Evening star., 1901-10-17
LIEUT.. WEBSTER CALLED.
Was Watch officer on the Brooklyn in
the Spanish War.

After The Stars report of the Schley
court of inquiry closed yesterday afternoon
Lieut.. Charles Webster was called. He
said he had been a watch officer on the
Brooklyn during the campaign of 1898 and
began his testimony by describing the
blockade of Cienfuegos. He thought the
distance out at night was seven or eight
miles, with picket boats inside the line
The sea was moderate, he said, between
Cienfuegos and Santiago on the occasion of
the flying squadrons voyage, making bad
weather for the smaller vessels" The GUS
tom at Santiago was to lie off from the port
four or five miles during the day. The
vessels steamed back and forth at night
about the same distance out.
Asked if he had seen any suspicious
movements on shore at Santiago during the
evening of July 2, the witness replied:
Il remember being on deck on July 2
and seeing columns of smoke rising and
apparently moving, as though vessels were
steaming in the harbor. Also in my watch
l remember the burning of blockhouses to
the westward of Santiago, which reported
to the commanding officer
What was the conduct and bearing OF
Commodore Schley in the different engage
ments and on July 3?''
T Il never saw Commodore Schley during
the engagement / saw him immediately
after the battle of July 8, and he was
perfectly cool and collected"
Lieut.. Webster gave brief account of
the battle of July 3. He said that when
the signal was given to clear ship for ac-
ton he had run forward, having charge
of the forward gun-deck battery. He had
then seen the Texas and the Iowa a little
abaft of the Brooklyn's beam. When the
engines were started the Brooklyn had
headed directly toward the harbor the helm
being changed frequently until after firing
was begun, when the helm was put hard
aport. He estimated that the enemy's YES
sells were 400 to 900 yards distant when
the Brooklyn began its turn, and that after
the loop was completed it was 2 300 yards,
increasing to $500 yards when the Viscaya
turned in.
Speaking of the bombardment of the Co
lon, May 81, the witness said he had OBJ
served it from the Brooklyn, and that while
ne had noticed that the first shots fell short
he had seen one later which he thought had
fallen under the Colon's counter. He had
gotten the impression from this engagement
that the shore batteries were stronger tnan
they had been previously supposed to be.
He thought after that time that those bat
teries were manned with eight-inch guns
On cross-examination Captain Lemly had
the witness read from the log of the Brook
lyn an entry to the effect that the isrooklyn
had steamed out at night. The Judge advo-
cate asked only few questions on his own
account. but put two or three at the ;n-
stance OF the court as follows:
when the flying squadron was blockad-
Ing Cienfuegos, did the column of vessels
at night keep on a line perpendicular TO
the shore line or on a line nearly parallel
to the shore liner
My recollection is that the line was per-
pendfcular to the shore line"
How did the Spanish ships bear from
the Brooklyn when the Brooklyn's helm was
put hard aport July 81"
1t seems to me the Teresa was very
nearly broad on the port bow, the viscaya