New-York tribune., 1901-10-31
SHARP QUESTIONS PUT BY
MEMBERS OF THE COURT.
,nvuRALs BENHAI AND RAMSAY SEEK
ING FURTHER EXPLANATIONS OF
THE RETROGRADE MOVE
MENT AND OTHER
POINTS OF THE
PRECEPT.
fRY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsE.l

- enthusiastically the state of mind Of Ad-
- Dewev's TWO colleagues, Rear Admirals
n.,hsm and Ramsay, constituting the majority
N the tribunal
rha Iudge Advocate ended his cross-eXamina-
-, rather suddenly about 2:30 o'clock, and the
.,ooseding half-hour was devoted to the points
- ubicb the court itself desired enlighten-
-,e,t In the order Of their asking. the first
ho,cb of these questions was prepared by Rear
admiral Renham, the remainder, beginning
With matters Of coaling at Key West being
subr,itted by Rear Admiral Ramsay, Admiral
newey contentng himself with glancing over
!, ,ew of the queries before handing them TO
,be Judge Advocate to read.
QUESTIONS BY THE COURT.
The courts questions and Admiral Schleys
answers were as follows;
while off Cienfuegos could you see the shore
% the westward Of the entrance so distinctly
that YOU were able 10 form clear IDEA Of the
nracticablity of making landing piace?"
"Yes. l think I did"
WAS there any reason why you could not send
g hoat In shore 10 obtain information about
cervera's squadron from the fishermen or other
nersous who could be communicated with?"
There were no fishermen that 1 discovered
no boats"
Lieutenant Hood testifies very positively TO
8 conversation you had with him at Cienfuegos.
Can Won say that any such conversation took
placer"
81 stated under mistake that II was Lieu
tenant Wood, the names being so near alike but
what testified in my direct testimony touching
thai matter applies with equal force TO Lieuten-
oy,a cir7gl
Mr. Hood said 10 me or any conversation had
with him"
Had Admiral Cervera left Santiago for some
point to the westward at the same time you left
cienfuegos, could not his squadron have passed
between your ships and the shore without being
seen by you?'
III that lad been night. probably yes. In the
daytime, think not"
What was your reason for going over twenty
miles to the southwark Of Santiago instead OF
near the harbor's mouth May 26?"
Because laid the course for that point sup
posing that If the squadron were Still out or
had got out coincident with my leaving. they
would run to the southwark. and il was with
the view Of giving me a larger horizon"
MIGHT HAVE REMAINED AT SANTIAGO.
WAS II not possible for your squadron 10
and still have coal enough TO run 10 Key Vest
Yes, if had known then as knew suose-
Quently thar the feet was there"
Did not the order under which you were act
ing require you 10 remain off Santiago?"
Possibly. yes; but do not think that the or
der given me was TO deprive me OF all discretion
in the matter. if I heard 10 the contrary"
Was not the situation at Santiago May 26
ant in tai
risk in coaling the ships OF your sQuadronT'
Y think that the risks would have been very
great-would have been too great. in my judg-
ment We probably would have lost the collier,
and under the circumstances Of my information
there, felt that ought not TO occur"
Did not Captain Cotton inform you that the
Harvard had coaled at Mole ST. Nicholas and
that one large ship at a time could coal in or
oinary weather."
"No. I do not recall that. I do not remember
that he said anything about coaling at Mole st.
Nicholas. His information 10 me referred main
ly to small vessels. as recollect it."
Admiral Benham-He said nothing about the
Harvard coaling. did he?
i don't remember that he did,
DISABILITY OF THE MERRIMAC.
Were the injuries TO the Merrimac's engines
convince you that she was hopelessly disabled?'
Yes. They reported 10 me that her inter
mediate valve stem was broken. or course. not
being an engineer. I took IL for granted she was
hopelessly disabled. I sent the chief engineer
On board the next morning early, and he re-
ported TO me then that her repairs would re-
quire some time"
OBJECT OF THE Reconnaissance.
has 70
ihe batteries May 317"
Simply TO be able to know what was In front
Of US thought we ought to know that in view
o' the possibility OF our having 10 be obliged TO
'orce the entrance
DID you not risk having some of the vessels
Of your squadron injured in making the attack
Of May 3l?"
i thought that was remote at the range j
had chosen"
Are you sure that the prevailing wind near
Cape Cruz during the month Of May was from
the west or southwest"
thought so. because that was the conclu-
Aon Of the pilot. OF course knew very little
ABOUT II, and think any one who reads sailing
directions doesn't get very much comfort out OF
them"
You have stated that you considered the
movement to the westward on May % as based
oh sound military principle. Why, then. did
you go back off Santiago?'
For the reason. as ] stated, that after the
sleaming radius OF the ships had been equalized
,he uine consumed in going back would be very
niue and that If IL ended in the fact that the
spanish squadron was not there. would not
lave lost any great time"
As the scouts were acting independently and
NSuio coal when they pleased. why was their
0ft supply OF coal matter OF anxiety "a
youg"
N''iipy because they came together under my
'''iiaho' and j. as the senior officer had TO as
sumo authority for them and their movement