The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-04
Government Continues Its Eff
fort to Prove
That He Had All the Coal He
Needed ON Blockade.
R. RAYNER SCORES.
MI Ts .
Produces Some Figures to Show
That Fuel Supply
Would Soon Have Disappeared
ON a Hot Chase.

Washington. Oct. 4-The Schley court
of inquiry began its proceedings today
with the recall of witnesses who were
on the stand yesterday, and after they
had corrected their previous testimony
and made such additions thereto as
suggested themselves, they were ex-
cused and new witnesses were lntro-
duced. The list of available witnesses
for the day included Capt. Raymond -
Rodgers, who was executive off1cer OF
the Iowa during the Santiago cam
paign; Ensign (now LieutenanD M l..
Bristol, who was watch and division
deck of that vessel when the Spanish
ships came out of the Santiago mar
Dor; Lieut.. Commander ALBION =.
HodgsOn, who was navigator on the
Brooklyn, and whose testimony has been
looked forward to with much interest,"
because of his correspondence with
Admiral Schley and Lieut. C. W.
Dyson, of the bureau Of steam navlga-
ton. -
Capt. Lemly still has quite a long list
of witnesses before him, and Wnen
court began business today ne sald te
probably would not be able TO concluue
the presentation of his case on behaf
of the department before next week
Capt Dawson, of the marine crops,
who was on the stand yesterday, was
called to correct the official copy OF nus
not seen the Brooklyn swing with star.
board helm. he was sure that sns old
so swing.
Lieut.. Dyson, who was on the witness
stand yesterday when the court ad-
iourned was then recalled. he na.u
added to his coal history of the heet
information as to how long the supply
of coal on hand May 26 would have
held out under forced draft. The In
formation was contained in a chart
which was read by Judge Advocate
I.emly The witness also read the
same information from tabulateo
Rod from May is to June l. 1t showed
that on May &c the Brooklyn's supply
of coal was 952 tons; Iowa, 7S4 tons;
Texas, 40S tons, and the Marbleheao,
122 tons.
He said that on May "a the Brooklyn
had coal enough aboard to nave re
manned on blockade duty off Santiago
for rs days and then to have returneQ
to Key West, the Massachusetts
enough to run seven days and then to
go to Key West, the Iowa enough Tor
II days, the Texas seven days, and the
Marblehead one day. This was assun-
ing that they would have gone by the
Yucatan channel. He also gave an es-
innate of the length of time they could
have remained and gone to Gonalves
channel, Cape Cruz, Mole ST. Nicholas,
Kingston, Port Antonio, Jamaica Gu
antanamo bay, the time OF remaining
on blackade being increased as the DIS
tAnCe
Mr. Rayner brought out the informa-
ton concerning the time the coal on
each of the vessels would nave lasted
on forced draft, in chasing the enemys
vessels, taking the amount OF coal on
each one on May 26 and leaving SUM-
cient coal to Key West. Mr.. Rayner
read the information from Mr. Dyson
tabulated statement, showing that the
Iowa would have consumed 243 tons OF
coal a day. The Texas 16o tons day
-1.l1o \ TONS l.
mate would, he said, give the BROOKLYN
% DAYS chase, returning by way of the
Yucatan channel and 2.35 days chase,
returning by the windward passage
The Iowa a, chase of IL days Inc rex
as would have a chase of three-fourtns
Of a day and returning by way of the
Windward passage nine-tenths of a
day
The Marblehead would have chase
of two-tenths of a day by the Yucatan
channel and four-tentns py tue "ino-
ward passage.
The statement showed that the Mas
sachusetts could not have steamed
M ore than Is knots an hour and that IN
doing so, she would have consumed $50
| toms per day At this rate she could
| have chased the enemy for Is days, re-
turning via Yucatan channel, or Tor
| two days returning via the Wlndward
| passage.
The witness said in reply to cues
! lions. that MS statement COhtCtAiPt SA|CN
average conditions of weather and OF
| the vessels.
| Mr.. Rayner: You have taken as a
base for coaling number of ports.
| You took Gonaives, and Kingston.
These are ports which have just been
given YOU to make the calculations"
These ports were just mentioned to
me here today"
| our right to coal in those ports?''
RoDGERS ON THE STAND
| Lieutenant Dyson was followed on the
stand by Commander Raymond r
| Rodgers, who was executive of11cer Oh
| the battleship Iowa during the summer
| of 1898 He testified to leaving Key West
on May 20 for Cienfuegos, to join the ny
| ing squadron
] Refore leaving he had had, as repre-
| sentative of Captain Evans. he said, q
| conference with Commander-in-Chlel
| Sampson, at which Captains Taylor ane
| Chadwick were present.
At that time he was told by Adnlra
| Sampson that he had received 1nforma-
| ton from the department at Wasning-
ton that the Spanish fleet, under CerVefa
l was probably in the harbor at santiago
| He had however, not been informed o.
| any secret code for communication VIII
| the Cuban insurgents near Clenfuegos
He had, he said, taken dispatches Ioi
! Commodore Schley, and While not GER
| tain whether there was more than ont
I package, he was under the impression
| there was more than that number one
of the dispatches carried at this time
| was the witness said, that signed by
Secretary Long and dated Washington
| 1920 O'Clock May 20. and beginning
s'The report of the Spanish fleet beins
at Santiago de Cuba might very well be
correct. so the department strongly al
| yises that you send word Immediately
by the Iowa to Schley to proceed of
4 Santiago with his whole command, feav'
/ ing one small vessel off Cienfuegos-
/ CAPTAIN Rodgers was examined a.
length concerning the coaling of tbs
flying squadron