Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-14

provided they had taken adVantaSe OF
| It: that Is to say. If they had continued on
j their course southwest straight for us and
we had turned so as to bring them WITHIN
our turning circle, it would have made
ramming possible. certainly
How were they heading when this order
hard aport was Eaveng
They were heading southwest.
| The chart distance given at the time
| was 110o years / estimated 1,5O0 yards.
and so made it in my report. In the first
place, we must have lost by shifting helm
at such time. Then IL We had turned
the other way we must have gone 100
! yards. They would not have had much
distance to run to get entirely within our
turning circle. That is all conjecture"
Commodore Schley's Bearing.
Mr.. Hanna: What was the conduct and
bearing Of Commodore Schley while under
fire on such occasions that you had the
opportunity of observing?"
II always regarded him as an enthusiast
tically brave and patriotic officer. Never
| in any other way"
/ At this point the court took its usual
| recess for luncheon.
Conversation with Hodgson.
At 2 o'clock the court reassembled. and
Capt. Cook was again placed on the stand.
He was asked by Mr.. Hanna whether at
the time the loop" was made by the
Brooklyn II he could have seen that the
| engines of the Texas had been reversed.
He thought he could have seen it had it
been done. but he did not. He had had
| conversation with Lieut.. Hodgson, but he
did not say anything while on the Brook
Ign that could have been interpreted to
mean: ID the Texas"
He had met Lieut.. Hodgson at Newport
| last summer and the latter had asked Il
| he remembered a conversation he had had
! on board the Boroklyn. This conversation
was in effect that at the time the turn
| was made Hodgson came across and said
| to the captain: You see the Texas?' She
was the nearest ship at that time. and
| Captain Cook said at that moment he was
looking directly at her, and he replied to
Hodgson: "Oh, yes" He was told by Hodg-
son when seen at Newport that that con-
f1rmation of his own idea at the time en-
| tirely treasured him.
Q. He did not make any suggestion to
you or you to him respecting going any
nearer or danger of a torpedo boat or any
thing of that kind? A. Oh no.
DID you anh hin which sn
| d the Texas?" A. Oh, no.
Change in BrookIyn's Log.
Captain Cook explained in regard to the
log Of the Brooklyn. which had been
changed SO that the record that the helm
had been put to starboard was made to
read that the helm had been put to port
and said that he himself had not looked at
that log until three or four days after the
battle Of July g.
| He said 1t was the custom TO nave the
| log written up and the officer on duty at
| that time sign 1t, and then it was sent to
| the navigating officer and submitted to
him. Sometimes. he had a chance to read
! the log, but very often he had no time to
| look at it. He explained that he had in
structed that the addenda to the log could
| be inserted, but had not allowed the change
| in any other form.
Letter to Capt. Evans Excluded.
Mr.. Hanna attempted to bring in evidence
a letter that the witness wrote to Capt.
| Evans some time ago, which letter Capt.
| Evans desired to put on the record when
he was on the stand, but which he was
| prevented from doing at that time by an
objection on the part of counsel for Admit
raj Schley. The witness identified this let
ter as his own, but Admiral Dewey. before
| the letter was read, wanted to know if it
| had anything to do with the Specifications.
| The judge advocate: Not specifically"
| Admiral Dewey: Then you better not
let it in. Neither Captain Evans nor Cap
tain Cook is on trial here"
| Mr.. Hanna: II Gid it only with the assent
! of Admiral Evans and without objection
| by counsel. Admiral Evans requested"
Admiral Dewey repeated that the court
| would not want that
At the conclusion of the direct testimony,
| Mr.. Rayner said he had no questions to
ask the witness, but would like to be able
| to call him in order to put few questions
| in the form of direct examination, which
| the court readily assented to- A number OF
| questions were asked by the court
| Question. by the Court.
| Q. (By. the court)-How did you receive
orders under which the flying squadron
sailed from Key West May 10, for Cienfue-
| COS. A. By conversation with Commodore
| Schley.
@. What general orders were issued by
Commodore Schley regarding the blockade
/ at Cienfuegos. A. cannot recall that
| there were any written orders. / under
stood it and think the orders were given
| in consultation with other captains in
| general way.
O. Was any effort made by boat of the
| flying squadron to find a landing place
| near Cienfuegos prior to the arrival Of the
| Marblehead. A. None that 1 know of.
| O. Did any conversation take place be-
| tween you and Commodore Schley in regard
to obtaining information from Commander
McCa1la when the Marblehead passed the
Brooklyn while the last named vessel was
en- route to Ciefuegos? A. do not recall
| any conversation.
Q. What reasons did Commodore Schlcy
give you for his belief that Cervera's
squadron was in Cienfuegos? A. In the
| first place, upon leaving Key West he was
| enthusiastic, having been given the COM
mand of the south side of Cuba, and he
said he expected to catch that fleet; that
both he and the commandments, Ad-
miral Sampson, believed Cienfuegos was the
objective point, and he believed he would
find them.
| On Saturday night he heard Of some Of
ffcer reporting the hearing of what sounded
like salute on that afternoon, and he said
| that sounded If there was some kind
of jubilee. When he arrived at Cienfue-
gos there were the signal lights, and he
| thought they had something to do with
the Spanish squadron being there Again,
| the arrival Of the Adula and her strange
actions further convinced him, and 1 be-
| lieved myself at that time that the SQUAD
son was there, and 1 thought this was a
ruse to get some communication That is
| all can think of.
| Signals During Battle.
| @. What orders were given by Commodore
Schley, either by signal or otherwise, dur
| ing the battle of July 3? A. A good number
of signals were made, but only recollect a
| few Of them. The first signal made was to
| close in, and afterward other signals were
given. The log book will show them. did
not pay any attention to signals during the
action except those that affected me.
/ q. Did the Spanish ships head westward
| and southwest before the Brooklyn made
| the turn with a port helm? A. They did
not