The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-11

NO. sir: never observed the rela-
! tive positions of all the ships on ac-
count OF the smoke and the attention
We were paying to our own ship in that
fight
cused. and Lieutenant Commander Al
bert W Grant. who was senior watch
officer on the Massachusetts during the
war with Spain. was called.
/ Asked by Captain Lemly concerning
the blockade of Cienfueges. Commander
Grant said there were no directions
giving an order of battle there, but
there was upon arrival a signal from
the flagship that CienfuegOs was to be
olockaded. He had on the occasion Of
the maneuver off Cienfuegos seen the
Spanish earthworks there, and the
masts of one vessel lying in the harbor
but nothing to his knowledge had been
done to destroy those works.
Slow Progress to Santiago.
Commander Grant said that he re-
menlbered a signal from the Brooklyn
before starting from CienfuegOs saying
the fleet was bound for Santiago and
would rendezvous at GOnaives bay. The
progress on that cruise was, he said,
slow because the smaller vessels seere
anected by the weather. He said thar
on the first night out from Cienfuegos
a suspicious vessel. which had errone-
CAHAJ DtCn supposed 70 DelOnE TO Inc
enemy, had been sighted. The Brook
;yn. which had been steaming just in
front of the Massac changed its
course and turned to port. The witness
said that as soon as he observed this
maneuVes he turned the Massachusetts
so as to protect the ship following
Then. he said. "as / knew 1 was
going to ar the Brooklyn, l went
ahead with port engine full speed and
shifted the helm and gave the whistle
signal"
Were the ships in formation of COL
umn?" Captain Lemiy asked.
The witness replied: They were not
There was mix-up"
Commander Grant then told about the
retrograde movement of the flying
squadron toward Key West as well as
the blockade of Santiago. He also de-
scribed the bombardment of the Colon
on May 81, and said that on that occa-
sion he had had no conversation with
Admiral Schley.
Have you stated all or did you I'M
derstand that 1 want all that Commo-
dOre Schley may have said within your
hearing in relation TO this battle on
that day?''
Was With schley But Once.
Il was only in Commodore SchIey's
presence once and that was when he
went over the side after the firing was
over I heard the words, gnat the re-
connoissance had developed the batter
les and he was satisfied. or words to
that effect"
Mr.. Raynor questioned the witness
concerning the signals of May Is with
the end in view of showing that Com
modore Schley's signal at 4:30 D. m,
saying that the general meeting place
will be twenty-five miles south of San
tiago." was modified by the preceding
signal of 1870 a. m, saying: I'm case
of separation the fleet will rendezvous
at place designated by signal
The witness declined to admit that
this was true, calling attention to the
fact that the 1870 signal also specified
the latitude and longitude of Gonaives
bay showing, as he held. that that sig
nal referred to a former signal and
that the 4:3O signal for a rendezvous
twenty-five miles south OF Santiago
was independent and was not modified.
Mr. Raynor questioned the witness
concerning the encounter with a sus-
piciOus vessel while en- route to Santi-
ago.
You say there was q melee or mix
up on the night of the 25th. That was
the time you were on your way from
Cienfuegos to Santiago. Is there any
thing in your log book about that?"
L do not think so. but next morn
ing 1 made written statement 10
Captain Higginson. 1 am very sorry
have not copy of the letter wrote
at that time"
The court asked the following ques-
tons:
Efforts to Discover Spaniards.
Were any efforts made by the flying
squadron to discover whether or NOT
Cervera's squadron was in the harbor
OF Cienfuegos2''
None to my knowledge
Were any orders given from the
flagship by signal or otherwise for the
guidance of the ships composing the
flying squadron in the event of meet
ing Cervera's squadron in the passage
from Cienfuegos to Santiago?"
None TO my knowledge"
Commander Grant was then excused
and Lieutenant J. H. Holden, who was
watch officer on the Scorpion during
the Spanish war. was called.