Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-10-01
MILLER or MERRIMAC
APPEARS AS WITNESS
Tells of Coaling at Sea From
Collier.
MAKES EXCUSE TO COURT

Collier.
MAKES EXCUSE TO COURT
Says If He Exhibited Any Temper, 1t
| Was Because He Felt ga Little Bit
Touchy About the Merrimac''-In-
terest In Capt. Evans Testimony.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 0-The bright
sunshine and fresh air had the effect of
bringing all the members to the Schley
court of inquiry and the attendance
upon 1t to the court building rather
earlier than usual this morning. Ad-
miral Dewey was, as is his custom, one
OF the first members to put in an appear
ance, but early as was his arrival, he
found Judge Advocate Lemley and his
assistant, Mr.. Hanna, there in advance
of himself. The admiral, as usual wore
only citizens clothing upon his arrival,
but he was soon transformed into gal
liant tar by donning his service uniform.
SdpGSlu AASlll6y huG MI. I1bAAd were
engaged from the early morning in pre-
pairing the program for the day. There
is much in the way OF detail to be done
every morning and they have fallen into
the habit of coming direct to the court
building, where they have their list of
witnesses, files of documents, printed
matter and everything else bearing upon
the case. They began today's proceed
ings according to custom by recalling
the witnesses of the previous days.
To Call "Fighting" Bob Soon.
Captain Lemley's program provided
that these should be followed by Com
manoer Miller, who commanded the
collier Merrimac in the early part of the
Santiago campaign; Captain Jewell of
the scout ship Minneapolis; Lieutenant
Commander Sharp, who had charge Of
the much talked of Vixen, and Lieuten-
ant General Doyle of the Brooklyn. It
was also contemplated to call at very
early period Rear Admiral Evans, who
was captain of the Iowa Much inter
est was manifested in the probable ap-
pearance of the rear admiral, also in the
prospect of Sergeant Captain Miller,
who, it will be remembered, surrendered
with great reluctance the command of
the Merrlmac to Lieutenant Hobson,
who afterwards sunk the collier in the
mouth of Santiago harbor.
While COmmader Sutherland was on
the stand he was asked by the court
whether if the feet of Oervera had been
in the harbor at Clenfuegos it could
have been seen by the vessels blockad-
ing the post. He replied:
81 cannot definitely say. Not unless
they had anchored in the lower harbor,
just inside Of the entrance to the deep
water, Where the schooner to which |
referred before was anchored, l do
not believe they would have anchored
in that spot.
The first new witness of the day was
Commander James NJ. Miller, who was
In command of the collier Merrimac,
while that vessel was part of Admiral
SchIey's flying squadron.
Commander Miller said that he had
assumed command of the Merrimac, on
April IL, at Norfolk. He had taken on
board at Lambert's Point soon after
ward about 5000 tons of coal. His ves-
sell had, he said, been capable at first of
making and 10 knots, but afterward
he had trouble with his pressure ma-
chinery, 50 that by May % and "A, he
would have hesftated in trying to Sc
cure speed of more that knots. He
read from the oOllier's log to show that
the Iowa, the MASSACHUSETTS and the
Castine had been coaled on May % and
"a. No record was found Of the coaling
of any vessel on May % or 26, the time
consumed ia proceeding from Cienfue
gos to Santiago.
Encountered Bad Weather.
''The sea, ;" he said ION May % was
nasty, quite nasty. The Merrimac,
being a heavy vessel, it's speed was af-
fected, but If had had smaller vessel
l should have felt it very much.
He also said that the weather for that
day was bad.
The witness said that late in the
afternoon of May 26 the intermediate
| valve of the collier was broken, but that
| previous TO the arrival of Santiago she
| had not been "broken down, disabled or
delayed.
AS to the condition on May 90, the
| witness said:
"I should say could have coaled, as
I find here consulting the log) that we
were making 10 knots at one time. We
got up to IL knots. / fancy the weather
could not have been very boisterous.
read here from the log: At l o'clock
got ND to 10. There Is one entry here
| that we got up to II knots. On that
date find, steaming with the squadron
| east to quarter north, by entry between
| 8 O'Clock in the morning and meridian
of that date that we made from 10 to
| IL knots"
Mr.. Hanna: what was the condi-
ton of the scar"
"The sea had then smoothed, should
Judge from the way we were going.
We raised our speed from 7 TO 10
knots 3"
"Do you find any entries as to the
wlnd?"
1.-The wind was east, southeast and
veered to southwest.
GAS to its course?"
sits course I have not here. On the
colllers we kept no record of that.
could you have coaled a vessel on
the afternoon of May 1872
81 could up to the time | was broken
down. While had control of the ship
I could have coaled.
"What time did you break DOWN."
1--WE stopped at $50 that afternoon. "
Asked if vessels could have been
eoaled while the Merrimac was in tow
of the Yale. witness replied that that
! MAS ar, dnAsttan and that