The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-19

later and during the chase he had seen
! the Niscaya turn as II 10 ram the Brooklyn
before the former went ashore. He said
/ he had made a personal examination OF
/ the Brooklyn after the battle and found
| that she had been struck thirty times. Mr..
/ arford said that Commodore Schieys con-
/ duct and bearing during the battle was
| that OF fearless officer He said that dur
| ing the engagement the turning tank OK
| the Brooklyn filled with water.
j. l.. Hanley, who was chief macnlnlst
/ on the Texas during the battle Of July ),
was next called. His testimony was OF
! little Importance. Lieut.. J. Z. j. Ryan,
| who was assistant engineer on the Brook
/ lyn, was the next introduced. Describing
| the battle of Santiago, the witness said:
| Il passed ranges from Yeoman Ellis into
| the forward turret until Ellis was killed;
| These ranges varied. The last range l
made. in passing. / thought he said 100
yards, when he said 1,1O0 yards"
killed."
yes. sir. was standing alongside of
/ him. He was forward of the forward
| eight-inch turret, perhaps about three teet,
| taking ranges. He had a stadimeter In
| his hand and was singing out the ranges.
| 4 shell from what thought was the Colon
| struck him in the face and took his head
| of. Blood spurted out of his neck and went
| all over those around. We attempted first
/ 10 drop his body overheard on account or
/ the blood deck, but the commodore or
| dered Us TO carry him back, not 20 throw
! him overheard, and that he should be
| buried on land"
Were you hurt? 1 mean from Ellis?'
Yes. L was scratched in the neck and
| face and small portion of a bone from
his head lodged in my breast 1t was
4 taken out about three weeks afterward."
Did you see Commodore Schley about
/ that timer"
"All the time"
What was his manner and bearing as
| they impressed your
Admirable, / thought"
Was his position one of danger?"
HIS position was on little bridge built
around the coming tower, and he was vas
| time. as far as l could see"
was that an exposed condition."
"All the time"
When Lieutenant Ryan had concluded
| Lieutenant B. w. Wells, jr., who was Com
| modore Schley's flag lieutenant during the
Cuban campaign, was called. Lieutenant
| Wells gave detailed account of the en-
| tire campaign, beginning with the depart
ure from Hampton Roads, the stay at
ClenfuegOs, the cruise TO Santiago, the
| retrograde movement, the blockade of San
/ tiago, the bombardment of the Colon and
| the battle off Santiago. Referring TO the
| engagement of May 81 Lieutenant Wells
1 said he had gone aboard the Massachusetts
! with Commodore Schley. He gave a brief
| description Of that engagement. He said
| he had heard orders given TO the New
/ Orleans to fire on the shore batteries. Con-
/ tinulng he said: Il saw during this action
q number of discharges of smokeless pow
/ der from the slope to the westward OF the
entrance Several shells passed over us
and dropped near us. The commodore at
! that time made a number of Joking re-
marks about some of us lodging 1 do
| not think he lodged. He seemed 10 me
| at that time thoroughly self-possessed,
/ without any perturbation that saw at any
/ time during the action
WAS he labOring under any mental ex-
element at that timer
None at all that L could see He was
| in very natural frame of mind"
THE DEAR SCHLEY' LETTER.
Mr. Rayner questioned the witness at
| considerable length concerning the receipt
| of dispatches while the flying squadron
/ lay off Cienfuegos and also after it had ar
/ rived off Santiago. He first directed the
witnesses attention to dispatch No. Z, known
as the Dear Schley'' letter and elected
/ from him the statement, based upon notes
| upon the back or copies Of the dispatch pre-
| scented TO him for identification, that two
/ copies of it had been received, the first on
/ the 23d and the second on the 24th of May.
/ With reference to the McCalla memoran-
/ dunn, saying that a good landing place
/ could be found on the coast of Cuba thir-
| teen miles TO the westward of Cienfuegos,
4 1T was shown that 1T had been received at
! S:15 p. m. on May p, and the witness said
/ that as the Hawk had arrived at that lime
/ he thought the memorandum had not been
! received until then. No. 5, a dispatch from
| Admiral Sampson, saying that the Spanish
/ squadron probably was at Santiago and
directing Admiral Schley to proceed there
with all dispatch if satisfied that the Span
| iards We're not at CienfuegOs, also was
| referred to, and it was shown that accord
/ ing TO the receiving stamp imprint it had
| been received at S:15 D. m. on May %, and
that. another copy had been received on
/ the following day.
Mr. Rayner questioned the witness con-
] corning the visits of Admiral Chen cap
| tain Cotton to the Brooklyn May y
| and 80. Admiral Cotton was then in COM
mand of the Harvard, and the dispatch
| which he had taken aboard the flagship
| was presented and read This dispatch
was from Admiral Sampson and was di-
rected to Captain Cotton. Another dis
patch, which was presented while Admiral
Cotton was on the stand, also was read by
/ Mr. Rayner. 1t likewise from Sampson
TO lotion, and was as follows:
The Spanish squadron at Santiago. If
| previous to May 10. scout off Santiago.
| Communicate with Schley if he (they)
moved west. Schley is expected May "A at
Santiago from CienfuegOs, Cuba Telegraph
me from Nicholas Mole to Key West if
| he (they) moves east and leave letter for
| Schley; then so off Santiago to meet him."
| etc.
Coming down to the reconnaissance at
Santiago of which so much has been said.
| Mr. Rayner asked. did you hear Com
| modOre Schley say at any time anything
| IN reference 10 the consplcuousnesS of his
| uniform at the time of his Reconnaissance"
NO. sir, L do not recall any such
What have you to say in reference to
statement that he took refuge behind or
on the lee side of the coming tower dur
| ing the time of the reconnaissance? Did
you see him sufficiently TO enable you to
speak on that?"
Il was in his immediate vicinity during
that entire reconnaissance and / recollect
that he certainly did not take refuge. as
you express il. behind the coming tower.
He was at different points about the con-
ming tower, on the turret side the
other, quite indifferently, apparently"
Have you a personal recollection of any
signal. Don't go in any closer without
consulting the signal record book?"
Il do not see how such a signal could
have been made. No ship could go in with
out permission of the commodore, on that
occasion, any closer.
At this point adjournment was taken I'M
til Monday.