The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-13

was made by Capt. Sigsbee.
Capt. Chadwick also said that he
drafted Admiral Simpsons second dis
patch of May 81 the one sent from Ha
vana, and while the dispatch from Key
West designated as number eight, was
sent at 3 o'clock, the second was sent
between and o'clock.
STANTON is CALLED.
Capt. Chadwick was then excused and
Lieutenant Commander Sidney A. Stan
ton was called. Before the witness took
his seat Judge Advocate Lemly asked
and received permission to put in as
evidence Admiral Sampson's official re-
port made at Guantanamo Bay, August
9, 1898.
Lieutenant Commander Stanton re-
lated the particulars of his securing in
formation of the presence of Cervera's S
fleet at Santiago He said that while the
fleet under Admiral Sampson lay at Key
West on the morning of May 20 he
went ashore. While in the office of Com
modore Remey, he said that Capt AL
len of the signal office, had called him
aside and told him that he had received
information of the presence Of the Span
ish fleet at Santiago, which he believed
to be correct The information was to
the effect that the fleet had entered the
harbor on May 10. The information
came from an employe of the telegraph
office at Havana, who could only send
his information at 6 o'clock when others
were absent from the office there. Capt
Allen had the witness said, asked that
great secrecy be observed for the pro-
lection of the operator, only agreeing
| that the commander-in-c chief and dis
staff should be informed. Later the
witness had returned to Key West and
| received confirmatory information.
! He then stated th4t on the next
morning, May 21, the fleet proceeded to
the blockade of Havana. Admiral Samp-
son being satisfied that the information
concerning the presence of the fleet at
| Santiago was correct The admiral ac-
cordingly had called up the Hawk and
| forwarded his dispatches to Commodore
Schley.
| Capt. Lemly-"Tell the court fully
from what source the information was
received concerning the arrival of Ger
vera's fleet in Santiago. / would like
you to Identify the dispatch put into
cipher at that time, to which you re-
! fer
"The dispatch / referred to ais having
1
! my presence is the dispatch known as
the memorandum that accompanied dis
patch number 81
Mr.. Rayner-"Thes Hawk carried
number s, is that right?'
| "The captain of the Hawk was called
on board and / remember his instruc-
| tions were to proceed with all speed
until he met the Vesuvius and trans
| tnh tn hor che
faster vessel. AS to whether number
was enclosed with this l was not secre-
tary and did not enclose it,
| when did the Hawk leave?"
"She left the Havana blockade some
| distance west of Havana, about dusk, on
| May 81, probably about half past six"
| Then you received this information on
| May 20 at half past eight in the morn.1.--,,
| and the Hawk left at dusk May 21?'
THAT IS correct"
| Tho witness said in reply to questions
| that the memorandum beginning The
/ enclosed instructed instructions, had not
been sent by the Iowa as the dispatch
was dated May 21 and the Iowa had left
on the day previous"
| Mr. Rayner: "Was not the Hawk the
| first vessel that carried that memoran-
DUMP
ITO the best of my knowledge the Hawk
| was the first and only vessel that carried
that memorandum" replied the wit
| ness.
| "The Hawk left on May 21st and the
| first information you had was about half
| past eight or nine o'clock on the Goth.
| When did you get this second confrmatory
information you speak OFF,
Il got it on shore at Key West about
! o'clock on the evening of May 2Oth"
Then the confImatory dispatch as
understand It was received some tweny-
! four hours before the Hawk left with this
| memorandum to Commodore Schley. Is
that right?''
! "Yes, at Key West and the Hawk was
sent from Havana"
"Can you give me any subsequent dis
| patches or memoranda that passed be-
tween Admiral Sampson and Commodore
Schley IN reference to the Spanish Squad
ron being at Santiago?'
II do not think | can refer you to any.
lSAs to Admiral Sampson heard that the
1 fleet Of Admiral Sohley had not left Glen
| fuegos In other words after he got a
reply from the commander OF the Fly
| ing Squadron he sent the Wasp, / think
| about May 26th to Cienfuegos with an
|
| did not arrive there until Commodore
| Schley had left for Santiago and l do not
remember what those dispatches were"
WAS that the Wasp"
| yes
| What date?"
| MY impression is she left by the Old
] Bahama Channel May 26th.
Then / understand that between the
time that the Hawk carried this infor-
nation to Commodore Schley at dusk on
1 the evening of May 21st and the time
/ when this dispatch was sent from the
| Bahama Channel on the 26th, there was
| no communication between Admiral Samp-
| sen and Commodore Schley in reference
/ to the Spanish Squadron at Santiago.
| Was there?"
Il thought / replied, there was no op-
portunity for any
FIRST NEWS OF CERvERA'S FLEET.
After further effort on Mr.. Rayners
| part to elicit information as to CORE
| spondence between the commanders and
objection ON the part of Mr.. Hanna to
| bringing in dispatches which had no inn
! mediate bearing upon Commodore Schleys