The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-25
SCHLEY PLAYS
TO BIG HOUSE.
ccoptinued from First Page.)

MORO. In concluding his description of
the blockade that had been maintained
the adm iral said:
NO VESSEL ESCAPED
THAT it was sufficient, is shown by
the fact that during its existence no
vessel entered, or escaped from the har-
Dor"
Coming to the reconnaissance of May
81, Admiral Schley said:
ION the 31st, while the Brooklyn and
the Marblehead and the Texas were
coaling, I transferred my flag to the
Massachusetts and determined that
would develop the Notifications because
of information which he had on boaid
from the hydrogra phic office-my inn
preston now is it was rather undeterm-
ined. I think one stated that the bat
teries were old and another stated that
Krupps were mounted. The general be-
lief, however, was that all of the south
ern places were very heavily fortified.
In fact we knew very little about the
effect of high and powerful artillery
either on shore or aboard ship and feel
ing that 1 ought to know something
about the Notifications which defended
that place, 1 determined to go in and
take advantage of what 1 believed to be
the longer range of our guns and de-
velop fully what these defenses were
and incidentally, if we could get shot
into the Colon, that was lying exposed
somewhat, to do it
'.I think we We're lying in a position
perhaps four to five miles to the west
ward The steaming in was at slow
speed. 1 transferred my flag, named
1000 yards, and went on board the
Massachusetts. When l boarded her 1T
was near the dinner hour, and Capt.
Higginson suggested that we postpone
until l o'clock the going in to develop
these batteries. 1 aSsented to that.
After the meal we went to quarters
and steamed in pretty nearly head on.
There was not much opportunity for
-IofD5 to II hahi T16 q
unless he get behind the protecting
plate which was a guard to the en-
trance to the rear.
Some weight has been laid upon the
fact that we were in white clothes. l
would like to invite attention to the fact
that that was a matter which con-
trolled entirely for my squadron and it
was about the only suitable dress for
that region
Giving the names of the persons who
accompanied him when he went on
board the Massachusetts, the admiral
said they were Lieutenants Sears, Wells
and Mr. George E. Graham, the Assocl-
ated Press correspondents, who he said,
had insisted upon accompanying him,
Notwithstanding his protests
WAS NOT EXCITED.
Once on board he had he said, en-
gagged in a conversation with Captain
not (AdmiraD nIgginson. Il was not
excited he went on, nor nervous; for
/ need not have undertaken the recon-
noisSance if 1 had not desired to do so.
I had some regard for those standing on
the turrets, thinking they were exposing
themselves from shock which was I'M
necessary to them, though I was differ
emily circumStanced and SO expressed
myself Commander Potts is entirely in
error in saying that L took advantage
of cover. That I did not do; for L was
not concerned about myself"
Speaking of the range of 1000 yards
the admiral said that Commander Potts
had himself reported on that range and
that he admiral Schley) had not known
for several days that the range had been
altered. The moment we began fir
ing" he went on, the shore batterieSre-
sponded, some Of them using smokeless
powder. There was quite a stream of
projectiles and 1 was impressed with
the idea that they must be from guns of
Zocapa battery evidently reached the
fleet. Some went over our ships ana one
went beyond and over the Vixen, which
was half mile distant
THE strength of the battries being
established, it would have been mill
tary folly to have risked the battleships
further to fire from these shore bat
terieS under my instructions. If we had
lost one or two of our six or seven YES
sells, the loss would have been a very
great disadvantage and it might have
invited attack with disastrous results.
l thought it better policy to save the
ships for wider and better use, and sub
sequent events justified me decision"
Here the witness abruptly turned
a discussion of the coaling question He
said that his instructions had heen to
coal on every possible OCCASION He
then quoted and put in as evidence,
number of dispatches giving the in
structions of the department on this
question. He related in this connection
the receipt of a number of dispatches
from the department which he said,
been brought by Capt. Cotton. He was
sure that the dispatches could not have
I'D Mo-
When he received these dispatches
the admiral, in answer to questions by
Mr.. Rayner, testified that he had al
ready discovered the Spanish fleet. He
had also urmounted the difficulties
about coaling and had SO informed the
department.
In this connection he went back and
tb ST. Pam the Of f6e 81 nee tbe
collier bound for Santiago. Capt Sigsbee
had rePortt Ted that y the c9iier had been
letter mentioned ss the fact that p the Re-
Curacao and that ti he had sent her to Key
West, adding: There is absolutely no
news of the Spanish fleet here
On the s1st he received. he thought by
the dispatch from admiral Sampson dated
May 50. congratulating him '1 upon the To-
cation of the Spanish fleet
In reply to questions by his counsel,
Admiral Schley explained that Cape
Cruz was an exposed place 109 miles
from Santiago and he did not regard
it as an available place for coaling.
Some of the smaller ships might have
been sent there but with squadron
such as he had. practically of the same
size as the Spanish fleet, he had never
considered the question of separating
ships from his fleet
He regarded it as of prime import
ance that the fleet should be kept to-
gether. His attention was called to
Lieut.. Harber's testimony, likening the
situation south of Cuba with that of
Drv TOrtugaS. where shipS had cOaled
The admiral said that the two PAGES
were not comparable. The sea to the
south of Cuba was exposed for hun
dredS of miles; Dry Tortugas was sur
rounded by reefs in which a sea could
rarely enter. From information he re-
ceived from Capt. Cotton. he thought.