Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-11

"The fact that they could not see
vessel if it ran at a distance from two
to two and half miles off at night"
How far was the Vixen from the
shore. 2"
81 can not say"
What was the distance between your
vessel and the ViXen?'
II can not say.
care you prepared to say, then, that
if the enemy had come out neither You
nor the Vixen could have seen him?
IT answered the question. as put by
the court, that we on the Marblehead
could not have seen the enemy coming
cut under the conditions 1 have named:
first in keeping close in under the land,
and secondly in steering due south from
the harbor."
What sort of nights were there?"
IT do not remember particularly.
Lieut.. p. G. Dewey, nephew of Ad-
miral Dewey, who was watch officer on
the Massachusetts, was the next Wit
ness. He placed the distance Of the
blockading line under Schley from the
mouth of Santiago harbor at from five
to eight miles, the distance being about
the same day and night. There was.
he said, no particular formation of the
vessels.
when you were at the western end of
the blockade with the leading vessel
making the turn, what orders were
there for attacking If you saw the ene-
my coming out of the entrance"
81 do not believe we could have seen
the enemy coming out. There were no
orders l have any knowledge Of
why do you think you would not
have seen the enemy coming out II such
had been the case?"
"Owirg to the darkness and the dis
tance from the harbor. In one instance
when we were at the western end of the
line ships could have come out and
stood to the eastward without our be-
ing any wiser, unless they showed
lights"
How about the reverse of that prop
osition?"
81 think it would have been the same
in either case.'
Did you nave any conversation with
the commanding officer of the flying
squadron or any one in his presence In
relation to the fire on the Colon or
otherwise?"
81 was told shortly before we started
in to the entrance that the commodore
wished to see turret officers in the pilot
house. went to the pilot house and
the commodore said he intended to go
in a few minutes to have try at the
Colon and that he hoped he would sink
her. I asked what speed we would
make and was told about ten knots. I
remarked at the time that l thought
that was giving us very little chance
at the Colon, as she would be in sight
between the head lands only a couple
| of minutes and the smoke from her
guns would probably make our fire very
slow. To the best of my recollection
the commodore stated that we would
have to do the best We could; that the
speed would be ten knots"
Describing the range at which he had
fired the guns on that occasion he said
at first 1t was 1000 yards. under orders,
then he had increased it to $500 yard,
but that all shots fell short. He said
the Spanish shore batteries had not
given the American ships much trouble
on that occasion. None from the
SOiOu SdluC bAS iSsAAds OuS WV VI
or three shots from the batteries fell
about the Massachusetts at the time,
one passing over il"
What conclusion did you arrive at as
to the caliber of the shore guns?"
II did not think they were of very
large caliber. not over six-inch."
In reply to question by the court as
whether he was ordered to direct the
fire on the Colon or the batteries on May
81 he said the orders were to direct his at
the Colon directly, but he could not say
whether Schley or Higginson had given
the order.
Lieut. Francis Boughter. who was
watch and division officer on board the
Marblehead during Schley's blockade at
Santiago, was then called. He said dur
ing that time the Marblehead was on
picket duty between the shore line and
line of blockade, the Marblehead being
stationed three miles from shore to
westward, six miles from Moro. I He
would not attempt to say how far OUT
side the squadron was, but he could not
see the ships after nightfall.