The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-01
THE SCHLEY
INQUIRY,

u Washington, Sept. 30 When The
, schley Court OF Inquiry convened
this morning at II o'clock, Lieut.
Com. II. II. Switzerland, who testi.
fled on Saturday, was recalled.
Commander Southeriand, who
was 10 command Of the Eagle, was
asked by the court. whether, if the
Spanish fleet had been in the har-
Dor at Cientuegos, 1t could have
been seen by the vessels blockadirg
the port. lie replied:
Il cannot definitely say-not un-
less they had anchored in the low.
er harbor, just inside Of the en-.
trance In the deep water where the
schooner to which | referred before
was anchored. l do not believe
they would have anchored IN that
spot. "
Commander James NJ. Miller, who
was in command Of the collier Mer.
rinac while that vessel was a part
OF Admiral Schley's Flying Sou ad.
ron, was then called to the witness
stand.
Commander Miller said that ne
assumed command Of the Merrimac
on Ap'll II. 1898, at Norfolk. He
had taken on board at Lambert's
Point soon afterward about 5000
tons OF coal. His vessel had, he
p aid, been capable at first of maxi
ing between 9 and 10 knots, but
alter"ard he had trouble with his
pressure machinery, so that by
May IS and "a he would have hesi.
tated in trying to secure a speed of
more than 7 or s knots.
He read from the colller's log to
show that the Iowa, Massachusetts
and the Castine had been coaled on
May 3 and "a. No record was
lonnd Of the coallng Of any vessel
on the 25th or the Goth, the time
consumed in proceeding from Cieu-
lueSos to Santiago.
"The sea-" he said, ION Nav Is
was nasty, quite nasty. The Mer-
rImac being heavy vessel, IT'S
speed was affected. but if had
nag a smaller vessel, l should have
lett It very much" He also said
mat the weather Tor that day was
bad.
On cross examination Mr.. Raw.
ner Questioned Commander Miller
concerning coaling from the Merri.
mac on the 24th. Hesaid the Mas.
sachusetts had been coaled at 7,3O
IN the morning Of that day, He
vi as then examined concerning sig.
nsls as to coaing the Texas. While
lhese questions were being out,
~aptaiu Miller said laughiugly:
GO ahead. You've got me
here He then proceeded:
~ slgA allied over i object 10 hay.
ng two battleships alongside of
ne; and Captain Phillips, Of the
exas' sIgnelled, think to Captain
ilgglnson, but lido OF know wheth.
r. It was to the Admiral or him,
X and NJ will crush G.
Mr.. Rayner-You were not G:
'ou were \. Gwas the Massachu.
eits
~ was G, l think. What I OBJ.
eeted towas having two oattleships
'eslde me. They have a peculiar
notion and when two battleship
re rolling, they would have a ten.
,,ency 10 crush a collier between
mem. 1t was not so much on &C.
cunt OF the weather as it was the
'resence OF one battleshp on each
lde. y
"How was the sea at that time?"
~ did not teel the. sea very much
eeause my ship was peculiarly a
teady ship"
"How was it as far as the other
hips are concerned"
'batt!eshIps nearly alv avs have
lotion; that is my experience, AS
ar as am personally concerned
ould have eoaled."
"Well. how about the other yes.
els2"
THAT is not for me to JUDGE
"Then when you spoke Of YOUR
apaclty to coal, you spoke about
our own shipI"
Yes; that | wasready for de;iv.
ry' lamglying no opinion regard.
Continuing, the witness said he
always hated to go alongside the
attleships. The Merrlmac," he