The Forrest City times., 1901-10-04
COMMANDED THE VIXEN.
Lieutenant Commander Sharp Testi-
fes Before the Seklsy Court
Of Inquiry.
COMMANDED The VIXEN Ar SANTIAGO,
commodore schIe> Had Never Dis
rus>ed with Him tho RrtrogrRde
Movement Toward Nry West
The service of the Vixen During
the siege Described.

Washington. uct. S. The procecd-
ingS Of the >chley court OF inquiry
began with the usual recall OF former
witnesses for the correction Of their
testimony In the official record
Lieutenant Commander Alexander NJ.
sharp. Who commanded the converted
saeht Vixen during The spanish var.
vas the fr>t new witness 81 the day.
tie testified that DE had first fallen ia
With The flying squadron on The MORN
ing o. Nay =. or Cienfucco>. lie said
that the weather ou the cruise from
CienfuegoS To Santiago had been
>suaIlN nut NOT sufficiently had 20 IN
terfere with the speed Of the Vixen.
The vessel had not. he said. been IN
urgent need OF coal ON May =. If
I had been he said. and received or
ders to coal. l should have tried Ia do
20. though il would have been an un-
comfortable job. because the Vixen
Vas a very small ship
Commander sharp said that. not
withstandIng he had been on the
Brooklyn several times Commodore
Sehley had never discussed with him
the retrcgrade movement toward Key
West. begun on May =
Describing the service Of the Vixen
during the siege Of Santiago under
Commodore Schlev. Commander sharp
said that he had been plsced on picket
on The night al Nay -. and had CON
tinaed tbs duty after1aaFa lie was
about TWO miles FROM The shore, he
said. and probably three miles from
the month 81 the hSrcor. lie said
that the entire feet couid nos be dis
eeFned al night. and that 'h- shore
line could oaIx y dj~c~rn~si - t.aes
mass n fhe distance.
commander Sharp >s,d that he
Vixen had carried Commodore >caley
from The Brooklyu % ne Na>sacha-
sets on May 81 b~fo-v the heElau.lr :,
Of the bomtar3nent - rhs Gri<toea
Colon and that ~hen he had asked
what course he should pursue iu Re
approaching action, Ijvlt- >@ar, e4d
replied for the commodore rha5 th-
latter had directed that Comuooo rs
Sharp keep his craft clear. a. she was
vulnerable and should NOT assume
any risks. He thought the commodore
had afterwards spoken 70 him 20 the
same effect.
Mr., Hanna: Passing on 10 the hat
tie OF July ., did YOU see any portion
of the loop made by the BROOKLYN.
When l first saw tbc BROOKLYN I
think she WAS headed bout south.
and swinging very rapidly under hel
port helm"
Did you Al any time have any con
rersation with any person in the
presence of Commodore Schley With
respect TO the direction in which the
BROOKLYN turned on that occasion|"
Yes, sir.
state The circumstances Of the
conversation.
Il took on board the Brooklvn a
copy of the notes taken bv Lieut.
Harlow. the executive officer Of the
Vixen. during the engagement and
showed them 20 the commodore The
sommodore was seated az his desk. a
now remember IT. and a, various
times different officers came into the
eommoGore's cabin. Naw. Coos vas
there. / think. at one time. The navi-
gator If the BROOKLYN, Lieut.. Hod--
son. came IN also. I thiuk Com.
mander Eaton was in ~ one tjuie.a,d.
Il | am not mistaken. Capt.. Barker
was in. | was talking 20 The comTo-
dore about those notes. and an one
part Of the conversation. of the way
the helm of the BROOKLYN had been
put 10 form The so-caIlcI loop. I
stated that the helm was put 10 por,
lieut.. Hodg>on spoke up and said
No, you are mistaken, helm was pur
20 starboard. I said. No. NO ven
put your helm 70 port. Tie said: I
can prove il 10 YOU Look at his
chart, | said; I don't wan, 10 see the
chart You swung with the port
helm.
Was il conceded fnally9~ asked
Capt. Lemiy, that the helm had been
put 70 port 70 take the turn -
4 am not positive. was the reply.
but il IS my impression that il was !"
In response 10 question from Mr..
RaNner. Commander Sharp said that
the position OF the Vixen during the
blockade was not correctly given bv
the official chart. lie was nearer the
shore than rhsra Sf-.,,-,