Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-09-30
COALING OFF CUBA
Continued from First Page.)

the morning of the 18th.
q. Were you aboard the Brooklyn May
262 A. 1 was not aboard the Brooklyn MAY
u.
The witness said that on May ~ the Min
neapolis had 100 tons of coal on board. The
witness said he little nervous about
his coal supply at that time.
Y. BY the judge advocate: AT any time
did you coal from the collier at sea? Where
and once at Key West. At Key West we
got coal from a schooner. These were the
only two places we got coal.
Q. The Minneapolis was one of the yes
sells known scouts. was she not? Was
she relying upon the Golfers for coal or did
she go after her own coal? A 1 never got
any coal from collier.
q. How far could the Minneapolis have
gone with that 100 tons of coal? A. If l
burned 100 tons of coal could have made
something like twelve hundred or thirteen
hundred miles. That was burning ninety
tons day-ninety-five tons a day-and ON
that would have made fourteen knots
Q. (By Mr.. Hanna)-Were the engines of
the Minneapolis so much out of order
to interfere with the ship? A. The speed
was much reduced. and l was concerned
about she condenser and boilers. We were
pumping salt water in the boilers, which
was matter of considerable concern The
distilling apparatus did not work and we
could not make fresh water
Mr.. Rayner read a signal from the signal
book of the Brooklyn. follows: From the
Brooklyn to the Minneapolis: Have you
coal enough To get to Key West?' From
Minneapolis to the Brooklyn: Just enough"
He asked how the witness accounted for
that signal. if he had enough coal to go
thirteen hundred miles. He said it showed
a discrepancy of five hundred miles.
The witness said that in making that
reply he did not intend to get rid of the
last ton of coal he had on board in order to
get to Key West.
Capt. McCaIIa Recalled.
Captain McCalIa was then recalled to the
stand to certify to testimony given by him
Saturday. and he was asked questions as
follows:
q By the court-Was there any place in
the vicinity of Cape Cruz where large yes
sells could have found protection from
westerly or sOuthwesterly winds? A. The
prevailing winds were from the east. There
was one place where there was protection
from westerly or southwesterly winds
=. Had the fleet of Cervera. been in the
harbOr of Cienfuegos could it have been
seen by vessels blockading that port? A.
l should say not. The upper mastS might
have been seen had the fleet been in the
stretch of river where it turns to the east
ward. but | should not have expected to
have found them there.
Mr.. Hanna asked the witness whether the
commander of the fleet at the time Of the
retrograde movement had given him any
reason for that movement, whether he
knew any reason for it. He replied that he
did not know of any reason.
Admiral Evans Experience.
At o'clock Admiral Robley D. Evans
went on the stand. During the war with
Spain the admiral was a captain, in COM
mand Of the Iowa He joined the flying
squadron off Cienfuegos on the 22d OF May.
at o'clock He carried dispatches from
Admiral Sampson to Commodore Schley.
These were sealed, and he did not know
heir contents. They were delivered to
Commodore Schley by the executive officer
of the Iowa as Capt. Evans was at that
time disabled from having a battle hatch
hit aim on the shoulder. He remained at
Cienfuegos until o'clock on the 24th
O. Please state what. if anything, was
done while the squadron was of Cienfuegos
to develop the fact that the Spanish was
was not in the harbOr of Cienfuegos?
A There was not anything done, SO far as
l know.
Q. What. if anything, was done to de-
str1y or prevent the completion OF bat
teries in the vicinity of Cienfuegos? A.
Sunday afternoon l am quite sure, it was,
Commodore Schley formed his squadron in
column and stood in one and one-half miles
Oft shore He made turn and stood out
again. That's the only thing / know of.
-. Was any attempt made by the enemy?
y. No. We saw them sitting on the works
and they looked at us. There was no firing
on their side. u
Q. Were you then within range of the
batteries in the vicinity of Cienfuegos with
the heavy guns Of your ship? A. did not
see any batteries. They were building
works there That was the only thing L
saw
Q. Were these batteries within range of
your eight-inch guns? a. Yes, the work
being done there was within range of them.
Q-Were they within range of your four
inch guns? A. Yes.
Did the Iowa coal ship and II so how
much coal did she take off Clenfuegos? A.
She took 30 tons of coal the 23d. She
began at ! o'clock in the morning and
stopped at In the afternoon. She took It
from a collier alongside.
Odd you experience any difficulty in
taking coal from the Merrtmac? A None.
y. Do you remember on the ed whether
You asked permission to prepare to receive
coal from the collier alongside? What an
swer was made? A. 1 remember in the
morning asking permission to go alongside.
presume the answer was yes because We
took the coal.
q. How much coal had you on board at
that time? A. Nine hundred tons.
The Trip to Santiago.
O. What kind of weather did the Iowa
meet after leaving Cienfuegos on its pas
sage for Santiago? A. The weather on the
evening of the 9th when We left was
squally and rough. On the 18th the weather
changed. the sky was overcast and the
weather was squally. On the afternoon of
the 18th it was squally and fresh.
y. How was the weather in view of coal
ing ships on the night Of the 26th? A.
There was no sea to prevent coaling ships.
@ How much coal had you when the
evening of the 26th? A. Eight hundred or
eight hundred and twenty-five tons, l
think
c. How many days steaming was that
fer the Iowa at the most economical rate
of steaming? A. The Iowa could do four
Knots with ton of coal.
-. How many days could she have main
tanned blnckading with that amount of
coal? A We used thirty or forty tons of
coal a day blOCkading.
.. Do you know why the retrograde
movement was made? A. / do not.
O. Do You remember a single signal on
the nth asking whether the vessels Of the
squadron had sufficient coal TO proceed to
Key West? A Yes. 1 remember that ques-
tion.
@ Do you remember what your answer
was. A Affirmative
O. Do you remember the state of the
weather on the 9th of May? A The sea
was smooth and the weather was fair
q was the sea such as to admit of coal
ing on that day. refer to your own res
SELF \. 1t was.
Was any effort made on the 18th 18th
and Both OF May to communicate with in
surgents in the vicinity OF Santiago in re-
gard to the presence OF Cervera's s1uadro,
in that harbDr2 No effort