Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-24
And Her Part in the Naval
Battle Off Santiago
Is Brought Into the SehIey Inquiry,
and the Evidence
So Far Does Not Show That :chley Acted
Part Of Coward.

| ingS in the Schley naval court of in
| quiiy. OF the four witnesses examine ]
| during the day three had been officers
| on the Texas during the battle and two
| of them were new witnesses. These
were Commander George e. Heilner
who was navigator on the Texas. and
Commander Alex 3. Bates, who was
the chief engineer on that battleship
Commander Herber, executive officer
| and the chief surviving officer of the
| ship since The death of Capt. Philip
| was recalled. The fourth witness was
Commander Seaton Schroeder, execu-
tive officer on the Massachusetts, and
| row governor or the island Of Guam
The day closed with another ami
! mated controversy between counsel as
t. the policy Of bringing Admiral
SIMPSONS name into the trial.
Promptly at IL o'clock, Admiral
Dewey called the court to order Cap
tain Lemly presented the deck log
| books of the Brooklyn, Texas, Iowa
Castine, Marblehead Massachusetts
| Minnesota, New Orleans, Oregon, St
Paul. Scorpion, Yale. Vixen. Eagle, Du-
| pont. Hawk and Merrimac.
How about the New York;" asked
| Judge Wilson. Il want to expedite the
proceedings
Il have no objections" responded
Captain Lemly. Il. too. want t.
hasten the proceedings as much rs
possible
After some exchange Of opinion on
the part of the counsel, an understand
ing was reached that such parts of the
logs as either side desired could be
printed. Captain Lemly also present
ed the steam logs OF the Brooklyn,
Texas, Massachusetts, Iowa and Mar
blehead. Admiral Schley's counsel
asked to have the log of the Spanish
ship Cristobal Colon presented.
Very well. if we can find Spanish
scholar to go through it and select the
facts wanted said Capt. Lemly.
Admiral Schley is a good Spanish
scholar and he can make such selec-
tons as We may DESIRE responded
Mr. Rayner.
Commander Schroeder was recalled
and asked if he desired to make any
corrections in the official record of his
testimony of Saturday. There is one
omission from Admiral Schley's re-
marks on the Massachusetts on the
day of the bombardment OF the Colon
which l overheard. which I should like
to supply" he replied. 1T is this: He
said when he came aboard that Adj
mral Sampson would there on the fol-
lowing day. He made that statement
in connection with his remark that he
was going in to sink the Colon.
Commander Schroeder WAS asked
concerning the coal supply of the Mas
sachusetts, and when he replied that
he had no information on that point
he was asked to read the log to secure
this information. Counsel for Admiral
Schley objected. but Assistant Judge
Advocate Hanna insisted. saying that
Admiral Schleys counsel were merely
creating delay by their objections. i
propose to develop the facts in this
case and technical objections will no;
avail to prevent he said.
The purpose of this inquiry was t.
develop what Messrs. Lemly and
Hanna considered an error in Admiral
Higginson's testimony. He had said
that the Massachusetts could not have
remained on blockade for more than
II days. and that then the vessel would
be without coal and powerless to pro
coed to coal.
The objection to the question was
not pressed. and upon reading from
the log Commander Schroeder said it
showed that the Massachusetts ha
over 800 tons of coal on board when ii
arrived at Santiago.
Mr. Misunderstanding the Massa-
chusetts on blockade duty would use
20 to 30 tons of coal Der day, how long
could the Massacl usetts have re-
manned on blockade before Santiago
with that supply Of coal?'
THAT would depend entirely upon
the nature of the blockade and upon
whether we would have TO go some
distance to replenish the coal supply |
BY keeping under way at night, as we
did up to the first of June. of course |
we used little more coal than we
would have by keeping stationary |
blockade. as was done afterward.
do not remember the coal consumption |
per day. My recollection was that dur
ing the stationary blockade the noon |
signal was to go to % to 80 tons day
Assuming it then to be 80 to 40
tons. how long could the Massachusetts |
have remained on blockade?
AT 40 tons day of course she |
would remain about 90 days if there |
was a coal supply at hand so we would |
not have to go off and get some, and |
there was coal there at the time on |
the Merrimac.'
"Steaming at 10 knots about how |
much coal would the Massachusetts |
consume on a days rum THAT I do
not remember.
Assuming that it was so tons day |
that would give her a steaming radius
of WHAT" MY recollection is that we
could make AZ miles per ton of coal |
So that would be about 800 miles |
day on 80 tons and l think this prob !
ably not far from what was the case"
Allowing then sufficient coal on the |
with an equipment of /
800 tons to reach Key West. how long 4
Gould she have remained on blockade