Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-10-25

that he had not been informed that
there was any system of signals for
communicating with the insurgents
and he said that he did not know that
there were any insurgents 10 the
westward OF Cienfuegos This fact
he said, together With the circuTn.
stance that the Aaala Aaa not come
ont. that Lieutenant fhsfland failed
70 communicate any IL nation and
The further fart that MeCalIa's squad
ron had been withdrawn from the vi
Unity were responsible f9T the delay
in communicating with the insurgents
OF course" he said to risk a boat
through the surf on a coast believed
to be occupied b 1'ie enemy might
have resulted in a fos sfion Of Cap
tain McCallass expert He found
that the coast was pretty well oecu-
pied | saw cavalry once or twice,
both TO the east and to the west of
this port They appeared for mo-
ment and Immediately got out Of
sight.
Il did everything that was possible
during the time we were there to
maintain the blockade that was con
templated. | did all the coaling that
Discussed Subject of coalina.
Continuing on The subject of coal.
ing. Admiral Schley said. After we
cot hold of golfers we were very
much better fitted to resist shock, as
well as to deliver this coal rapidly.
Perhaps with the later experience Oh
the war | might have coaled on days
with worse weather. A good many
accidents occurred about which no
mention has been made, because they
came after the period of time One or
the GOLFERS had to go to New YORK
absolutely smashed m The Mefrlmac
herself had several holes punched
through her, and my impression now
is that a portion of the top works or
the Sterling was injured in some way,
but we managed with more experience
TO do little better than at first.
There always was at Cienfuegos a
rolling swell and vessels with pro-
jecting Sponsors or projecting guns
were always in danger | recollect III
one case that one of the six-poundef
guns of the Brooklyn was bent at an
angle of 80 degrees by coming into
collision with one of these golfers.
Of course twin screws made 1t ex-
tremely dangerous to coal except I'M
der the most favorable conditions.
The problem presented to me at Glen
fuegos was to solve the problem Of
coa1ing which has disturbed the ma
vies of the world for SO years. |
think we accomplished this reason
ably well under the circumstances. I"
On the morning of May "a Captain
McCalla had arrived off Cienfuegos
with the Marblehead and the Vixen,
and the captain had, according to Adj
miral Schley, Immediately reported to
him on board the Brooklyn. The ad.
miral said he then heard for the first
time of the code of signals arranged
for communicating with the insur
gents at Cienfuegos.
Sent Mccalla For information.
The admiral then told of his send.
ing Captain McCalla ashore and OF
the latter's reporting about o'clock
ON the oath, he thought, that the
enemy was not at Cienfuegos, which
fact he had learned by communica.
ton with the Cubans on shore. An
hour or two had then, the witness
said been consumed in the prepara-
ton of dispatches, including a dis
patch to be sent to the secretary or
the navy, and about 6 o'clock the
squadron steamed to the south.
think" he said, that we finally got
under way toward between Z and 5
O'Clock on a course of about south
east
Speaking of the weather conditions
on the night of the Gath, after the
squadron had gotten away, the ad-
miral said that he remembered that
the night was a dirty one and the
sky lowering. 1t was rainy in squalls,
he said
Admiral Schley spoke of the
weather on the 25th as rough for the
smaller ships. Il remember he said,
that the Marblehead carried away
one of her booms that was alongside
on accoun. of the sea, the Vixen took
green seas over her bows and badly
injured man. The Eagle filled one
Of her forward compartments. Both
of these ships constantly dropped
astern. The squadron, of course,
slowed for them. On several occa-
sions the Merrimac signalled the dis
arm of her steering gear and OF her
engines, necessitating stops. Coaling
on the 25th," he continued, would
have been absolutely impossible"
Eagle Couldn't Have coaIed.
Coming to the 26th, Admiral Schley
said that the weather was still rough.
and he related the incident OF sending
Commander Switzerland away with
the Eagle. He did not, the admiral
said. "insist upon coaling his ship,
because it would have been absurd;
it was impossible. His ship at the
time was laboring great deal, slash
ing and rolling about. He regretted
having to leave the squadron for coal
as well as myself His contention,
however, that he could coal on that
occasion was utterly untenable. He
could have coaled, suppose, in boats,
but he would have burned the coal
as fast as he got it on board.
I'VE continued on an easterly
course" said the admiral again TAX
ing up the thread of his narrative, "as
my orders contemplated approaching
cautiously, and as they also conveyed
to me the information that probably
when | left Cienfuegos the enemy
would leave Santiago, | laid such a
course as | thought would give me
4