she would be in sight
between the headlines only couple OF minutes
| and that the smoke from the guns would probably
make our fire very slow To the best of my recol-
lection the commodore stated would have
the best could-that the speed would be ten
| knots"
Describing the range at which he had fred his
guns that occasion. he said at first It 1000
yards. under orders and then he had increased It
TO 800 yards. but all the shots fell short
| I'm reply questions that the Spanish shore bat
trouble None from the Colon near he
said. but two three shots from the batteries
fell about the Massachusetts at the time, pass
ing over 1T.
What conclusion did you arrive to the
| calibre OF the shore guns?'
'I did think they of very large calibre-
not 6-inch.''
In reply a question by the court whether
he ordered to direct his fire the Colon
on the batteries on May 81 Lieutenant Dewey said
that his orders to direct his fire at the Colon
entirely but he could not say whether Commodore
Schley or Captain Hgginson had given the order.
LIEUTENANT BOUGHTER CALLED.
Lieutenant Francis Boughter who was a wat<h
and division officer board the Marblehead during
Commodore Schley's blockade of Santiago. was
then called He said the Marblehead and the
Vixen were picket duty between the shore line
and the line of the blockade. the Marbehead Deihs
stationed three miles from the shore and to the
,yastward six miles from the MORO. He would
not attempt to say how far outside the squadron
was but he could the ships after nightfaii