The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-23

washington OGI- - ne e,[lAACg
court of inquiry opened today with
Lieutenant B. w. Wells. jr., who was
Commodore Schley's flag lieutenant
during the Spanish war. still on the
stand. but he was soon displaced to
allow Yeoman Albert V. Mason, who
mad written the BroOklyn's log for the
period covering the Santiago campaign.
to testify. Mr.. Mason explained the
erasures in the log entry referring to
the BrOoklyns turn on the day OF the
battle off Santiago. He was followed
by George f. Graham, who, as an As
sOciated Press correspondent, was with
Commodore Schley during the entire
campaign.
Mr. Graham's testimony covered ali
the principal events of the campaign,
especially the bombardment OF the
Spanish ship Colon on May 81, and the
battle of Santiago on July 3. Mr.. era
ham testified TO hearing a conversation
between Commodore Schley and Cap
tain Sigsbee. when the latter came on
board the flagship Brooklyn off San
tiago. May %. He said he had dis
tinctly heard Captain Sigsbee tell the
commodore that the Spanish fleet was
not inside the harbor at Santiago.
Mr.. Graham also stated that Admiral
Schley had told him that the object Of
the bombardment of May 81 was to de-
velop the Spanish land batteries, and
he said that the range was fixed at
1000 or 1880 yards in order TO draw
their fire. He further said. with ref
erence to the events Of this engage
ment that he had heard no CONVERSE
ton in which Commodore Schley had
said that the officers in their white
uniforms were conspicuous objects.
Mr. Graham detailed a conversation
| between Commodore Schley and Cap
tain Robley d. Evans. which took place
after the Santiago enga cement. There
l Sfen4rGciov1 he 1dU1fECi-
bility of this statement, but the court
decided that any conversation between
! the commodore and any one else bear
ing upon the case was admissible
Wells on the Stand.
Captain Lemly began his examina-
/ ton of Lieutenant Wells by asking
/ him whether there was kept a book of
| records showing letters received on the
/ Brooklyn, as Lieutenant Commander
| Sears had testified there was. The wit
ness replied that there was no such
/ book kept, but that there was a record
/ of letters sent to and received from
vessels of the squadron.
| Lieutenant Wells also was questioned
| concerning the department orders con-
| corning the risking of the American
/ ships TO bOmbarument from the shore
/ batteries. the orders under cOnsidera-
ton being those of April 8, April 26 and
/ two of May ;.
acter stated that department does not
wish the vessels of your squadron to
be exposed to the fire of the batteries
at Havana, Santiago or other strongly
! fortified positions in Cuba and the
| orders were regarded as notifications
| of these. In the last of these. dated
| May 6, the department said: The de-
! pertinent is perfectly willing that YOU
/ should expose your ships to the heav-
/ lest guns of land batteries if. in your
D a. -
| sufficient military Importance protected
/ by these guns TO make an attack ad-
/ ViSable, your chief aim for the present
being the destruction of the enemy S
principal vessels"
After having read these different dis
patches the witness was asked by Cap
tain Lemly: can you separate your
knowledge in regard to the converse
! ton with Commodore Schley so as tC
distinguish between either of the two
! orders or both of these orders. and as
| to whether or not anything was said
with regard to the receipt of informa-
tion in relation to these letters here
with YOU have before you during the
interview of May in Key West?''
Not to Risk the Ships.
NO. sir 1 do not distinguish be-
! tween any of them I have given my
general remembrance. which is tina
the order was not to risk the ships
In reply to questions by Captain
Ii mly. the witness said there had beer
no written or printed order of battle
but that on the day before Cienfuego
was reached some special restriction
We're sent the ships by the Scorpion
This was. he said, order No. g. relatin,
to signals in case the enemy should b
sighted. This order was then read
Questioned further on this point, tn
witness said:
I prepared no written orders and di
not know of the existence of any
{ remember however that the com
handing officers were called on board.
The witness answered several QueS
tions put by the court. as follows;
AT what period of the battle of Jul
3 did you use a range of LOO yards %
THAT was at the beginning of Wha
is known as the turn; not the begin
ming. but after the turn had begun.
should say"
AT what point of the chase did 70
estimate the Colon to be 10000 yard
distant from the BroOklyn2 p"
: When the VisCaya went ashore"
: Lieutenant Wells was then excused
an6 Albert V. Mason called. He Wa
/ questioned by Captain Parker. and sal
, that he had been yeoman of the sec
r Ond class on board the Brooklyn dun
! ing the Santiago campaign, and ha
D been the writer of that ships log II
had made the entry concerning the ba
I
copy of the rough log which he ha
, made for his own use.
Account of Brooklyn's Turn.
The witness said that as the log Civ
ing an account of the Brooklyn's tur
I lad been at first prepared il read: ''W
, engaged with port battery at first. bJ
l just as soon as the enemy stood
= westward we put our helm starboaI
al first, then hard aport, so as to brin
! our starboard battery TO bear an
a swinging clear of the Texas FIRE "
I stood parallel with and TO the enemy
: This entry had. he said. been change
: later, at the instance of LieutenaI
Hodgson. so as TO make it read as
does in the permanent copy, as 70
lows:
: AS soon as the enemy stood 10 Il
y westward we put our helm apor
n swinging clear of the Texas" etc.
a MI Mason then retired, and Geors
{ Edward Graham, the Associate
Press correspondent, was called T
was questioned by Mr. Raynor. az
said he had been on the Brookly
s from March % TO AUG. 80. 1898. NJ
n Graham was then questioned ccncerl
ing the conversation between Comm