Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-10-15
CAPT, COOK BEFORE
COURT OF INQUIRY
schley's Chief Of staff on
Board Brooklyn.
TESTIMONY OF INTEREST


Judge Advocate Lemley Has Practi.
caIly Completed Departments Pre-.
sentation Of Case and VIII CREST
For the Present.
WASHINGTON, Oct I4-Captain Fran
els A. Cook was the first new Titnes:
called before the Schley court OF inqui.
~ today. He was called by the navy
department, but as ne also is on Admira,
Schley's list Of witnesses he viii be con.
sidered, like Lieutenant Commander
Hodgson and Lieutenant Doyle, as z
witness for both sides Of the contro
versy.
During the war with Spain Captain
Cook was commander Of the fagshiE
Brooklyn and also Admiral Sohley'
chief Of STAFF, thus occupying the same
relative position to Admiral Sohley thai
Captain Chadwick occupied 70 Admiral
Sampson. His appearance On the stand
therefore created considerable interest
and his testimony was listened 20 atten.
lively.
Other witnesses summoned by the de.
parsmenr for today were Lieutenant
Commander William E. Fullam, who
was on the New Orleans during the
Santiago campaign. and Lieutenant
Joseph Beale, VINO was on the scout
ship Harvard, and who volunteered &c
60 ashore and ascertain whether the
Spanish feet under Cervera was IN rae
harbor Of Santiago. These are the last
witnesses which Judge Advocate Lemley
expects 70 call for the present ana when
they shall have completed their tsstlm0-
II he will rest
Schley's Witnesses on Hand.
4 nunbsr Of Admiral Schley's wit
ueEses were II attendance about Cne
courtroom today. Il is expected that
his first witness will De the Cuban pilot,
Elward NuDez, and Cnat ne viii De fol.
lowed by Commander Mason, who was
executive officer on board the Brooklyn
during the Santiago campaign, by Lieu.
tenant Commander Griffin and Lleuten-
ants AcCau16T and Webster. All oI
these were present IN the room before
the beginning Of the days proceedings.
After previous witnesses had corrected
their testimony, Captain Cook was
called He was questioned By Mr.. Han
Ia and responded clear and distinctly.
What Information did you have con
corning the wnerea bouts OF CeTyera :
feet" asked Mr. Hanna.
My impressions now are sim ply from
runner, that they mad left the Canary
islands and part OF them had bean
sighted az Martinique, from consular in.
formation, or perhaps Information sent
by the Harvard, that they had gone 70
Curacao. That is all from i'm preston. :"
Giving the reasons for the departure
Of the flying squadron for Cienfuegos,
Captain Cook said the squadron had
been sent 10 that port 70 intercept and
meet the Spanish squadron, it having
been determined, as was believed at the
time by them, 70 make Clenfuegos their
objective point.
He had understood that the Spanish
feet carried munitions of war for Ha-
vana and it was believed that they
would 60 10 Cenfuegos, because Of it's
accessi ollity 70 Havana
Captain Cook detailed a conversation
between Commodore Schley and Cap
tain Chester while the squadron was en-
route 70 Cienfuego& He said there had
been talk between than &boat coaling
on the southern coast Of Cuba
The only thing recollsos, " he said,
was that Commodore Schley Ques-
toned Captain Chester very closely as
70 the facilities for coanng ships On the
south side Of Cuba
DO You know what information was
receiveG9"
Il think they consulted a chart at the
al
Cape Cruz Irecollect afterward look
ing at the chart. and il did not seem 70
be a favorable place. I know the SUB
jecr OF coaling was early considered.
even before leaving Ksy West"
Admiral Dewey Was your answer
that Cape Cruz did Or did not look ike
a favorable place? did not quite IN.
dersrand that"
Not Favorable For Coaling.
81 said I reco.lect very well my i'm
presslons at that time were that the capa
did not seem a favorable place for coal.
ing ships from GOLFERS :"
Mr.. Perhaps the court would
like &c hear why you thought so?"
II could not see bow Ehe larger ships
could get far enough in there so that
the colllers would be smooth enough &c
60 along side and coal ships"
Captain Cock said that on arriving of
CientUegos Oh the morning of May % a
blockade was Immediately established.
as the firing OF guns was heard, and il
was believed that Cervera mad arrived
and fete IN honor Of mis- appearance
was on EartRworEs On the snore also
were seen, but they we're rot fred upon,
because II was considered desirable not
70 unnecessarily expend ammunition.
81 think that between that time and
the arrival Of the Adula il was presumed
that the whole beach was occu pied, - ne
said I'VE saw cavalry and others on
the beach. The possibility Of a boat
landing was talked Of Tns idea was
that we would have 70 90 in pre5ty well