The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1901-09-28
RESUMED ITS SESSIONS.
The schley Court Of Inquiry Re-
sumes Its Sessions at the
Washington Navy Yard.
SYNOPSIS OF The TESTIMONY TAKEN.
Movements of the Battleship
r.xo. md the COaling Problem
Furnished the Major Portion of
.heTestimOny ELECTED Mt Wednes-
days Session.

days Session.
Washington, Sept. 26.-The Schley
oourt of inquiry convened promptly
at the navy yard at II o'clock.
The first witness called to-day was
Mr. A. b. Claxton, the machinist on
hoard the Texas, who had begun his
testimony when the sittings of the
court were so abruptly terminated
Tuesday morning by the death OF
Judge Wilson.
BEFORE Mr.. Claxton took the stand
Commander Heilner was recalled to
make verbal corrections in the Off
cal copy of his testimony, made var
ious changes, but they were not ma
teral.
Mr. Claxton said on July 3, 1898, he
had been on duty in the engine room
Of the Texas. The engine indicator
had called for full speed ahead early
in the morning, which had, within an
hour after the beginning of the ac-
ton, been changed to full speed
astern." To his knowledge there had
been no signal for the reversal of the
engines. He said that he had been
excused from service in the engine
room, but still he knew that the en-
zines were reversed for about two
minutes within the first hour of the
engagement.
Rear-Admiral Cotton, now com
mandant Of the Norfolk navy yard,
who commanded the auxiliary cruiser
Harvard during the Spanish war, was
the next witness. He told Of meeting
the flying squadron under Commo-
dore Schley off Santiago on May 27,
1895, and said that on that date he
had delivered dispatches to the then
commodore from Admiral Sampson
and the navy department. He had, he
said, boarded the Brooklyn about
1890 o'clock. The weather was then
moderate and he had had no difficulty
in going aboard the Brooklyn from
bis boat He had worn his sword. He
said:
81 delivered to Commodore Schley
Che original cipher in which the dis
patches had been received by me at
St. Nicholas Mole, together with trans
lation Of those dispatches made by
Lieut.. Beall, of the Harvard. | banded
them personally to him in his cabin
In the order of their date He received
them, read them, and commented in
general way upon their purport
spoke of the difficulty he had had in
getting coal on board his ships while
at Cienfuegos, and subsequently to
the date Of which am speaking, May
", and said it had been an almost
impossibility to get coal on board on
account OF the weather. He ques-
toned me relative to the practicable
ity of coaling ships at ST, Nicholas
Mole and Gonaives channel, AS to st.
Nicholas Mole, | said; There is no
question the small ships can coal
there. As to Gonaives channel, |
Know of no reason why you should
not be able to coal there. The com
modore made some remarks upon my
statements, the language of which !
do not recall, but he asked me; How
about the large ships at st, Nicholas
Mole" ! said; You can't coal your
Dig ships there ] had special refer
ence In my reply TO the battleships
and protected cruisers, Of the Brook
yn and New York class. said think
ing OF the fact that my ship had been
there and was OF some 10000 tons dis
placement and nearly 600 feet in
length; Possibly, under favorable
conditions, you might be able to coal
me large ships there, one at time,
nut the areo OF deep water for the an
cnorage OF large ships Ii 40 little
mere IL was not practicable TO coal
" the very utmost more than one
,arge ship at u time there, and In case
.he weather became bad, she would
Immediately have to go TO sea. was
ANXIOUS while ] was there with the
harvard, on account OF her size, and
would have left az once In case bad
weather had come on. Az rcmcm'
Der, ! recollect no qualification as to
uonaives channel"
was anything said At this time
about going to Key West for coal?"
Returning TO what ! said with ref.
erchce to the difficulty which Com
modore Schlcy stated TO me he had
N getting coal on board Of any OF
ne ships at Clcnfuegos, he said he
was very anxious. The conl supply
was getting short, the weather was
"ao and II Ind been bad almost con.
"nuously IL was u very serious
proolem M to how or whether he
eouId possibly get cool ON board ships
y" santiago. He said II he found
" improcticublc TO coal there,
nc could only scc one resort and that
was he would be compelled TO return
W Ney West In order to supply HIS
'sn'ps with coal, Having that question
a % "ew' he was upprohenslve espe-
ss,.a'ly M to one ship, tho Texas lie
.'u not even know at that moment
whether she had on board sufficient
,v"' 10 enable her 20 return to Key
VEST During my visit he gave mn