Evening star., 1901-11-05

iStuiH ME tDdl tle OntN tStii
declined.
20. Did you make this offer before he
went on board the Brooklyn?
"A. Yes: it was before we arrived at San
tiago, on the 2Tth.t
Rear Admiral Cotton also testifies to
the same facts. / understood Adni-
raj Schley either to disclaim all knowl-
edge of this proposition on the part of Lieu
tenant Beale or to state that 1t was made
four days later. l do not definitely remem-
Der which. The Harvard left with Com
modore Schley's dispatch at noon, May %.
About o'clock in the afternoon. steel
hawser having been carried from the Yale
to the MerriInac and made secure, the fly
ing squadron resumed its movement to-
ward Key West Admiral Cotton testifies
that during his visit on board the flagship
the commodore gave an order to make gem
era1 signal for report whether the ships
had sufhcient coal TO reach Key West.
During his presence an affirmative report
was received. Admiral Cotton adds: Il
think the commodore was very much re-
neved when he received this information.
Shortly afterward, / should say within a
few minutes, he directed that a prepara-
tory signal be made for the ships to return
to Key West"
That same evening, however May %.
either before or after the conference with
Captain Cook, upon which point the cap
tain's memory Is not entirely clear, coaling
operations were resumed. The collier had
been repaired. The sea became smoother
the Marblehead and the Texas coaled all
fleet then started for Santiago, arriving
Oft that port the same evening. Such were
the circumstances attending the alleged dis
obedience of orders referred to in speciica-
tton 5 of the precept, with such OF the rea-
sons therefor as have, SO far as We are
aware, been developed in the course of
these proceedings.
Squndron's Coal Equipment.
Specification six directs inquiry into:
The condition of the coal supply of the
flying squadron on and about May 81 1898;
its coaling facilities; the necessity, If any,
for, or advisability Of, the return of the
squadron to Key West to coal; and the ac-
curacy and propriety of the official reports
made by Commodore Schley with respect to
this matter
Without going into details it is sufTicien.
to state that the Brooklyn at midnight on
May u had 919S tons of coal, giving n
cruising radius at speed of ten Knots OF
3,1o4 miles-she could have crossed the At
lantic for coal; the battle ship Massachu-
setts at the same hour had on board 1tio1
tons, giving cruising radius at ten knots
of 2,311 miles; the battle ship Iowa 743.4
tons, giving a cruising radius at Icu Knots
of 2,O2S miles; the battle ship Texas 376.S,
cruising radius of 1.459 miles, and the
Marblehead 1914, with a cruising radius of
$40 miles.
ing the coal history from midnight OF May
IL to midnight of June ], 1898, wiz other
tables showing the coal records OF the Min
neapolis, st. Paul, Harvard, Yale and Vixen
from noon and midnight IF May "a, 1898,
until reaching port of coaling ship are
given. The average daily coal consumption
of ships of the flying squadron while on
blockade duty, with particular information
showing now long the several vessels could
nave remained on blockade duty anC re-
tanned coal enough to reach various acces-
S1b1e ports, is given.
From testimony of the commanding and
nf ha Prn fha Ia,, +r,o
Massachusetts, the Marblehead aid the eX-
ecutive and other officers of the Texas, and
from the steam logs of those vessels it
would appear that as full and completely
as any fact can be shown by evidence it
has been established that the flying squad
ron was on May %, 1898, fairly well equip
PED with coal, and had at hand further
more, collier containing an abundant
supply of coal, somewhere between 5000
and 1000 tons of coal.
Under these circumstances it appears that
the reports made to the department by the
commodore on this subject were inaccl1-
rate, particularly the reports made at the
time in his telegram dispatched May q by
the Harvard
Among the signals entered in the official
record book of the Brooklyn. at $50 pm.
May. p is the following: From Brooklyn
to st. Paul: IF Sampson comes here tell
him half of squadron out of coal and collier
engine broken down" Commodore Schley
suggested lin his testimony that this signal
should read half Of squadron short of
COAL" but it appears in the original signal
record half of squadron out Of COAL and
with respect to that the admiral says that
it was not the fact. and, of course, he
would not have made such a signal.
The Engagement of May 81.
Specification Z. Whether or not every ef-
fort incumbent upon the commanding Off
Ger Of a fleet under such circumstances
was made to capture or destroy the Span
ish cruiser Colon as she lay at anchor in
the entrance to Santiago harpor May %
to 81, inclusive, and the necessity for, or
advisability of engaging the batteries at the
entrance to Santiago harbor and the Span
ish vessels at anchor within the entrance
to said harbor, at the ranges used, and the
propriety of Commodore Schley's conduct
in the premises.
With respect to this specification it seems
sufficient to say that when the flying
squadron arrived off Santiago on May %
the Colon was discovered in plain sight
lying about LOCO to 1,200 yards inside of
the MORO, moored stem and stern, appa-
rently, with awnings up, and that she so
remained during the Goth, Both and 31st of
May and until the morning Of the June I.
On May 81, Commodore Schley. having
transferred his flag from the Brooklyn to
squadron: "The Massachusetts. the New
Orleans and Iowa will go in after dinner
to distance of 1000 yards AID fire at Girls
tobal Colon with eight and twelve and thir-
pm. signal was made: Clear ship for ac-
tion;'' at 1:25. Massachusetts, New Or
leans, Iowa, form column" at 1:29, Speed
ten knots at 1:31, "Will indicate range
at :33, Following Massachusetts. use
heavy guns Cristobal Colon,'' at lao
Fire steadily and with greatest prac-
ticable precision at 2:o5. DO not go in
any Closer" at 2:16 Cease firing
Some question has been raised by the
testimony respecting the signal made at
2:05, do not go in any Closer and Ad-
miral Schley has stated that he has no
recollection of such signal and knows no
reason why it should have been given
The original signal book of the Iowa,
however, has just been received from the
Pacific station and is found to confirm this
signal. admiral Higginson, Major Wood
and others testified that when Com
modore Schley came on board the
Massachusetts, he said: II am going in
this afternoon to fire at the Colon. Capt.
Seaton Schroeder page 99) testifes that
Commodore Schley said to Admiral Higgin-
son and to the witness that he was ''go-
ing to take us and the Iowa in to pot the
Colon. We will go by slowly and fire de-
liberately, SO as to sink her at her moor
fngs.'' or words to that effect. Instead of
SO doing, the evidence of numerous wit
nesses establishes the fact that the speed
Of the vessels during the action was ten
knots; that the Colon was in sight and
under the fire of each successive United