The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-11

ed. that h Brooklyn was too near the
Spaniards.
Changing the line of examination,
Mr.. Hanna then asked: "When the
Brooklyn turned with port helm did
she blanket the fire of the Texas? Did
she go between the Texas and the
enemy"
81 do not think she did I thought.
however. she vas going to do it."
Had she turned the other way was
there space enough for her to have
made such a turn without endangering
the Texas?"
"Perfectly-perfectly clear enough
space"
the northward and westward had she
turned with starboard helm?"
She would have gained a position of
about 600 or 700 yards nearer the Span
ish line"
Would that distance " been re-
duced by reversing the port engfne?"
eff YOU turned the port engine the
| tactical diameter would have been
shortened, but the speed of turning
would have been reduced"
Mr.. Hanna asked about the cruise
from Cienfuegos to Santiago and in
| uuired how the fleet a gotten twenty
five or thirty miles of Santiago.
The reply was that the captain of the
| Rrooklyn had given him (the witness)
| the course, and that he (the witness)
had supposed that it was because or
| the supposition that the fleet might fall
| in with Cervera. He said the course
| pursued would not have taken the
squadron to Santiago.
Speaking of the blockade of Santiago,
the witness said that at night the
~blockading fleet steamed in column IN
| front of the mouth of the harbor and
| about four hundred yards apart.
QUESTIONS BY THE COURT.
a number of questions were then ask
| ed by the court, as follows:
What was the distance of the
Brooklyn from the nearest Spanish
ship. when Commodore Schley said to
| Captain Cook, Lookout, Cook, they're
going to ram you"
II should say the distance was about
| 1000, or 200 yards"
Did you hear any order given while
| the Brooklyn was making the turn, to
| ease or steady the helm?'
Not until it was eaSed to parallel
the course of the leading Spanish YES
| sell"
In making the turn did the Brooklyn
turn rapidly and continuously, or did
| she have her head longer on some
heading than On others?"
"She turned rapidly and continu-
ously."
'Dld any OF the Spanish SHIPS az
tempt to ram the Brooklyn in the
early part of the battle of July 3rd?"
1.-The Maria Teresa made a rank sheer
TO port toward the Brooklyn with the
evident intention of getting into close
quarters or raining
What effort was made to ascertain
if the Spanish squadron was at Glen
fuegos prior to the arrival of the
Marblehead?"
"Outside of having the quartermaster
go as far aloft as he could and look
over the hill tops, I knew of none until
after the arrival of the M~arblehead?"
What orders were signalled by the
Brooklyn to the fleet July 3rd, 1882
II can only say from recollection that
my orders were clear ship for acton
and close up, or close in.
"On the occasion of the flying squad
ron falling in with the Marblehead near
| Key West, did you hear any report
made by megaphone regarding the codc
| of signals which had been established
with the insurgents at Cienfuegos?
Il heard none"
do you know of any plan of battle
having been promulgated by Comma
dore Schley in case of falling in with
the Spanish squadron?'
II do not"
CAPTAIN FOLGER TESTIFIES.
Captain w M. Folger, who command
| ed the cruiser New Orleans, was cail-
ed. He related how on May 31st, The
New Orleans had participated in the
bombardment of the Cristobal Colon
then lyicg in the mouth of Santiago
harbor. He said that the shots of !he
New Orleans on tha day had been fired
at a range of from 5000 to 10000 yards
and that all had fallen short.
What damage was done to the enc
my on that occasion?" asked Captain
Lemly.
Il don't think there was any, replied
the witness.
WAS there any further effort to cap
ture or destroy the Colon?"
Not to my knowledge"
Were all the vessels available on
gagged in that action?"
mo; the Texas and the Brooklyn
were in the rear"
WAS the fire of the enemy's batter
les heavy enough to seriously endanSer
the attacking ships?"
Il do not so consider"
What was developed as to the shore
batteries?"
THAT they had not strength enough
to do any material damage"
Describing the blockade of Santiago
harbor maintained by Commodore
Schley, the witness said that the dis
lance out was from five to eight miles
and that 1T night the vessels steamed
in column Jack n forth across the
harbor somewhat nearer in.
Mr.. Rayner asked: What do you
know about the strength of the bat
t~eries. the number of the batteries OIL
the strength of the guns before The
reconnaissance on May 31st? What
actual knowledge did you have"
The witness replied: II had no know.
edge whatever before the r~econnois.
Sance."
VIVA knowledge did you acquire as
the result of that reconnaissance Oh
bombardment?"
by the umbe of shots that were
fired. by the character of the distance
the smoke, etc. as Indicating the cali
bre of the gun; by the fall of the pro
j~ectiles. the amount of water the!
would throw up, and the evident direc
ton of the fall as indicating whethel
the projectiles were moving with grea
velocity or slow. In that way l judg,
alone.
Those things were developed as til,
result of the reconnaissance were the.