Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1901-10-09
SAMPSON MUST SETTLE /.
Lawyers Cannot Agree Whether the
"Dear Schley" Letter Was Dated
at Cienfuegos or Santiago.
MORE ABOUT TUE SUPPLY OF COAL.
Capt. Dyson Says on May 26 the BrookIyn
Had Enough Fuel TO Have Remained on
blockade 20 Days and Then Steamed to
key West-Capt. Evans Executive DHa-
Testifies.


key West-Capt. Evans Executive on
Ger Testifies.
Washington, Oct. SIN the Schley
court Friday, the question as to
whether the word in the Dear
Schley" letter should be Santiago or
CienfuegOs again came up on a state
ment by Capt. Lemly, who said he
would continue to hold to the Santi-
ago version. Mr.. Rayner then said il
this was the case he would be COM
PEELED to summon Admiral Sampson,
the author of the dispatch, as a wit
ness.
Lieut.. Dyson, who was on the wit
ness stand Thursday when the court
adjourned, was recalled. He had
added to his coal history of the feet
information as to how long the sup
ply of coal on hand May 26 would
have held out under forced draft. He
said that on May "a the brooklyn
had coal enough aboard to have re-
mained on blockade duty off San
tiago for 25 days and then to have re-
turned to Key West; the Massachu-
setts enough to remain II days, and
then GO to Key West; the Iowa
enough for II days; the Texas days,
and the Marblehead l day.
Lieut.. Dyson was followed on the
stand by Commander Raymond T.
Rodgers, who was executive officer OF
the battlship Iowa during the sum
mer of 1898. He testified to leaving
Key West on May 20 for Cienfuegos,
to JOIN the flying squadron. Before
leaving, as a representative of Capt.
Evans, he had, he said, a conference
| with Commander-inC Sampson. at
which Capts. Taylor and Chadwick
were present. At that time he was
told by Admiral Sampson that he had
received information from the depart
ment at Washington that the Spanish
feet under Cervera was probably in
the harbor at Santiago.
Capt. Rodgers related two or three
instances in which the ships of the
flying squadron were cleared for ac-
tion upon signal from the flagship
Brooklyn before May 81, when vessels
were discerned in the distance In
each case the vessels proved to be
American ships. Each time the sig.
nal was to clear for action and make
speed of 12 knots an hour.
Cross-eXamined on the dispatches
carried by the Iowa, Capt. Rodgers
was asked if the Dear Schley letter.
dated at Key West, May 20, 1898, writ
ten by Admiral Sampson, in which
| the statement was made that Il am
of the opinion that our best chance
| of success in capturing the enemys
ships will be to hold Cienfuegos and
| Havana" was included in these dis
patches. The witness replied that he
| had no knowledge what the envelope
| contained. While the eXamnat ion
was on this point was in progress
| Mr.. Rayner read the letter including
| the following extract: IF later it
should develop that these vessels are
at Santiago, we could then assemble
off that port the ships best suited for
the purpose and completely blockade
it. Until we receive more positive
information we shall continue to hold
Havana and Santiago"
Mr.. Rayner remarked that he sup
posed it would be conceded that the
word Santiago" as given above.
was a mistake and that it should be
''Cienfuegos." Capt. Lemly replied
that he would make no such conces-
the accuracy of government publica'
tions. 1t closed with an understand
ing that the original document should
be supplied Saturday.
| When Capt. Rodgers was excused
he was followed by Lieut.. Commander
Albon c. Hogsdon. He said that he
had been navigator of the Brooklyn
during the Spanish war.-and was on
the bridge the day of the battle of
July 3. He related particulars of that
engagement, telling how the Span,
iards came out and were attacked
by the American ships. He said that
| when Commodore Schley was told
that they were coming for u.s. he
replied ''then go for them" The
helm was then put aport and from
that time went straight in toward the
enemy. He next heard the commo-
dore say: Look out Cook, they are
| going to ram you" The witness said
if the ship went to starboard she
would ram the Texas. The commo-
| dore, the witness said, replied
Damn the Texas, let her take care
of herself" The commodore re-
marked that he did not mean to get
blown up by a torpedo boat. The
turn was made, he said. in accordance
with the commanders orders and the
Brooklyn swung well clear of the
Texas" Capt. Hogsdon said that he
estimated the distance of the Brook
lyn from the Texas to be $50 or 800
| yards.
| Schley Retires October 8.