Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-08-10

NDNNlinb fifHll lpHlllNts ' Ct y hlAANbiN
to tow collier, TO get cable 10 hold
Schey steamed westward that day,
toward Key West until a calm sea be-
ing reached he sgnaled the flying
squadron TO stop, and the Texas and
Marhl. head were coaled from the Mer-
rimac. At this time Schley was forty
miles southwark and westward from
Santiago He remained there until the
afternoon OF the 2Sth, when he gave
the signal TO return TO Santiago. on
the morning OF the 2sth he sighted the
Crist6bal Colon In the mouth of Santi-
ago harbor and cabled Washington that
Ceryera was bottled up" On May 81
he exchanged fire with the ships inside
the harbor. June / he was Joined by
Admiral Sampson, and the blockade of
the port commenced and did not end
until the destruction Of the Spanish
fleet on July g.
The charge that Admiral Schley dis
obeyed orders after leaving Clenfleeos
In not going direct TO Santiago has
been hotly pressed by his opponents.
His official report as to his actions al
that time states:
"On the 23rd the Hawk arrived with
dispatches from Admiral Sampson d.
recting me to move eastward with the
squadron TO SANTIAGO. II satisfied that
the encmy's vessels were not In Glen
fuegos. Not being satisfied at this time
that they were not there held my po-
sitlon, being further strengthened IN my
opinion by the fact that ! was informed
by the captain Of the British steamer
Adula that when he left Kingston a
cablegrsm had been received on the
Thursday preceding my arrival of
Cienfuegos, stating that the Spanish
squadron had sailed from Santiago"
The admiral then continues, after re-
lating how he ascertained that Ceryera
was not at Cienfuegos, detailing us
run to Santiago:
"The run to Santiago was marked by
rain and rough weather on
arriving off Santiago the collier Merit
mac was disabled by the breaking Of
her Intermediate pressure valve stem
and the cracking Of the stufiing box
This served as a further embarraSs-
ment 20 the squadron and a source OF
considerable anxiety With the wealth
er conditions that had prevailed since
leaving Cienfueg0s il appeared absO-
lutely necessary TO abandon the posi-
tlon of Santiago and seek a place
the GOLFERS machinery repaired
"Oh Santiago the st. Paul. Yale and
minneapolis were sighted and commit
nicatod with. Arrangements
were at once made whereby the Yale
was to tow the collier and as the pros
pect did not seem favorable for re-
pienishing the meager coal supply ol
the other vessels the squadron stood O.
the westward towing the collier.
After standing 20 the westward foi
about three hours or about twenty-five
miles the conditions became less un-
favorable and the squadron stopped"
He coaled after stopping and adds.
''lnasmuch as IL was known that In
case the Spanish squadron had reached
Santiago Admiral Sampson was able 20
block any movement OF the enemy
through The Bahama channel. my In
tention In standing 90 the westward
WAS. should II become necessary. 10 bar
enort " the enemy 90 reach Havana
by dash through the Iucatan pas
sage
The department al Washington dii
not accept the explanation. nor has IL
ever. Schiey was not inierfered with In
his command. but he was given 10 UNI
derstand that his delay az Clenfuegos
was unaccountable. that his leaving
Santiago after once arriving there was
strange, ana NAT his failure 20 turn
back until De got ready Go was a prac-
teal d!sobedience Of orders.
His critics were busy az WashingtN
and elsewhere while he remained OF
Santiago. They found fresh material
for attack when. on May 81. with the
Massachusetts,. Iowa and New Orleans.
be engaged the Colon IN the entrance
Go The harbor and the shore batteries.
PIE enlargement lasted about an hour
with the loss of eight rucn on the Reina
Mercedes and ~ damage 90 the Amefi-
can vessels. Schey asserted that this
was but reconnaissance. but Wash.
ingion asked why the Colon was not
destroyed.
Admiral Schley was very much in
disfavor at Washington an during N.
month Of June and throughout tie
blockading OF cervera al Santiago. al.
miral Sampson was In charge OF the
blockade, and devised all the plans for
Il, and gave the orders Indicating how
the vessels should act In the even; Of
Ceryera's coming out. l