Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-10-15
Schley's Inning in Court of In.
quiry Likely to Come
Tomorrow.
CAPTAIN COOK ON STAND
Tells Just What Information Squad
ron Had of Presence of the Spanish
FIeet-seems to Have Been Rumor
More Than Anything Else.


More Than Anything Else.
Washington, Oct. 14.-Captain Fran
els A. Cook, commander of the Brook
lyn, and chief of Schley's staff during
the war was the first new witness
called today in the Schley court of in
quiry.
Judge Advocate Lemly expects to
complete the presentation of the gov
ernments case today.
Lieut.. Commander Staunton was re-
called and said the news received by
Captain Allen, May 80, concerning the
presence of the Spanish fleet at Santi-
ago, which he reported to Sampson
about noon, was not considered sufti-
cient at the time to cause any change
in the plan already adopted.
Cooks Testimony.
CAPTAIN Cook said he was at Key
West May 19.
what information did you have at
that time concerning the whereabouts
of Cervera's f1eet?" he was asked.
Was No Information.
"My Impressions are now, that it
was simply from rumor that they
had left the Canary Islands and part
of them had been sighted at Martl-
niuue and from consular information
or perhaps information sent by the
Harvard that they had gone to Cura-
Goa. The flying squadron departed
for Cienfuegos to intercept and meet
the Spanish squadron, it having been
determined as we believed by them
to make Cienfuegos their objective
point l.e ~
What OFFICERS Understood.
Cook understood the Spanish leet
carried munitions of war for Havana
and it was believed they would go
Cienfuegos because of its accessibility
to Havana.
Cook detailed the conversation be-
tween Schley and Capt. Chester while
the squadron was enroute to Cienfue-
COS. He said there had been talk be-
tween them about coaling on the
southern coast of Cuba. Schley ques-
toned Chester very closely as to the
facilities for coaling ships on the
south coast of Cuba. They consulted
the chart and something was said
about Cape Cruz but after a look at
the chart it did not seem to be IA
vorable place for coaling ships be-
cause larger ships could not get far
enough in there SO the sea would be
smooth enough for a collier to go
alongside.
Cook recalled meeting with the
Marblehead enroute to Cienfuegos but
could recall only very indistlnct
recollection of the fact that the Scor-
pion had delivered to the Brooklyn any
information from the Eagle at that
time.
II did not receive any information,
he said, land did not consider the in
cident important"
Establishes Blockade.
Cook said upon arriving off Cienfue
gos the morning of May 20 a blockade
Z was Immediately established as firing
of guns was heard and it was believed
Cervera had arrived and fete in hon
or of his appearance was on. Earth
works on the shore were seen but they
were not fired upon because it was
considered desirable not.
1t was believed from that time until
Z the arrival of the Adula, which report
ed the Spanish fleet had gone into San
tiago, that the whole beach was occu
pied and all felt satisfied the fleet was
in the harbor.
Cook said after the Iowa and Dupont
had delivered the dispatches off Glen
fuegos he gathered from a converse
tion with Schley, it was the idea o
both Schley and Sampson that they
should continue to hold Cienfuegos.
After reading the M'Calla memoran
dunn conveying the landing place neal
Cienfuegos, Cook said he never saw
nor heard of it.
Tells of a Conversation.
Cook detailed conversation be
tween McCalla and Schley regarding
the signals seen ashore off Cienfuegos
He said Schley had described the sig
nails to McCalla, which he believed
We're connected with the Spanish fleet
Whereupon McCalla exclaimed
That's a signal from the insurgen
camp. They want to communicat
with YOU"
Schley ordered McCalla to go ashor
as soon as possible and inform hin
Immediately of what he had learned
Regarding the information obtaine
upon his arrival Cook said 1t wa
looked upon with suspicion and it wa
not until the arrival of the Eagle tn
same evening with positive informs
tion.. obtained through insurgents, tina
the Spanish squadron was not in Cier
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