The Washington times., 1901-11-05

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case, as il is based on certain statements
made to him by others. The history OF
this case is here in the record. II we had
the Secretary of the Navy on the stand
we might question him about the letter
and the statements that it contains, but
there is serious objection to letting an
ex-parte letter go into the evidence We
object 10 any eX-parte statements of the
Secretary of the Navy.
Captain LenIly suggested putting in Ger
tain parts Of the Appendix from page l6i
to the end. Captain Parker thought that
this included SIMPSONS letter charging
Schley with reprChensihle conduct ana ne
accused the Judge advocate of an at
tempt to get this communication IN the
record. ,
1t developed that Captain Parker had
misunderstood the number of the pages
which the judge advocate had asked 10
have admitted
Appendix should form a part OF the rec
ord with the exception of the Schley let
ter to the Senate. -,
Mr. Ravner-I would like to get Admi-
raj Schlev's commission in evidence. DO
you object to that
Captain Lemly-Not at all.
The judge advocate then read excerpts
from the commission showing that IT was
dated August TO- 1895. with the consent
and advice OF the Senate
The Court admitted the commission as
II stood and at this point recess WAS
taken until o'clock.
When the Court convened after the re-
cess Captain Lemiy announced that the
Court had decided to admit In evidence
the commission of Admiral Schley Offered
before the recess was taken. but that it
does not recognize it as the document Un-
der which he holds his Office in the navy.
He also called attention to the change Of
date in the printed log Of the New York
in evidence. and said that the log of the
Colon from April to July 3. which had
been heretofore omitted. would be placed
in evidence
MIR. Hanna then began his argument of
the case. the first which the Court is to
hear. He prefaced his remarks by saying
that he would endeavOr TO do two things:
First, TO be brief and terse. and, second,
to give a careful and exhaustive review of
the testimony and a reference to the i'm
portant points which it embraced.
Mr.. Hanna's Argument.
Mr. Hanna referred to the fact that
owing to the scope of the enquiry the
testimony had been voluminous and de-
clared that this was perhaps the most
important naval enquiry ever held. Con-
tinuing, he said:
In May. 1898. our coast was menaced
by hostile fleet, fleet of modern con-
struction, comprising. as we then under
stood, four steel cruisers and three swift
torpedo boats. 1t was a crucial time Our
seaboard cities were exposed; military
operations for the relief of Cuba were un-
der consideration and pending. and could
not be carried on while such a fleet was
somewhere in the Caribbean Sea and its
course unknown.
Under these circumstances the Flying
Squadron, then off Charleston, s. G., was
ordered by the Secretary of the Navy
in an order dated Washington. May Il,
1895 to proceed to Key West with all
possible speed and on arrival to report to
Remey. The Flying Squadron did pro-
ceed to Key West in accordance with this
order And on that run made speed of
twelve knots. 1t was suggested in the
course of the testimony that at one time
the Massachusetts signaled the impracti-
cability of making that speed. hut Com
mander Schroeder explained that
the flagship was making more
than twelve knots and therefore
brought the matter to attention. The in
structions In the first order are that the
Flying Squadron must be cOaled immedi-
ately upon arrival at Key West, and the
further direction: VIII poceed with ut
most despatch of Cienfuegos.'
This order was communicated to Com
modore Schley in the form of letter or
order. dated Key West. May 10, and
signed by the commander-in-chief of the
United States naval forces of the North
Atlantic station ! will not read the en-
tire order but only the following words
! thereof:
| 1t is unnecessary for ne to say that
I you should establish blockade at Glen
/ fuegos with the least possible delay. and
/ that it should be maintained as closely as
/ possible.
.SThe Flying Squadron left Key West
| about O'Clock on the date OF
that ,9rte order May 10 it arrived
! as to establish a blockade there at
! o'clock on the morning OF May - making
| the run in about three days, less two
| hours. it does not appear that this wa.
an he fp1f in
4 the squadron. left Key West AT IL O'CLOCK
| on the 10Th. the following day. some TWEEN
! tysiN hours after the Flying Squadron
! departure. The Iowa went by way OF
! Havana instead of directly, and arrived
! at Cienfuegos at 1870 on May %. making
| it will be noted far better time.
! Critfcises the Speed.
THE log Of the Brooklyn shows that
| on this run the Flying Squadron was
stopped for an hour and twenty-five min
utes on one occasion for an interview witf
| Captain Chester; that between / and
O'Clock on the 20th the speed was SLOWED
| down very considerably; and that agaif
from o'clock until midnight on the 2ls
the speed was slackened.
The time o. the arrival of the Flying
Squadron at Cienfuegos is a matter thai
requires a moments notice. The squadron
arrived about midnight in the vicinity o.
Cienfuegos. If that were taken as tn,
time of the arrival. of course a differen
result would be reached: but it appear
| from the steam log of the Texas and il
| the testimony of several officers that som.
! four and one-half knots were steamed OF
| the morning of the 22d. before the posi-
! tion of the harbor Of Cienfdegos wa
! reached
Further. from the log Of the Brooklyn
!
a half of steaming at ten knots, showine
that the squadron must have been a con.
siderable distance from the harbor at tn,
| time Of the stop at midnight on the DIST
After this entry in the log of the Brook
I lyn there is note that the sduadror
stood in close to the entrance of the har
Dor. We have with respect to this mat
/ ter Of the enquiry interrogated Captain
/ Higgtnson, Lieutenant Commander Har
! Der, and others, and We have the log
/ have mentioned.
About thirty miles out Of Key Wes
on the 18th the Flying Squadron passed
Captain McCaila's division. This was al
| important event, Drause at that time. OF
| board the Marblehead, there was a system
I of signals established by Captain Mccall;
for communication with the insur
| gents and certain other i'm
| portant information respecting
/ Cienfuegos. These signals were not il
! Key West at the time Of the departure o
| the Flying Squadron and consequently
| could not have been communicated to tn,
| commander at that time. At the time o.
/ passing the Flying Squadron McCalls
| supposed that Commodore Schley wa!
| bound for the Caribbean Sea in search o.
| the Spanish iieet, and ne did not know
, that the commodore was going to Glen
! fuegOs.
Commodore Schley did know that Cap
tain McCalla had been at Cieufuegos an,
that he had been there for some time
Under the circumstances the ordinary re
lations would have been Tor the JUNO
! ntticer In lmurnach Iha senior officer wild