The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-13
Cervera's Arrival at Santiago.

at Key West on the morning of May
~ ne went ashore. While in the office
OF Commodore Remey he said that
capt. Allen of the signal Office had
called him aside and told him that he
had received information of the pres
ence of the Spanish fleet at Santiago
which he believed to be correct. The
information was to the effect that the
fleet had entered the harbor on May
lS. The information came from an
employe of the telegraph Office at Ha-
vana who could only send his infor-
nation at o'clock when others were
absent from the office there. Capt.
Allen had, the witness said, asked that
great secrecy be observed for the pro-
lection of the operator, only agreeing
that the commander-in-chi and his
staff should be informed. Later the
witness had returned to Key West and
received confirmatory information. He
then stated that on the next morning,
May 21, the fleet proceeded to the
blockade of Havana, Admiral Sampson
being satisfied that the. Information
concerning the presence of the fleet
at Santiago was correct. The admiral
accordingly had called up the Hawk
and forwarded his dispatches to Com
modore Schley.
Capt. Lemly: "Tell the court fully
from what source the information was
received concerning the arrival of Ger
vera's fleet in Santiago l would like
you to identify the dispatch put into
cipher at that time, to which you re-
fer"
1.-The dispatch I referred to as hav-
ing been drawn up by Capt. Chadwick,
in my presence, is the dispatch known
as the memorandum that accompanied
dispatch No. s."
Mr.. Rayner: "The Hawk carried
No. s. is that right?"
1.-THE captain of the Hawk was call
ed on board and l remember his in.
structions were to proceed with all
speed until he met the Vesuvius, and
transmit the dispatch to her as she
was a faster vessel AS to whether
No. s was enclosed with this, l was not
secretary and did not enclose it.
when did the Hawk 1eave?"
"She left the Havana blockade some
distance west of Havana, about dusk,
on MAY 21. probably about $50 o'clock"
Then you received this information
on May 20, at $50 in the morning and
the Hawk left at dusk, May 21?"
THAT is correct"
Rayner Gets in His Work.
The witness said in reply to ques-
tions that the memorandum beginning:
THE enclosed instructions will reach
you" had not been sent by the Iowa,
as the dispatch was dated May 21, and
the Iowa had left on the day previous.
Mr.. Rayner: WAS not the Hawk the
first vessel that carried that memoran-
DUMP"
ITO the best of my knowledge the
Hawk was the first and only vessel
that carried that memorandum"
"The Hawk left on May 81 and the
first information you had was about
$50 o'clock on the goth. When did you
get this second confirmatory informa-
tion you speak Off"
II got it on shore at Key West about
Z o'clock on the evening of May 20''
Then the conf1rmatory dispatch. as
I understand 1t. was received some "a
hours before the Hawk left with this
memorandum to Commodore Schley. Is
that right?"
Yes, at Key West, and the Hawk
was sent from Havana"
Can you give me any subsequent
dispatches or memoranda that passed
between Admiral Sampson and Com
modore Schley in reference to the Span
ish squadron being at Santiago?"
II do not think 1 can refer you to
any. After Admiral Sampson heard
that the fleet of Commodore Schley had
not left Cienfuegos7in other words,
after he got a reply from the comman-
QcT OIL the ElylIls OQQddA Jill SChb
the Wasp, 1 think about May 26, to
Cienfuegos with an additional dispatch,
but she, of course, did not arrive there
until Commodore Schley had left for
Santiago. and / do not remember what
those dispatches were"
''Was that the Wasp?"
"Yes"~
What date?"
my impression is she left by the old
Bahama channel May &C."
No Dispatches for n Week.
Then 1 understand that between the
time that the Hawk carried this infor-
nation to Commodore Schley at dusk
on the evening of May 21 and the time
when this dispatch was sent from the
Bahama channel on the 26th there was
no communication between Admiral
Sampson and Commodore Schley in ref
erence to the Spanish squadron at San
tiago. Was there?"
"I thought replied there was no op-
portunity for any,"
After further effort on Mr.. Rayner's
part to elicit information as to corre-
spondence between the two command
ers and objection on the part of Mr..
Hanna to bringing in dispatches which
had no immediate bearing on ConIno-
dore Schley's conduct, Mr.. Rayner said
there was no communication between
them between May q and May 81 lie
then quoted the dispatch of May q as
the first positive knowledge conveyed
TO Commodore Schley of the presence
of the fleet at Santiago. This dispatch
was as follows:
Positive Information for schiey'
"IJnited States Flagship New York,
ST. Nicholas Channel, May 27, 1S9S.-
Sir: Every report and particularly
daily confidential reports received at
Key West from Havana state Spanish
SQUADRON has been in Santiago de Cuoa
from the 10Th to the 25th instant, IN
elusive, the 25th being the date OF the
last report received. You Will please
proceed with all possible dispatch to
Santiago to blockade that port. III on
arrival there you receive positive In
formation of the Spanish ships having
left, you will follow them in pursuit.
'Very respectfully,
"W. It. Sampson"
Mr.. Hanna: ''What is the first posi-
tive order"
Mr.. Rayner: MAY 81"
Mr. Hanna: did he receive 1t on
the 27th?"
Mr.. Rayner: 'He never received 1t
on the 27th. (After being prompted by
Admiral Schley.) He got it on June
10.
Mr.. Hanna: How is 1t possible then
he can be affected by an order after all
that lapse of timer"
what Rnyner Wants 20 Prove.
Mr.. Rayner: THAT is just what we
want 10 prove. that he had no orders
except those contained In dispatches