The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-16
ears.
Denies Making Statement.


Now, refresh your memory 1 ask
if you did not stay in the ward room
of the Massachusetts, For Gods sake,
don't discourage him. 1t is all we have
been able to do to work him up to
this or words to that effect"
mo. 1 never said anything of the
kind" replied Commander Sears.
In reply to other questions Com
mander Sears said that while no con-
clusion could be reached from the sig
nal fires on shore at Santiago on July
2 that the Spanish fleet was prepar-
ing to escape, yet the situation was
so tense that Commodore Schley felt
something unusual was going to occur.
The afternoon session of the court
began with the recall of Capt. Francis
A. Cook for the purpose of correcting
the testimony given by him yesterday.
While he was on the stand Judge Ad-
vocate Lemly asked him the following
question:
What conversation. if any, did you
have with Commodore Schley about the
retrograde movement either before or
after the signals were made and the
order given on May 26 to return to
Key West?"
The RetrOgrade Movement.
GAS near as 1 recollect the circum-
SldilNCS lIlSlc was d COllNG SdllOIi, dllSi
the message had been brought to me
that signal had been made, Bound for
| Key West by Yucatan channel l did
not understand the signal and went
in to see the commodore about it.
asked him what the signal meant, and
| he said that he must coal the ships.
! That he must seek some place to coal
Them and that he was going toward
| Key West until he could find an OPP
| portunity to coal from the collier, and
| if he did not find that he must be
| near a coal base to keep the ships
! coaled. l made some remark concern
! ing the weather conditions, that
! thought they would be more favorable
! later. He said, Until they are and
until 1 am able to coal from the COL
! lier, l must keep within striking dis
lance of coal l said that l recog-
nized that he felt the responsibility
as no one else could, and that it was
a serious question. He answered that
he recognized that fact, but that he
must act in accordance with his judg-
ment, whether right or wrong; that
personal consideration was of no &C
count when the safety of the fleet was
to be considered"
The court asked the witness the fol-
| lowing questions:
What instructions did you receive
from Commodore Schley regarding the
movement of the Brooklyn after it was
discovered that Cervera's squadron
was coming out of the harbor of San
tiago?"
Il do not recollect any specific in
structions. We were standing for the
enemy"
please repeat any conversation that
took place between Commodore Schley
and yourself from the time the Spanish
squadron came out until the Brooklyn
was steadied on her westerly course
in chase?"
Wanted Slow and Steady Firing.
He several times spoke of the posi-
ton of the enemy. At one time he
spoke of the turning of one of the ships
from the line. I saw it, the Niscaya,
1 think, turn out and then turn in
again. He spoke of that. He said to
me at one time to look out for tor
pedo boats l know at that time that
the executive officer had come from
| below and l turned to him and said
Look out for torpedo boats or tor
pedo attack He said: Aye, aye, sir,
and left me- l have no recollection of
seeing them. l did not concern myself
much about them. He spoke frequent
ly to me during the action about eau
tioning the men at the batteries to
fire steadily and slowly, mot to lose
their shots. He called out number
of times, loud enough to be heard in
the turret, and to be heard on the low
err deck by the men manning the aux
iliary batteries, to fire steady, especial
ly at time when the ships were
| doubled upon each other. as for in
sance the Colon passed from third to
first place inside of the other ships
He spoke to me number OF times
asking me if I could not edge in on
them. l recollect that distinctly, be-
cause l was anxious to keep straight
and steady course, believing we gained
by that, and we had them at all times
under an easy range. We had theiI
range completely and our shots were
landing. Theirs were not"
SchIey's Admirable Conduct.
please state what was the conduc
and bearing of Commodore Schley dur'
ing the battle of July g. The answer
to this question previously by you does
not refer specifically to this date.
Il cannot imagine any conduct II
battle more admirable. He was cool
brave and enthusiastic, from the be
ginning to the end of the action"
Mr.. Rayner: What damage or in
jury was done to the Brooklyn on TN
day of the battle by the Spanish
| SnlpS Z!
The Brooklyn Hit Many Times.
my recollection is that she wal
struck twenty times. She had tn
marks of some forty injuries, but eX
animation showed twenty shotholes
She was in such a condition at tn
end of that battle that so far as tn
ship herself was concerned she wal
ready for action again. She was no
materially injured. The most in
jury was done by a shot tina
entered the midship apartment
and tore things up prett,
badly. There were shots through thu
smokestack that might have interfereC
with her draught."
MIR. Rayner WAS Commodore
Schley's position on the Brooklyn oil
the day OF the battle one of danger?'
schIey's Was the Post of Danger.
Eyes. as much as anyone on board
He was in the open all the time"
BY the Court: How far was the Co
Ion from the Brooklyn when the turf
10 starboard was completed?"
Two thousand or $500 yards"
Capt. Cook then withdrew and cross
examination Of Lieutenant Comman
der Sears was continued by Mr. Hanna
The court asked a number OF ques
tions OF the witness which, with thu
answers, were as follows;