The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-12

stated we could have to do the best we
could; that the speed would be ten
knots"
In reply to question by the court
as TO whether he was ordered to direct
his fire on the Colon or on the bat
terles on May 81. Lieut.. Dewey said
that his orders were to direct his fire
at the Colon entirely, but he could not
say whether Commodore Schley or
Capt. Higginson had given the order.
Lieut.. Francis Boughter said the
Marblehead and the Vixen were on
picket duty between the shore line at
Santiago and the line of the blockade.
the Marblehead being stationed three
miles from the shore and to the west
ward, six miles from the Moro. He
would not attempt to say how far in
side the squadron he was, but he could
not see the ships after nightfall.
The court asked: was the Marble
head in such position at night while
on picket duty off Santiago that the
enemy's vessels would have been seen
had they attempted to leave the har-
bor?''
The witness replied THAT would
depend on a great many circumstances;
the state of the weather, the course
they took and their success in keeping
their ships dark and quiet"
COuId Not Have Seen the Enemy.
Admiral Dewey: THE Marblehead
was on picket duty. Could you have
seen the enemy coming out?"
IF the enemy kept close to shore,
and we were three miles off during
most of the time, we could not have
seen them: if the enemy had stood
south from the entrance which would
have placed them about four miles off,
we could not have seen them, pro-
vided they kept reasonably dark and
quiet
Mr.. Rayner: What was the purpose
of the picket boats being there if they
could not see the enemy?"
They were supposed to be there, l
presumed, for that purpose"
Then, if they were there for that
purpose, what was it that would have
prevented them from accomplishing
this object?"
The fact that they could not see a
vessel if it ran at a distance of from
two to two and a half miles off at
night"
Lieut.. E. L. Bennett said that when
the North Atlantic squadron arrived
off Santiago, they found the
Flying Squadron there. They
stopped about seven miles d.
rectly south of the harbor
and the witness said, he had seen the
Cristobal Colon in the harbor He
said also that almost Immediately af-
terward the vessel moved to the west
ward back of Cay Smith. This last
statement, however, was stricken from
the record on the ground that such tes-
timony previously had been excluded
The witness said the Flying Squadron
was at that time in irregular formation
Lieut.. c. c. Marsh testified concern
ing the forwarding of dispatches by
the Dupont and the Iowa from Key
West on May 20 These messages were
from Admiral Sampson to Commodore
Schley and one of them was the memo
randum of Capt. McCala concerning
the insurgents at Cienfuegos.
In cross-examining the witness, Mr..
Rayner said that counsel for Admiral
Schley would admit the receipt of one
copy of the McCalla memoranda, but
that ther was dispute as to the other
copies.
Capt. McCaIla's Signals.
Capt. French E. Chadwick was ques-
toned by Mr.. Hanna concerning the
code of signals arranged by Capt. Nc
Gala of the Marblehead with the in
surgent Cubans near Cienfuegos. He
replied:
capt. McCalla arrived off the reefs
of Key West at noon on the 18th of
May. He came on board and went
down in the cabin and was there some
little time with Admiral Sampson and
myself. After coming, on deck
he spoke to me and said he
had made an arrangement with the
Cubans off Cienfuegos by which
they could communicate with the ships.
He said he did not care to have any
thing said about it as he was going
back the next day. and his would prob
ably be the first ship there. He was
accidentally delayed at Key West by
his inability to get coal and water un-
til the next day. So that instead Of
leaving on the 20th he left on the 21st."
Was this system of signals reduced
to writing?'
mo"
What was said, if anything, about
reducing them to writing?"
HE was anxious about them. He
did not want the code to get out pub
licly He seemed to have some idea
that the Spaniards might get hold of it
and get the Cubans in trouble there
by"
ITO whom. if you recollect, did you
communicate this system of signals or
information respecting it?''
MY memory is entirely at fault re-
garding that. l cannot say positively
that l communicated it to anybody"
did you communicate 1t to Commo-
dore Schley? If not, why not?"
why They Were Not Given Schley.
THE signals were not communicated
to Commodore Schley because Capt.
McCalla said he was going back the
next day at once, and would give them
to all the ships off Cienfuegoes him.
self. ="
"Was Commodore Schley then in Key
West?"
He had left on the morning of the
18th for Cienfuegos."
Some hours before McCalla arrived
with this system of signals?"
About three hours before
DO you remember communicating
this system yourself to Capt. Evans?'
Il have no recollection of it,"
SchIey Said He Was Pleased.
Capt Chadwick said Commodore
Schley was on board the New York on
May Is, and had said to Admiral
sampson that he was very pleased to
be under SIMPSONS command, and
that he could be assured that he should
he entirely loyal in all his conduct
Was there anything said with re-
gard to the feasibility of conducting a
blockade of Santiago?"
Yes. / remember Commodore Schley
spoke in my presence, and / think to
myself, as he was leaving the ship.
saying: You cannot blockade those
ships in there If they want to come
out / remember that"
Capt. Lemly: did you have any in
formation whatever from any source
that Cervera's feet was going to make
a sortie from the harbor of Santiago