Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-10-25
EROM WASHINGTON.

EkUM " AShlNuIUN.
rCorrespondence Of the Alexandria Gazette. ]
Washington. October %.
The crowd in the court room this
morning was the greatest since the
Schley inquiry began. Many who
came could not gain admission. Ad-
miral Dewey opened the session at IL
O'Clock. Lieut.. Commander Harlow
was then asked by the court: DID
the Vixen carry verbal report from
Admiral Scbley on July 2, that unusual
action was msnifested by the Spanish
sh;ns in the harbor ?n THE Vixen re-
ceiysd such message aud did carry 1t
TO the New York." ssid the witness.
81 was personally present bot l have
no recollection Of its being delivered.
IL was received by megaphone. We
were distributing mail along the line
that night" Witness WIGS shown Q
printed copy of the Vixsn's log and
asked IL 1t did not describe action OF
Julv 8. He replied that it did. He
then read from the log for that day;
IL did not give the message conveyed
from the Brooklyn to the New YORK.
Admiral SChley was recalled to the
stand at 1l:25 O'Clock. DE said t:
"With the courts permission, will go
back to Cientuegos to make everything
clear. In regard to the McCslla
memorandum. desire to say l re-
ceived but one copy. Were there
others they would be found 10 my
papers sent to the Navy department..
NV letter OF Iay %, shows that re-
ceived it that day." He then read the
letter. "Had l gotten 1t on the prevl-
GUS dsy / would have mentioned It,.
The Memorandum related to masked
batteries of which l have no remem'
braDce. The bombardment OF earth
works would have been useless as any
one who knows the facts would say. IL
would have been q waste OF time and
ammunition as bombardments later 10
the war proved. Lieutenant Marsh
has testified here as 10 the accuracy
and promptnees with which matters
were attended to on the flagship New
York. 1t Is of Importance 10 that con-
nection to call attention to the fact
that dispatch Of May q did not reach
me until June 10.' After describing
the retrograde movement and the
breaking down OF the Merrimao the
Admiral said: II thought it was ad-
yisable to act on the suggestion OF the
secretary that the Spanish might be 10
Santiago, although it was nothing more
than a suggestion. 81 continued on
aud We went on until we were within q
few miles OF Santiago. On the morn
Ing OF the 90 b steamed little closer
in and saw the Colon 800 or 1000
wards from the harbor entrance. At
the same time we saw 10 the barber
ship of the Viscaya type, part OF
the top OF another vessel, and 10
an inner cove q torpedo boat. l
felt satisfied that the whole
q Get must be there, after we had seen
that much oft. Before O'Clock 10 the
morning 7 saw smoke to the eastward
which proved to be the st. Paul. l call
ed Captain Slgsbee CD board and told
him our discovery. He expressed a
good deal of surprise to learn that the
Spanish squadron was in port. l sent
dispatch to the department. saying we
had found the Spanish vessels 10 San
tisgo. After sending that dispatch we
maintained blockade of the hsrbor.
The form OF blockade, to keep the yes.
sells 10 line OF battle, was in my iudg.
ment the only one for squadron OF that
size. We kept broadside always to
the hsrbor, turning with single wheel
as we sailed back and forth. The small
er boats were kept In the lee of the large
ones to watch for torpedo boats or
chances to torpedo the enemy In case of
battle. The surf was what we watched
most closely since it is known that can
be seen no farther than five miles. We
averaged five miles from shore accord.
ing to the surf. The Admiral described
the blockade of Santiago and gave IL
Illustrations in order to show 1t was close.
He also described the engagement of
the shore batteries, and bis care to keep
the fl get uniDjuried and intact for more
important operations. He read dis.
patches he had received from the de-
partmeut which have already been
placed on record. Schley then tread q
dispatch from Sampson on May 30 con-
graduating him upon his success 10 coal
ing and blockade G at Santiago and
urging himto make the blockade as close
as possible. Comparison ofthe original
dispatch and the form 10 which the
department printed it showed that
Schley wrote: "Ses having become
smoother, will coal from collier"
"Pbe evidence" said Schley, "shows
that some OF the officers who have testi.
fed here were mistaken. Tne deck OF
the Iowa shows today by plate that
40 eight inch she'll went through 1t on
that occasion. There we're 80 II not
more shells that went over the feet.
The gentlemen's memories are at fault
when they say the Spsniards had
nothing larger than six inch guns. The
Secretsry's advice given in dispatch,
to take Guantanamo, was imprscticable.
1t would have reduced my force 30 that
the favorable results obtained later
would have been impossible. / went
on board the New York, June !, and
Admiral Sampson was very cordial
to me. / pointed out the Colon lying
10 the channel and explained the block
ade ! had maintained. There was not
q word Of disspproval. | turned my
command over to him. am not max
Ing any criticism whatever, Just relat-
ING the facts" Court took recess.
The battle OF Santiago was Admiral
Schley's theme at the afternoon session
of the court. II was preceded by a
statement that the reason he made the
retrograde movement TO the west in
stead OF going to Mole st. Nichols, wss
that the latter was near the eastern end
OF Cuba which was guarded by Samp-
son. he believed, therefore, that any
moyemen. msds by the Ayiug squsdron