The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-15
AS TO DISPATCHES SENT SCHLEY AND
THE MGALLA CODE.
SCHLEY NOT GIVEN THIS CODE
Says the Code Was Given No
One at Key West-He Cannot Remem-
Der How Captain Evans Got Knowl-
edge offt-Sampson Knew on May go
of the Spanish Fleet Being at Sand-
ago-Much Repetition of Former Tes-
timony as to the Blockade.

L. Sn@Sn, WHO was IN or
Admiral SIMPSONS flagship, the New
York. and who was also chief of the adj
miral's staff during the war with Spain
testified before the Schley naval court
for a short time this after noon. He
was the last witness called and when
the court adjourned was still under
cross-examination by Mr.. Rayner. who
stated that he had only a Few more
questions to ask him. There was con-
siderable interest in Captain Chad
wick's appearance, because of mis- close
relationship to the commandcr-in-chief
Of the North Atlantic squadron.
Captain Chadwick's testimony relat-
ed very largely to dispatches sent by
Admiral Sampson to Commodore Schley
while the latter lay off Cienfuegos in
May, 1898, n to the code Of signals
agreed upon between Captain McCalla.
of the Marblehead, and the Cuban
forces operating near Cienfuegos. He
said this code had not been sent to
Commodore Schley by dispatch because
Captain McCalla had expected to join
the commodore Immediately and COM
municate the code 10 him. CAPTAIN
Sldo" AZ lie Hdu uOI dppIONeu
Admiral SIMPSONS dispatch of May
2Sth, congratulating Commodore Schley
on his accomplishments to that date.
SIX NEW WITNESSES.
Five other new witnesses were heard
during the day, two Of them being Of
ficers Of the New York. One Of these
was Lieutenant G. G. Marsh, the flag
secretary Of Admiral Sampson, who
testified concerning dispatches to Com
modore Schley, and the other vas the
ships flag lieutenant, E. L. Bennett.
Lieutenant Theodore O.. Dewey, a
nephew Of Admiral Dewey, who served
On the Massachusetts,; Lieutenant Ade1-
bert Althouse. also Of the Massachu-
sets, and Lieutenant Francis Bough-
ter, who served on the M~arblehead.
were the other two witnesses of the
day.
ADMIRAL TAYLOR RECALLED
Among the witnesses called early in
the day for the purpose of correcting
former testimony was Admiral H. G.
Taylor. While he was on the stand
he vas questioned as to whether he had
received information that the Spaniards
were coming out of the harbor at San
tiago before they made their appear
ance on the morning Of July 3rd. The
question was asked by Captain Lemly
and the answer was none whatever"
MI. Rayner: you did not get a mes
sage from the Vixen In reference to
smoke coming out of the
None
Captain Parker: Your attention was
not called to smoker"
mot at all. sir"
do you remember anybody on your
vessel who did observe smoke and re-
ported it to your"
81 do not remember"
LIEUTENANT ALTHOUSE
Lieutenant Adelbert Althouse, for
merly watch and division officer on the
battleship Massachusetts, said that at
C%ienfuegos the vessels lay six to ten
miles out at night, gong nearer in the
a time.
Lieutenant Althouse said on the day
of the bombardment of the Colon he
had been in charge Of the S-inch turret
of the Massachusetts,.
Asked what was developed as to the
strength of the land batteries by this
reconnaissance he said that to his mind
it was shown that they were very
weak. In reply to a question as TO
whether he had made any notes con-
corning the engagement he replleo'
mo; we went under Instructions to
sink the Colon HIS orders has oeen
to direct his fire at that vessel.
SCHLEY'S REPORT OF BATTLE OF
MAY 31ST.
Captain Lemly introduced as evil
dence, the reports made by Comodore
Schley to the secretary of the navy
| of the engagement of May 31st. In one
of these dated June Bird, Commodore
Schley said:
Reconnaissance was intended prin-
cipally to injure and destroy Colon.
The fire was returned without delay by
the heavy batteries to the east anu
west entrance. large calibre, long range,
reconnaissance developing s~atisfactorlly
the presence of the Spanish squadron
lying behind island near inner fort as
they fired ove the hills at random i
am quite satisfied the Spanish fleet is
there"
LIEUTENANT DEWEY ON THE
STAND.
Lieutenant T. G.. Dewey, nephew OF
Admiral Dewey, who was a watch e.
hcer on the Massachusetts,, was the
next witness. He placed the distance
Of the blockading line under Comma
dore Schley from the mouth of Santa
go harbor at from five to eight miles,
the distance being about h same day
and night. There vas, he said, no par
ticular formation of the vessels.
Captain Lemly: When o were at
the western end of the blockade with
the leading vessel making h turn,
what OrQerS were tnere lot dlldChliS
if you saw the enemy coming out of the
entrance"
Il dc not believe we would have seen
the enemy coming out. There We're no
orders / have any knowledge of"
Did you have any conversation with
the commanding officer of the flying
| squadron or any n in his presence ii
relation 10 the fire on the Colon OF
| otherwise"
81 was told shortly before we started
| in to the entrance hat the commodore
wished TO see the turret officers in the
pilot house. / went to the pilot nous
and the commodore said that he intend
| ed to go in a few moments and have a
try at the Colon and hat he hoped We
would sink her. / asked what speed we
| would make and was told about ter
| knots / remarked at the time that
I thought that was giving US very little
| chance at the Colon as she would be
in sight between the headlines only Z
| couple of minutes and that the smoke
from h guns would probably make
our fire. very slow. To the best Of M
recollection, the commodore stated We