The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-25
REAR ADMIRAL sCHLEY TELLS OF
THE WORK OF THE FLYING
SQUADRON
WAS LOYAL TO SAMPSON
Had No Motive Other Than to CO.
operate With His ChieG-Many.
Admirers Shake the Adj
miraFs Hand.
STORY OF GRAPHIC DETAIL

WASHINGTON, Oct. "a. = Admiral
Schley today took the stand in his own
behalf at the court of inquiry which is
investigating his conduct as commander
in chief of the flying squadron during the
Santiago campaign. He was summoned
a few minutes after the court convened
at o'clock for the afternoon session
and when the court adjourned at
clock he apparently had only gotten
well under way in his testimony. Capt.
Charles E. Clark, of the Oregon had just
concluded his statement when Mr. Ray
ner, rising from his seat said:
Il should like to have Rear Admiral
Schley called" The admiral accordingly
was asked to take the stand It was a
turn IN the proceedings for which ap-
parently neither the members of the
court, it's officers. nor the spectators
were prepared, and a murmur of sur
prise was heard on all sides. 1t had been
expected that the adIniraps name would
be reached toward the close of the after
noon session. There were still two wit
nesses on his list who had not been heard
and it was understood to be his purpose
not to take the stand until the entire list
had been exhausted He, however. re-
sronded Immediately to the call and be.
fcre the audience was we'll aware of the
fact he had begun his narrative of the
campaign which terminated in the
obstruction of Cervera's feet. Mr.. Ray
her introduced the testimony of his dis
tmguished witness by saying:
Will you give the court your name and
rark?'
Winfield Scott Schley, rear admiral
United States navy. retired, at present
on service in this court of inquiry"
Admiral SchIey's Story.
The admiral then in answer to a ques-
ton from his counsel proceeded to give q
careful and detailed narrative of all the
events of the campaign up to the battle
OF Santiago. He had not reached the
stage of his testimony where he will tell
Of the battle, when the court adjourned
for the day. The audience which listened
to his recital was by far the largest
which has yet gathered in the gunners'
workshop, where the court sits. All the
reserved seats We're occupied as were the
seats set apart for the public at large. In
the rear of the room stood probably as
many people as found seats, scores of men
and women standing upon tables chairs
and in the windows. in fact anywhere
from which they could see the court
There was no appearance of demOnstra-
tion of any kind during the admiraTs re-
cital- On the contrary, the silence was
almost unbroken except for the sound Of
the witness own voice
Only once was there stir in the room
which indicated any feeling on the part
of the listeners. That was when the ad-
miral, detailing his conversation with
Admiral Sampson in the cabin of the
New York at Key West, told how he had
assured the commander-in-chief of fealty
to him. When the court adjourned for
the day many of the spectators pressed
forward and shook the admirals hand
''I was a commodore" the witness be-
gan, in response to Mr.. Rayner's request
for a connected narrative of the cam
paign, and was ordered to command the
flying squadron on the 2Sth of March
1898, and served until the 10th day of
June of the same year in that capacity"
He had taken command of the squadron
at Hampton Roads, Va, hoisting his flag
on the cruiser Brooklyn. After relating
the organization of the squadron at the
Virginia port he said that he had called
the commanding onicers of the vessels
constituting that squadron together and
then he added:
THE plan of campaign was threshed
out. The disposition to be made of the
over water torpedoes was thoroughly dis
cuSSed and, l am frank to say, l found
no one of the commanding officers who
seemed to agree with the other as to
what use should be made of them. [
therefore determined, as happens upon
all such occasions, to take the helm my
aces to the squadron we should simply
keep them charged with their war heads
below the protected decks.
81 put the squadron Immediately
Upon War Footing,
established pickets and patrols and also
the masking of lights
Admiral Schley plunged Immediately
into the campaign by outlining at this
point the plan which he had indicated
to his commanding officers before leav-
ing Hampton roads, saying:
During this time l explained to all
the commanding officers that as it would
be impossible to contrive a plan of bat
tie that would meet unforeseen contin-
gencies, the general plan of the squad
ron would be to cruise in line of battle.
and its principle would be to attack the
head and leading vessels, concentrating
the fire upon them in order. first, to OBJ
tain the moral effect, and second, to
I, throw them into confusion, making a
victory over them probably very much
more successful and complete. l did tHat
for the reason that the older plans of
battle had been to attack centers and
Continued on Third Page.