The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-19
ANOTHER WEEK YET
MIR. RAYNER HOPES To CONCLUDE
EVIDENCE THEN.
COURT NOT TO MEET TO-DAY.
MUCH MORE TALK OF THE SAN
TIAGo FIGHT.

hy the Oregon-Lieut. Ryan Tells
of the Death of Yeoman Ellis.
Witnesses Say That Schley Sought
Post of Danger.
Washington. Oct 1S.-Just before the
Schley court of inquiry adjourned to-
day Mr.. Rayner, counsel for Admiral
Schley, informed the court that he
hoped to be able to conclude the pre-
sentation of testimony for the appli-
cant by the close of next week. He
added that he thus far had not had op-
portunity to consult witnesses who are
still to be heard. He therefore asked
that an adjournment be taken from
to-day until Monday.
Speaking for the court Admiral Dew
ey said he was most happy to grant
the request. Accordingly the court ad-
journed until IL o'clock Monday.
The list of witnesses examined to-
day included eight names, but the in
terrogation of the last of the wit
nesses called had not been concluded
when the day came to close. This
last witness was Lieut.. B. w. Wells,
Jr., who served during the war with
Spain as Admiral Schleys flag lieuten-
ant or private secretary.
Lieutenant Commander Nicholson
told the story of the battle of July 3
as he saw it from the deck of the
Oregon. He said the movements of
the Oregon had not been controlled by
signals from the Brooklyn, and he ex-
pressed the opinion that the Oregon
was nearer the Colon than the Brook
lyn was.
To Get Schlcy's Complete History.
From the line of the examination re-
lating to the fight of July already
pursued, it is evident that it is the in
tention of Mr.. Rayner to have Lieut..
Wells give a complete history of Ad-
miral Schley's actions during the Span
ish war; When the court adjourned he
had reached the period of the battle
of July 8, having gone quite minutely
into other incidents of the campaign
up to that time, including the receipt
of dispatches from Admiral Sampson.
The Oregon on July 8.
Lieut.. Commander Reginald F. Mich
olson of the Oregon. was the first wit
ness called, and began his recital of
the story of the battle of July 8, which
he had observed as navigator of the
Oregon. Describing the pursuit of the
Spanish ships, he said:
1--WE turned the Oregon, going slow
ly at first, the speed increasing all the
time, and started in. toward the enc
Ill
parently much faster than we were at
this time. By the time we we're
Strengthened out we'll to the westward
they were all ahead of us. The Iowa
started in, she being to the westward
of us, and apparently got in closer to
the enemy than we did because we
passed under her stern. A few minutes
after that on our course to the west
ward, we passed under the stern of the
Texas, apparently still in the water. I
called Capt. Clark's attention to this.
OF course firing commenced on both
sides at the time the first ship cleared
the mouth of the harbor. We returned
the fire at long range, probably 3h to
miles off at that point.
when we crossed under the Texas
stern we saw the Iowa coming out on
a course nearly parallel to a converg-
ing course with ours. / noticed her a
little abaft our starboard beam. Capt.
Clark at the same time noticed her and
called my attention to her, and told
me to look out and avoid a collision.
No collision was very imminent, but
we did change our helm and passed
on. After the action commenced we
passed the Texas and the Iowa. The
only ship then ahead of us was the
Brooklyn.
60.
"The Viscaya headed toward the
Brooklyn. She ran that course for
some time, and then Strengthened out
again: then turned inshore and few
minutes after that ran ashore"
Commander Nicholson said that he
recalled some signals from the Brook
lyn on the day of the battle, among
Others one at the beginning of the bat
tie to close up and another at the close
of the engagement saying, well done,
Oregon
'As for the first signal" he said. 1--WE
were already closing in and II did not
influence u.s."
The witness said he had never seen
the Brooklyn and the Texas when they
were closer together than a mile or a
mile and half. He also said that
he did not remember any signal from
the Brooklyn to the Oregon to use her
13-inch guns on the Colon.
The Colon Was Far Away.
"Did the Oregon use her 13-inch guns
early in the action" Capt. Lemly ask
ed as his first question on cross-exam-
ination.
"Oh. yes" was the response But
she stopped using them during the
chase of the Colon as that vessel was
so far away that to use them would
have been waste of ammunition"
In response to another question by
Cant. Lemly, Commander Nicholson
said: "I thought the oregon was near
er the enemy during the chase than
the Brooklyn, but the distances varied
somewhat"
In reply to Mr.. Hanna, the witness
said that during the early part OF the
engagement he had seen none or the
Spanish vessels turning toward any
of the American ships and he was sure
there was no well developed movement
In that direction. Yet the smoke was
dense and he could not be certain or
all details. d.
Position of the Vessels
The court asked:
what was the relative position OF
the American ships when the Span
ish vessels came outY'
'sThe Iowa was due south, the Texas
on her port hand and the Brooklyn
farther off TO the westward. The Ore
Ron was 10 the right OF the Iowa, and
Inc Indiana inshore 70 the eastward,
with the New York In the distance. /
= 49, aHu