The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-27

til the oath. and was senior officer
on the 25th, and the squadron came
there on the 26th.'
No Information for SchIey.
Did you not direct Capt. Sigsbee to
give to Commodore Schley the infor-
nation that you had received from the
navy department with regard to the
hereabouts of the Spanish squadron
Il did not"
At this point Capt, Wise was excus-
ed, and Admiral Cotton was recalled
to make verbal corrections in the tes-
timony previously given by him.
Admiral Cotton was questioned con-
cerning some points of the Santiago
campaign. He said that on the morning
of May 81. after arriving from Kings
ton he had gone aboard the Brooklyn
with dispatches for Admiral Schley.
Asked by Capt. Lemly to relate his
conversation with Admiral Schiey on
that occasion of the visit, he said:
What the Commodore said.
"He informed nAe that it had been
ascertained that some, at least of the
ships of Admiral Cervera's squadron
were within the harbor of Santiago;
that they had been seen and were in
sight and as a matter of fact one of
them was then in sight at the entrance
to the harbor. In language as nearly as
/ can remember, he said: After dinner
/ am going to hoist the flag on board
the Massachusetts and take her and
the Iowa and go in and have a pot
shot at those fellows
William G. Gray, who was chief ma
chinist on the Texas during the battle
of Santiago on July 3, testified that on
that date he had been on duty at the
throtfla nf fhn cfaphna r6 nnoinn Of fh.a
batteship. He said that when he went
to the engine room the vessel was going
ahead.
THE next signal" he said was to
stop and minute afterward to re-
verse. The engines were then reversed" 3"
The Reversal Was Brief.
The witness said that the reversal
was very brief the revolutions not ex-
ceeding 100 and the time being short.
He had. he said, heard afterward that
the reversal was because they were
passing the Brooklyn.
Lieut.. Spencer S. Wood, who COM
manded the dispatch boat Dupont dur
ing the Spanish war, was the next wit
aess.
Lieut. Wood related the particulars
of his mission as a dispatch carrier
from Admiral Sampson lying at Key
West to Admiral Schley, who was off
Cienfuegos. He had left Key West on
May 20 carrying dispatches of which
the Iowa carried duplicates, and had
reached Cienfuegos several hours in
advance of the Iowa.
Wanted to Know SampsOn's Plans.
"On my arrival" the witness said. 81
went aboard and personally delivered
the dispatches which / carried from
Admiral Sampson to Commodore
4. L. -. aIm n Il
asked me Admiral SIMPSONS idea
about where the Spanish squadron
was. i told him did not know. He
asked me of Admiral SIMPSONS inten-
tions. l told him did not know them
He told be he thought the Spanish
squadron was there. He had heard fir
ing and was almost convinced that
they were there. The conversation
was on the line to endeavor TO find out
from me what Admiral Simpsons
plans were. l could give no informa-
ton
| How long were you on board the
| fiagship?"
Until just before luncheon"
Have yot anything further to state
with respect to this interview which
will bear upon the subject of this in
quiry?"
"The Commodore hesltated some
about giving me coal. He did not think
he could spare coal at first l said II
was absolutely necessary; that we
were almost out of coal. having made
the run from Key West. He said,
Very well; go below and l will think
ii over I went below to the ward
room, and was afterward called up ano
informed that they would give me coal
1 had never before met the Admiral
He impressed me as being very nerv,
GUS He would get up ant
walk around, come back anc
sit down. and number OF
| questions he asked me about Admira
| SIMPSONS intentions l was unable t6
| answer"
"If understand you clearly, you hat
no knowledge of the contents of the
dispatches which you delivered?"
Was simply Messenger.
admiral Sampson did not tell mi
what was in them. He simply told M
these were duplicates of the dispatches
| he was sending by the Iowa. These
| duplicates, he said, he gave to me be
cause he thought the Dupont coult
make better speed"
did the admiral read the dispatches
in your presence?"
"Oh, yes"
Ibid he advise you of their contents
| them"
HE did not tell me positively wha
they were. / gathered. while 1 wal
aboard the flagship, what they contain
ed, but whether 1t was while / was II
| the cabin or later in the ward room,
do not know. l never saw their con
tents, and Admiral Sampson never tolC
me what they were"
Asked by Mr.. Rayner IL Admira
Sampson or anyone else had informed
him before he left Key West for Glen
fuegos that a code of signals had beer
| agreed upon by the American forces
and the Cuban insurgents, Lieut.. Woo
replied in the negative. He had not
he said received such information Off
| cially, but he added that it was cur
rent talk at Key West that the Mar
blehead, on a previous trip, had estab
| lished communications with the Gu
bans. II, however. code had been ar
ranged he did not know of the fact.
that occasion questions he asked ms
about Admiral SIMPSONS intentions
was unable to answer"
"If understand you clearly, you haC
nc knowledge of the contents of The
dispatches which you delivered?"
Before Lieut.. Wood had concluded
| his testimony the court adjourned.
| -s-or-S----------