The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-02

Re told the commodore that the depart
r1ent expected him 10 exercise great
efforts to keep in coai.
Mr.. Hanna: II wish 70 ask your at
tention 70 the clause: DO as you are do
ing and you wiz do right What was
| the flying squadron doing AZ the time
you wrote that Ieter?'
That was based on the tenor OF the
cipher kilograms I found at the Mole
from the commander n chief and form
the navy department.. urging that the
I Spanish squadron be held and that every
eort be made 20 coal ships. At that time
the flying squadron was Q Santiago with
the intention. so far as knew. OF STAY
| ing, and also believed IL was the iuten-
| ton OF Commander Sehley TO coal his
ships that port. I left Santiago on
the morning OF the day on which that
Letter was written At that time the
weather was very fine. and I had twice
urged on Commodore Schley the import
ance OF taking advantage OF that partic-
ular kind OF weather, stating that il was
better than anything we had had dur
ing my stay o the port"
Captain Eigsbee also said that when he
had boarded the Brooklyn on May Is.
Commodore Schley had told him that he
was bound for Key West for coal.
Did he ask you IL you believed the
Spanish feet was IN the harbor at San
7 don't remember his putting q cues
ton in such terms
The witness recalled q signal from the
flagship at that time. asking him 10 IN
form Sampson that one-half OF his SQUAD
ron is out OF coal.
Mr.. Rayner then questioned the witness.
bringing out the statement that the pur-
pose Of his ships being sent 10 the VI
cinity Of Santiago was 20, II possible.
locate the Spanish feet. He said that
he had first seen the Spanish vessels
IN the harbor at Santiago, but that when
he reported the fact he found the squad
ron had already made the discovery.
Mr. Ir%yner read an extract from a re-
port made by Captain slgsbe, saying:
In this report mace az Santiago de
Cuba, made at 10 a m. May %. you say:
We were then steaming at fun speed
from Mole st. Nicholas. Hayti and well
in toward the coast. and after chasing
some vessels I saw the smoke OF 4 num-
Der OF vessels to the westward and az
once made for the Santiago entrance
believing it possible that the strangers
were the Spanish squadron approaching
that port. -
All 7 wan 70 ask IS this: When you
saw the smoke after chasing a number OF
vesselsto the westward. and when you
made for the Santiago entrance on the
morning OF the 18th. you thought that
this was a Spanish squadron approach
ing the porte"
NO. I thought it might be the Span
ish squadron. I did not say they were
approaching the port
Yes. you say approaching that port -
You must remember I had no def
mite informa4on whatever
Did you ever megaphone the press
boat Summers y. Smith that the Spanish
feet was not nthe harbor OF Santisgo2'
Never Cne OF the press boats hailed
me. saying that Schley had the Span
iards bottled up at Cienfuegos- I replied
that we had had them bottled Up in San
tiago for week.
Mr.. Rayner attempted 70 quote a state
uent from ADMIRAL Sampson 70 the ef-
feet that Captain Sigsbee had said that
on May % the flying squadron was block
aiding Santiago twenty-five miles out at
sea. but objection was made 70 bring
ing Admiral Sampson IN and Mr.. Rayner
asked Captain Sigsbee whether he had
made that report TO anyone at any date.
The witness replied in the negative.
IN reply TO a question as 10 the condi-
ton Of the weather at the time he was
at Santiago. Captain Sigsbee said:
During the 9th. 18th, and 2s5steh eof
MAY the weather was unsettled: trade
conditions had been hindered. There was
more OF less rain and moderately heavy
seas on for three days"
The court asked number Of ques-
tons Of Captain Sigsbee These with
the replies were as follows:
What was the state OF the sea on the
afternoon and evening or May p, when
YOU communicated with the flying squad
ron to the southwark Of the port OF San
tiago7'
The sea was heavy for boats. but 81 4
was moderating; that Is 10 say. more /
moderate than IL had been for two days I
before. I should say however II would 1
have been very difficult 10 have coaled I
from ships alongside that night"
Did Captain Wise communicate 20 I
you g dispatch from the navy depart |
ment saying that the Spanish squadron 1
was at Santiago"
II remember no dispatch OF comuuni- 4
cation from Captain Wise 20 that effect 4
excepting that which I received from I
the navy department through him as /
senior officer at Port Haytien on May -. /
the dispatch on which 1 proceeded Ulti- &
mately 70 Santiago
NJ Hanna. Captain. the dispatch r.
-T-ra|
Washington. May q. 1sss yale care
American consul. Cape Haytien. Hayti 4
The Spanish feet arrived az Santiago /
&c Cuba May ls. and a star az your coal /
permits proceed az once on Santiago &C.
Cuba. watch carefully and keep IN com
muaication with the Spanish feet. report
ing information. Minneapolis. s.. Paul
and 81 Louis have same orders
4 cannot remember that ne did"
BY the court. DID you make any -
fort 10 ascertain Z the Spanish squadron
vas az Santiago prior 20 May So
only by extreme watchfuiness. that
i al
BY the court: what information Rad
you communicated 20 Commodore schley
on May . regarding the whereabouts
OF the Spanish squadron"
The departments order q re c.
rected me 20 state that the Spanish
squadron vas there or bad been reported
there. and again the circunTtsnslaI evi-
dsnce AFFORDED 81 the capture 81 IRE
Rest0rma after her very peculiar crulse.-'
b. the court Did gen receive fls-
patch from Secretary Lcns dated Nay 81
stating The Spanish Feet arrived q
Santiago On Nay tsthT
Z arr nct certain bst my reccuartlon
Is THAI It states = arrived oa TIE Is,h
OF z-sL received TIE Communicate