The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-10-31

v.
If one or two of our ships had been
crippled the enemy might have come out
and engaged us with disastrous results.
The development of the facts as to the
batteries and ships was, in my opinion
sufficient. The enemy's ships could not
get away, and they did not get away
Captain Lemly asked why the mouth CT
Santiago harbor had not been enfiladed
and all the ships used ON May 81
Admiral Schley replied that he had not
done SO simply because the batteries
would have been safe, while the ships
used thus would have been placed in
greater danger.
why did you not steam more slowly as
you passed the mouth Of the harbor?'
The witness replied. in a deliberate
manner: WELL that is technical error
that might have been remedied if some
one else had been in command Possibly
the firing would have been more effective
If we had gone in closer, but if we had
and had steamed more slowly there would
have been no gain as the range would
have been narrower 1t was a case of
Tweedledee on the one hand and O.
Tweedledum on the other
Captain Lemly at this point passed to
the battle of July, stopping to ask one or
two incidental questions about the cir
cumstances of the evening of July 2.
On July when the suspicious move
ments were seen in the harbor of San.
tiago the witness said he talked with
Captain Cook about the advisability of
coupling up the engines. 1t was decided
not to do SO. He supposed the ship was
always ready for sortie
THE TURN DECIDED THE DAY.
The cross examination of Admiral
Schley on the battle of Santiago began
with questions as to the Brooklyn's turn
ing movement.
you regard that turn as very impor-
tant, do you not %
II think it was the movement that de-
cided the events of that day
The Admiral said in response to ques-
tions that he had not mentioned the
loop in his report Of the battle. 1t was
an incident of the battle which he had no
idea would ever come into controversy.
did you assume full responsibility for
the turn
Absolutely. If did not give the order
l approved it, replied the Admiral.
did the Brooklyn stand in and attempt
to sink the Spanish fleet in the chan
nel?"
Il started in at first to help the other
vessels and TO have them help me- I
felt ii we could stop the Spaniards the
battleships could go in and sink them.
never had any idea that they would get
away.
when the Spanish ships succeeded in
getting out of the harbor without being
sunk, in accordance with orders, what al
tentative was there but to chase them ?"
There was no alternative--no other
course was open, but much depended upon
the character of the chase. Whether it
was made in the proper way and was eff
fective was one thing, while poorly con-
Quoted and ineffective blockade would
have been another thing
LEMLY QUOTES SCHLEY'S REPORT.
Captain Lemly introduced the following
paragraph from Admiral Schley's report of
the battle dated at Guantanamo, July g.
1898:
Since reaching this place and holding
conversation with several of the captains
viz: Captain Eulate of the Viscaya. and
the second in command of the Colon
Commander Contreras, | have learned
that the Spanish Admirals scheme was
to concentrateka all fire for a while on the
Brooklyn and the Viscaya to ram her, in
hopes that if they could destroy her the
cfance of escape would be increased as
it was supposed she was the swiftest ship
OF your squadron. This explains the
heavy fire mentioned and the viscaya's
action in the earlier movements OF the
engagement. The execution of this pur-
pose was promptly defeated by the fact
that all the ships of the squadron had
a6U odd int oil
irresistibly furious and terrific fire upon
the enemys squadron as it was coming
out of the harbor."
Admiral Schley identified this Nara-
graph as part of his report
You stated in your examination in
chief that on making the turn you did not
see the starboard side of the Texas?"
- =" so absolutely replied the
witness.
pTASONS FOR THE TURN.
Admiral Schley in response to a ques-
tion said he never heard of the Texas
incident until six months after the bat
tie His attention was called to letter
of June 13, 1900, written from the South
Atlantic Station in which the Admiral
was quoted as saying that the turn was
made to avoid the last attempt of the
Viscaya to ram but as the letter could
not be produced at the time he~was not
questioned upon it. His attention was
next called to bis letter to the Senate in
which he said the turn was made TO avoid
blanketing the fire of his own ships and
also to his statement in examination in
chief that he did not turn to port be-
cause to do so would have brought the
ship into dangerous proximity to the
enemys vessels and exposed her to posi-
bic torpedo attack or ramming.
No said Captain Lemly. There APP
pear to be three reasons why you made
the turn. Why did you make that turn
AS already stated in my direct testi-
mony there is a very much more import
ant reason which you have not asked,
and that was the ship might continue
in the action and beat the enemy as we
Continued on Second Page.)