Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-10-24
TIE SANE OLD CHESTNUT
Battle Of Santiago Retold by Boat
swain Hill of the Armored Cruiser
Brooklyn.
Still Threshing Over the Same Old
Straw in the Schley Court of
Inquiry.
Outburst Of Applause in the Court
Room for the First Time Since
Inquiry Began.

Washington, Oct. 24.-The Schley
court of inquiry is rapidly approach
Ing its closing days. One evidence of
this is the removal of many of the
press tables. Comparatively few of
these were ever used, and they are
taken away now to make room for the
Increased attendance which is expect
ed during the last days of the inquiry.
The first new witness Of the day was
James H. Hare, who was photogra-
pher for an illustrated weekly newspa-
per and made photographs of the bat
tie of July 8. He stated that he was
on the press boat Somers N. Smith on
May 26 or 27 and that she fell in with
the st. Paul.
Did you have any megaphone COM
munication between the Somers N.
Smith and St. Paul?" Mr. Rayner
asked.
"Megaphone and by mouth ALSO"
"State what it was"
"We asked the St. Paul if there was
any tidings of Cervera's feet. Cap
tain Sigsbee said there was not; that
Cervera's S feet was not inside Santiago
and that Schley had gone west"
'is there any particular incident
that impresses that upon your mem
ory?"
Yes, sir. On Sigsbee's assurance
that the fleet was not in the harbor
we went back to Key West to coal in
stead of to Jamaica and the first news
we got there was that Cervera's fleet
was bottled up in the harbor."
On cross-examination Mr.. Hare said
that the Smith was within 100 yards
of the St. Paul and that part of the
conversation was by megaphone and
part without it.
He told the court in response to a
question by it that Captain Sigsbee
had himself used the megaphone.
Mr.. Hare was succeeded by Chief
Boatswain William l.. Hill, who was
a boatswain On the Brooklyn during
the summer of 1898. He testified to
hearing guns on approaching Cienfue-
gos and said that while there a block
aiding line was maintained three or
four miles out. He said in reply to a
question by Mr.. Rayner concerning
the weather on the cruise between
Cienfuegos and Santiago:
Weather Was Very Rough.
"The weather was rough. It was
worse than that. 1 should say it was
blowing a reef topsail breeze and at
one time the seas were breaking COM
pletely over the Massachusetts. I
made an entry to that effect"
Mr.. Hill also stated that he had had
direct charge under the executive Off
Ger of the Brooklyn of the coaling of
that vessel. "The Brooklyn" he said,
was the best ship in the fleet to coal,
but only with constant watchfulness,
in the calmest weather, could We coal
without having an accident"
In the course of his description of
the battle of July the witness said:
started the Spanish ships had nearly
them. I stood near enough to touch
Commodore Schley at that time, with
in five feet of him, and l saw that we
were going into a pocket. The Span
ish ships had gotten out and the Wis
caya, the second ship, had turned to-
ward us and we were about to cross
the line of fire of our own ships. At
that time the order was given to port
the helm. I heard Commodore Schley
say port and the ship started to swing
to starboard. The helm was put over
hard aport and she swung around on
her heel. The fire from our batteries
never ceased from the time we start
ed to turn until the end Of the battle,
when the Colon went ashore. The guns
were constantly being fired. The Tex
as was on our starboard hand and she
was fully a third Of g. mile from us.
There never was any question in my
mind about striking her. After swing
ing around we lined up parallel with
the Spanish fleet. In q. few minutes
the Teresa went ashore, on fire. Soon
after the Oquendo followed and then
| we sided up with the Viscaya and kept
with her for 10 or IL miles. At this
time there was not ship to be seen
astern, except the Oregon, which was
about half a mile from us. On this
run with the Viscaya Ellis was killed.
/ There were IA or is Of us standing
together. E5 i.@ szss55s>ss
/ Says schIey Never Ducked.
"The commodore asked in a matter
| OF fact way, What is the ranger El-
| lis raised the stadimeter to his eye
and as he did so shell took his head
of. I. As he fell to the deck, dead, Nc.
Cauley said, Let's throw 1t overheard.
The commod odore said, No. don't throw
| that body overheard. He died like a
brave man and am going to bury him
| like one. He directed me to look out
for the body had 1T wrapped in
blankets, laid In the shade and that
evening It was gotten ready for burial.
i The Viscaya was putting UP the best
/ fight OF any ship there. She fought
well, and the big shells were going
over us and d great many OF us duck,
| ed These shells sounded like hair d
& dozen railroad trains under way. Az