The San Francisco call., 1901-10-03
COURT OF INQUIRY DISCOVERS THAT CHANGES WERE MADE IN LOG

ing the Spanish war There was much inter-
Brooklyn's officers to be called since the in
quiry began. He was called by the depart
ment, but when Captain Lemly had concluded
his examination Mr.. Raynor announced that
ii had been Admiral Schleys intention to have
Lieutenant Doyle summoned as a witness in
his behalf. He, therefore, with the consent of
the court questioned the witness as If his ex-
animation had been in chief and did not conflne
himself to cross-examination.
In response to questions by Captain Lemly
Lieutenant Doyle said that during the battle
off Santiago he had had charge of the two
waist turrets. He had, he said, written the
log giving the account Of the battle as there
recorded, but afterward an addenda had been
rlade by the navigator
When the Brooklyn steamed westward wit
ness was first in the port turret and then in
the starboard turret.
did you have an opportunity Of observing
which way the vessel turned?' Captain Lemly
asked
said. however, that he did not hear orders
given to the man at the wheel.
What did you observer
'I observed while in the port turret that
we had an opportunity Of firing at the Spanish
ships and the turret was trained nearly ahead:
The Spanish ships were a little bit then on our
port bow and we lost sight of them by our
ship turning with a starboard helm. Then
it was that the order was given to the
ships a little bit on our starboard bow. AS
soon as 1 got in that turret l swung the gun
sharp on the starboard bow. In the meantime
scme of our own guns had fired, probably in
nothing at all for the dense smoke. While in
that position, and while the turret was being
trained Mr.. Mason, the executive officer,
passed down the starboard gangway, calling
sharp on the starboard quarter and l ac-
cordingly. trained the turret around and picked
from then on it was constant train of the
turret until we had the Spanish ships about
abeam." ..,. , ,o,, o,,
the vessel turned the starboard helm z?
helm because that is the reason we lost sight
Of the Spanish ships
The witness then stated that the original en-
helm was put to starboard instead of to port
as it appears in the permanent log The
change he said, had been made on the 9th OF
July, two days after the action.
Asked why he changed it., Mr.. Doyle said:
with SHsHgu sbarB had been under the impression,
as 1 have stated, that we had turned with a
starboard helm. Sharp was aboard the Brook
lyn on July to luncheon with US and had
a discussion with him that day on that sub
ject. 1 think that is the time I changed it. -
do you know whether the navigator had
then signed the log as correct?'
II do not, sir.
About how was the ship heading at that
tin1e-within the quadrant of a circle south
ward to westward, northward to eastward?'
1--WE were headed at the beginning of the
battle inshore; that is to say, the head of our
ship was about north. AS soon as the Spanish
ships came out and 1 got on top of the port tur-
ing With % port helm because the Spanish ships
were a little our starboard bow, but we
were working the port battery and started to
swing first and brought the port battery into
action Now, then, must have continued
around there, 1 know, but when was in
the starboard turret lost sight of the ships
because they were on our port bow
THE effect, then, of putting the helm aport
in order to bring the starboard battery to bear,
would be to send the vessel through than
$50 degrees, would it not, in turning %
Certainly yes we were headed about north
east and that would mean more than 1SO de-
erees."
''The cheaper way would have been to put
the helm to starboard, would it not ~
Il not prepared to say
If the ship was headed northeast and the
chase was going nearly west or a westward
course?''
Yes you could make the turn in that way"
do you of your own knowledge know of any
thing to prevent your turning"
When ] was on top of the starboard turret
it looked very much to though We're
going to have a general melee or mix-up with
the Spanish ships
How far were they from you at that time p
When we took them up on the starboard