Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-05
ADMIRAL SCHLEY
COURT OF INQUIRY

The following testimony given before
the schley court of inquiry Friday
was received too late for publication in
our issue Of yesterday
WITNESSES HEARD YESTERDAY.
The witnesses for the day were Lieut..
c. w. Dyson, OF the bureau OF steam
engineering. concerning the coal supply
OF the flying squadron; Commander Il.
=. Rodgers, who was second In COM
mand OF the battleship Iowa during
the Spanish war, and carried Admiral
SIMPSONS dispatches OF May 20 to
Commodore Schley and Commander
Alben G. Hodgson, who was the navi-
gator Of the flagship Brooklyn.
SHELLS FROM THE BROOKLYN.
While Commander Rodgers was on
the stand Mr.. RaynOr submitted a
computation OF shells from the Ameri-
can fleet which had struck the wrecked
vessels of Cervera's squadron, showing
that at least "a per cent OF them were
fired by the Brooklyn. This compu-
tation. Mr. Raynor said. had been pre-
pared by Admiral Schley on the basis
Of q report made by board OF survey,
OF which the witness was the senior
member.
Lieut. Dyson, who was on the witt
ness stand yesterday when the court
adjourned. was then recalled. He had
added to his coal history OF the fleet
information as 10 how long the supply
OF coal on hand May 90 would have
held out under forced draught. This
information was contained in chart
which was read by Judge Advocate
Lemly. The witness also read the same
information from a tabulated state
ment.
Lieut.. Dyson was followed on the
stand by Commander Raymond L.
Rodgers, who was executive officer of
the batileship Iowa during the sum-
mer OF 1898. He testified TO leaving
Key West on May 20 for Cienfuegos
20 Join the flying squadron. Before
leaving he had had, as a representative
OF Capt. Evans he said. a conference
with Commander. IN Chief Sampson. at
which Capts. TAYLOR and Chadwick
were present At that time he was told
by Admiral Sampson that he had re-
ceived information from the depart
ment at Washington that the Spanish
fleet under Cervera was possibly In the
harbor Of Santiago. He had not. how
ever, been informed Of any secret code
for communicating with the Cuban in
surgents near Cicnfuegos.
Commander Rodgers was examined
at length concerning the coaling OF the
flying squadron.
Gould you have coaled the Iowa
on the afternoon Of May 26?" Mr..
Hanna asked
"In the late afternoon, the time I
speak Of. the weather being fine and
smooth. think there would have been
no trouble al ALL replied the witness.
Capt. Rodgers related two or three
Instances In which the ships OF the
flying squadron were cleared for action
upon signal from the flagship Brook
lyn before May 81. when vessels were
discerned in the distance. In each case
the vessels proved 10 be American
ships Each time the signal was TO
clear FOR action and make speed OF
twelve knots an hour.
Describing Commodore Schley's
blockade Of the harbor al Santiago,
Capt. Rodgers said that the fleet main
tanned a position OF sever or eight
miles out. with the Marblehead and
the Vixen inside the line. lie re-
membcrcd that the Marblehead was
on the inside from the fact that some
OF the vessels Of the squadron had
fred al her. He could not say whether
the fleet was further out In the day
than at night. or vice versa. He
thought the Vixen and the Marble
head could have been seen by moon
light. but not after the moon had set.
Cant. Rodgers had concluded his tes-