The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-10-03
SITTINGS RESUMED.
The SchIey Court of Investigation in
Session Again.
TWO WITNESSES WERE EXAMINED
Nothing Startling Has Been Brought
Forward Thus Far BY the Witness
ses Against SchIey.

Washington, D. c., Special-Two
witnesses were introduced in the
Schley court Wednesday. They were
Admiral Cotton, who as captain COM
manded the auxiliary cruiser Harvard,
and Captain Wise, who commanded the
auxiliary cruiser Yale during the Span
ish war. Both these vessels were
used as scouts and both came up with
the flying squadron off Santiago on
the 9th Of May, before the retrogade
movement to Key West began. Ad
miral Cotton testified that he had
gone aboard Admiral Schley's flag
ship, the Brooklyn, on that date 10
take dispatches to him and he said at
first that he gave him four OF five
dispatches addressed to the COM
mander Of the squadron. He afterwards
modified this statement, saying that
probably all but two of these dis
patches were addressed to himself
admiral Cotton) but that they con-
tanned information which he thought
should be>in Admiral Schley's posses.
sion. One of these was copy OF a
dispatch from Admiral Sampson which
had not been printed IN the official re-
cords, stating that the Spanish fleet
was at Santiago. He also said that coal
could have been taken from the Merri-
mac on the 9th of May, the day on
which the retrogade movement to Key
West was begun for the purpose Of
the 9th day Of May he had signaled
Captain Philip. Of the Texas, his
opinion that Cervera was inside the
harbor at Santiago, but the testimony
VISA ruled out.
The first witness called was A.
B. Claxton. the machinist on board the
Texas who had begun his testimony
when the settings of the court were so
abruptly terminated Tuesday morning
by the death Of Judge Wilson. Mr..
Claxton said on July 8, 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 action been
changed to full speed astern." To his
knowledge there had been no signal
for the revrsal Of the engine. He said
that he had been excused from service
in the engine room, but still he knew
that the engines were reversed for
about two minutes.
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 said that On May
27, 1895. he had delivered dispatches
to Commodore Schley from Admiral
Sampson and the Navy Department.
He had. he said. boarded the Brooklyn
about 1920 o'clock. The weather was
then moderate and he had had no diff.
Guilty in going aboard the Brooklyn.
What was said about the dispatch
esq"
II delivered to Commodore Schley
the original ciphers in which the dis
patches had been received by ne at
St. Nicholas Mole together with trans
lation of those dispatches made by
Lieutenant Beall, of the Harvard.
handed them personally to him in his
cabin in the order Of their date. He
received them, read them and COM
mented in general way upon their
purport: spoke Of the difficulty he had
in getting coal on board his ships
while at Cienfuegos and subsequently
to the date Of which | am speaking,
May q. and said it had been an al
most impossibility to get coal on board
on account of the weather. He ques-
toned ME relative to the practlcabiil-
ty of coaling ship at St. Nicholas Mole
and Gonaive's Channel. AS 10 ST.
Nicholas Mole. I said: There is no
question the small ships can coal
there. AS to Gonaive's channel, l
know of no reason why you should not
be able to coal there The commodore
made 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 big ships there.
had special reference in my reply to
the battleships and protected cruisers
o; the Brooklyn and New York class.
said. thinking of the fact that my
own ship had been there and was or
some 1900 tons displacement ana
nearly COO feet in length, POSSIBLY un'
der favorable conditions. you might ne
able to coal the large ships there. one
at q time But the aiea Of deep water
for the anchorage Of large ships IS so
little there it was not practicable 10
coal at the very utmost moro than enc
large ship at time and in case the
weather became bad she would imTe-
diately have to go to sea-
Mrs. Roosevelt ar the White House.
Washington. D. c., Spec!al.-Mrs.
The Roosevelt, the wife OF the Presi-