Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1901-09-27
NEWS in GENERAL
scurEy COURT OF INQUIRY
The Court Is Fast Getting Down to the
Facts in the Case.

new witness was lntrOuuceu ''atui
day 70 the naval court which is in
vestigating the conduct of Admlral
Schley during the Spamish-American
war. The witness was Commander
Seaton Schroeder, who was eXecu-
tive officer of the battleship Massa-
chusetts during the war and is now
governor of the island of Guam. his
testimony dealt with the cruise OF
the "Flying Squadron from C1en-
fuegos to Santiago, and the bonn
bardment of the Spanish ship Girls
tobal Colon as she lay in the mouth
Of the harbor at Santiago on May
81. The commander said the cruise
was not as expeditions as it should
have been. He also said that in the
bombardment of the Colon the fleet
had mot acted as deliberately as the
commander-in chief had announced
to be his purpose to have 1t to act.
While Commander Schroeder was
giving his testimony, Judge Wilson,
counsel for Admiral Schley. sought
to have him make comparison OF
the distance of the fleet from the
shore under Admiral Schley with the
distance under Admiral Sampson
after the latter officer arrived and
took command, but the Judge advo-
Calc oDJSStCNi anu -hl 'AASohi 'A'AA
drew the question, saying, however.
that he did so only temporarily, and
that he would raise the point at
later stage in the Investigation.
Washington, Sept. 24.-The part
played by the battleship Texas in the
naval battle off Santiago July 8, 1898,
in which the Spanish fleet under
Admiral Cervera was sunk. was the
basis of the greater part OF yester-
days proceedings in the Schley
naval court in inquiry. Of the four
witnesses examined during the day,
three had been officers on board the
Texas during the battle, and two OF
Of them were new witnesses. They
were Commander George {. Helner,
who was navigator on the Texas, and
Commander Alex B. Bates. who was
the chief engineer on that battleship.
Commander Harder. executive officer
and the chief surviving officer of the
ship since the death OF Captain Phil
ip, was recalled. The fourth witness
vase Commander Seaton Schroeder,
executive officer on the Massachu-
sets and now governor of the ISL
and of Guam.
The testimony several times during
the day was somewhat exciting, and
it was especially SO when Command
err Heilner described the battle and
the part the Texas had in it. He said
that when the Brooklyn made its
loop at the beginning of the battle
it had passed across the Texas's bow
at a distance not to exceed 100 or
$50 yards, and that at the Command
of Captain Philip the Texas had been
brought to a dead stop. Engineer
Bates testified that the starboard
engines had been stopped and said
he thought this also had happened
to the port engines. Commander
Heilner expressed the opinion that
three miles had been lost by the
vancouver and the fact that part of
the machinery was deranged. He said
that he considered that the Texas
was in greater danger when the
Brooklyn crossed her bow than at
any other time during the battle.
| On cross examination Commander
Heilner admitted having taken part
in the preparation of the official navy
| department chart showing the posi-
tions at different times Of the ships
which participated in the battle. He
| said that. according to this chart,
the two ships never were nearer
| than 600 wards Of each other. But.
he contended, the chart was mac
curate. and he said he only consent
ed to it as a compromise.
| Commander Bates admitted that
the official steam log of the Texas
! contained no record OF the signal TO
reverse engines.
Washington, Sept 25.-The Schley
court of inquiry was brought to
| sudden termina ton for the day
| eiphteen minutes after converting
Yesterday morning by the announce
ment of the sudden death of Judge
| Jeremiah Wilson, senior counsel for
Admiral Schley.
Washington, Sept. 2G.-Two new
witnesses were introduced in the
| Schley court of inquiry yesterday.
| They were Admiral Cotton, who, as
| captain commanded the auxiliary
cruiser Harvard, and Captain Wise,
who commanded the auxiliary cruis-
err Yale during the Spanish war. Both
these vessels were used as scouts and
! both came up with the flying squad
| ron off Santiago on the 27th Of May,
before the retrograde movement to
Kew West was begun.
Admiral Cotton testified that he
had gone aboard Admiral Schley's
flagship. the Brooklyn, on that date
to take orders to him, and said at
first that he gave him four or five
DISPATCHES addressed to the COM
mander of the squadron. He after
wards modified this statement, saying
that probably all but two of the
DISPATCHES We're addressed to himself
admiral Cotton) ,ut they contained
| information which he supposed
should be in Admiral Schley's pos
session. One of these was copy of
a dispatch from Admiral Sampson,
which had not been printed in the
official records, stating that the Span
ish fleet was at Santiago. He said
also that coal could have been taken
from the Merrimac on the 27th of
MAY. the day on which the retro
grade movement to Key West was be-
gun for the purpose of coaling. Cap
tain Wise testified that on the 9th
of May he had signa1ed Captain