The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-11
BUTTE FRIDAY II.

the mouth Of the harbor at from to s
miles, the distance being about the same
day and night. There was, he said, no
particular formation of the vessels. The
examination of this point was as fol-
lows:
Captain Lemly: "When you were
at the western end of the blocwade with
the leading vessel making the turn, what
orders were there for attacking when
you saw the enemy coming out of the
entrance?"
II do not believe we could have seen
the enemy coming out. There were no
orders that I have any knowledge Of"
"Why do you think you would not have
seen the enemy coming out, if such had
been the case?"
Might Have Escaped.
Owing to darkness and the distance
from the harbor, for instance, when we
were at the western end Of the line, the
ships could have come out and stood to
the eastward without our being any the
wiser unless they should show lights
How about the reTerses of that pro-
position?"
"I think it would have been the same
in either case.'
Captain Lemly then asked: Did you
have any conversation with the COM
rnandins officer of the flying squadron,
or in his presence relating to the force
on the Colon or otherwise"
Lieutenant Dewey replied: II was told
shortly before We started into the en-
trance that the commodore wished to
see the turret officers in the pilot house.
I went to the pilot house and the COM
modore said that he intended to go in
few moments and have a try at the
Colon and that he wished we would
sink her.
After the Colon.
asked what speed we would make
and was told about ten knots I re-
marked at the time that 1 thought that
was giving US very little chance at the
Colon, as she would be in sight between
the head lines only a couple Of minutes
and that the SNAKE from the guns would
probably make our fire very SLOW
To the best of my recollection,
the commodore stated we would have
to do the best we could; that
the speed would be ten knots"
He said in reply to questions that the
Spanish batteries had not given the
American vessels much trouble on that
occasion. "None of the Colon's shots
came near" he said, but two or three
shots from the batteries fell about the
Massachusetts at the time, one passing
over it,
What conclusion did you arrive at,
as to the caliber of the shore guns?'
II did not think they We're of very
large caliber, not over six inches
Marblehead and Vixen.
Lieutenant Francis Boughton, who
ri, nd dix,ic on
board the Marblehead, during Commo-
dore Schley's blockade of Santiago, was
then called. He said that during that
time, tho A1arhlohood and th@ I,:Ne..
were on picket duty between the shore |
line and the line of the blockade, the |
Marblehead being stationed three miles
from the shore and to the westward
six miles from the Morro. He would
not attempt to say how far outside the
squadron was. but he could not the
ships after nightfall.
The court asked:
"Was the Marblehead in such position
at night while on picket duty off Santi- !
ago that the enemy's vessel would have
been seen had they attempted to leave
the harbor?"
The witness replied: THAT would de-
pend on a great many circumstances
the state of the weather. the course
they took and their success in keeping
their ships dark and quiet.
By the Court.
Admiral Dewey: THE Marblehead
was on picket duty. Could she have seen
the enemy coming?"
IF the enemy kept close to shore dur /
ing most Of the time, we could not have
seer them; if the enemy had stood south
from the entrance, which would have
placed Them about four miles off, we
could not have seen them, provided they
kept reasonably dark and quiet"
Mr., Raynor: What was the purpose |
of the picket boats being there if they |
could not see the enemy?"
"They were supposed to be there, 1
presume, for that purpose"
.Then if they We're there for that pur-
pose, what was it that would have pre- |
vented them from accomplishing this OBJ
ject?"
"The fact that they could not see |
vessel If ran a distance of three miles
off at night"
Lieutenant Boughton was still on the !
stand when the court took it's noon re-
cess.