Evening star., 1901-09-30


book of the Brooklyn a signal from th
| Brooklyn to the Texas: go alongsid
collier and coal as rapidly as possible.
| This was at 7:J9 on the oath of May. A
| S:53 the Texas sent a signal to the Brook
| lyn saying captain thought it unsafe to pu
| collier between two rnen-of-war.
The witness said that that was true; that
he objected to having two battleships along
side the Merrimac There was danger OF
being crushed between them. There was
always motion on the battleships, although
the Merrinlac was as steady as log In
the water There was this motion whether
the was rough or not.
O. BY Mr.. Rayner: When you speak O
your ability to coal YOU refer to your own
ship? A. l give no opinion and wish to
express none about any other ship.
The witness said the hawser with which
he was being towed by the Yale when he
was broken down broke because he
thought the Yale had started ahead toe
quickly. He said the Yale was a very
fast vessel and the Merrimac was very
heavy, so that the strain on the cable wa:
intense. The witness stated in eXplana-
tion of his difficulty in remembering de-
tails of what took place at times during
this period that when he left the MerrimaC
everything he had was lost except the log.
His own personal memoranda were lost
For that reason he had only the log book
to refresh his memory.
He was further cross-eXamined by Mr.
Rayner, and then the following questions
were asked by the court, being put to the
witness by the judge advocate:
@. BY the court: What direction was the
Merrimac heading when her engine broke
down? A. We had been varying the course.
At $50 o'clock when We stopped we were
heading east.
O. Was there no point near Cienfuegos
where vessels could have found protection
from the sea on May 24? A. Unless we had
gone up to the Isle of Pines. I do not
think there was any place where we could
hay tn nd o
than off CienfuegoS, unless we had gone
very far to the eastward.
Q. Could you have coaled any of the YES
sells May 25, had you been ordered to do so!
A. l should Judge So 1t was a nasty sea
I could COAL yes, any time. 1 could not
have coaled comfortably. 1t was a nasty
sea and squally, rainy weither, and if had
had my own way L would not have cared
to coal on that day.
@. Were you acquainted with the coast
of Cuba and vicinity of Cape Cruz? A
Only by chart
Capt. JEWELS Stay on Santiago.
Captain Theodore F. Jewell, who COM
manded the cruiser Minneapolis and was
first attached to the flying squadron and
afterward to the North Atlantic squadron
was the next witness. 1t will be remem-
bered that Admiral Schley's letter to Sen
ate committee had stated that such officers
as Jewell Wise and Sigsbee had expressed
their belief that Cervera was not at San
tiago.
The witness said that he fell In with
Commander Clark on the 26th of May of
Santiago. At that time he said, the Min
neapoliS had one eight-inch, one siX-inch
and twelve four-inch guns.
The judge advocate read a portion OF
Commodore Schley's letter in which he had
stated that such commanders as Sigsbee
Jewell and Wise had seen nothing of Ger
vera's fleet and knew nothing of its move
ments.
Q. (by the judge advocate) ask you what
information you did give Commodore
Schley? A. / gave him no information in
reference to that whatever.
Q. How long had you been off Santiago de
afternoon of the 23d of May and left at
noon of the oath for Cienfuegos with orders
to report to Commodore Schley. Not find
ing the flying squadron there l returned to
Santiago and arrived there about noon of
the 25th. I desire to add when that state
ment by Commodore SchIey was published
l prepared letter to the Navy Department
in which stated that SO far as / was con-
cerned the statement in that document was
incorrect
Q. What became of that letter? A. The
letter was not sent.
Captain Parker, of counsel for Admiral
Scnley, objected to the admission of this
testimony.
The judge advocate said that his purpose
was to show that the witness had sought
to contradict this statement, but he with.
drew the question.
O. BY the Judge advocate: At the time
you were in signaling distance off Santiago
were you asked any questions by Commo-
dore SchleY as to the presence of the
Spanish squadron in Santiago. A. Not tc
my recollection.
Q. Do you recollect whether you went on
board the flagship Brooklyn at this time:
A did not go on board the flagship oil
this time.
n Rxr Mr. M
communication with Captain Sigsbee while
OF Santiago? A. l went aboard the Har-
ward on the 23d of May and had some ta,k
that afternoon.
Q. BY Mr.. Rayner: 1 want to know
whether of your own knowledge YOU Knew
or did not know that Captain Sigsbee smoke
for himself, you and Wise in stating n
Commodore Schley on the 26th. off San-
tiago, that neither Wise, you nor himself
had seen anything of the movements G,
the Spanish fleet? Also, whether yo,, did
not know whether Captain Sigsbee stated
that as a fact? Have you any knowledge
OF that? A. None whatever.
There was some discussion between conn.
sci as to the propriety of having in rhs
testimony conversation between Captair
Sigsbee and the witness. The witness final
ly stated that he had received a dispatch
from the Navy Department saying that tn,
Spanish squadron had been reported il
Santiago and that nothing had occurred
to his knowledge to change his belief thai
Il was there He had no positive knowl
edge on the subject.
The Weather on Santiago.
Q. By the court: What was the state o.
the sea and weather OF Santiago May e
to May 2S, inclusive? A. had no knowi
edge in regard to May %. arrived ther,
May % In the forenoon. On that day until
noon of the following day my recollection
Is that there was no sea particularly, bu
there was rather a hE.vy SWELL On thu
18th It was calm and smooth; on the 27ti
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