Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-09-26
ADMIRAL COTTON
Says Schley Could Have Taken
Coal From the Mer-
rimac.
AN UNNECESSARY TRIP.
When Fleet Went Back to Key West
For Coal-Carried q Despatch From
Admiral Sampson Saying Span
ish Fleet Was at Santiago
Capt. Wise Testfies.

Washington. Sept 25-Two new witness
es were introduced in the Schey court
to-day. They were Rear Admiral Cotton,
who as captain commanded the auxiliary
cruiser Harvard and Capt. Wise, who CONF
mand'd the auxiliary cruiser Yale during
the Spanish war Both these vessels were
used as scouts and both came up with the
flying squadron off Santiago on the -7th
of May, before the rctrOgrade movement
to Key West was begun
Admiral Cotton testified that he had
gone aboard Admiral Schley's flagship on
that date to take dispatches to MIN and
he said at first that he gave him four or
five dispatches addressed to the COM
nandcr of the squadron. He afterwards
corrected this statement, saying that
probably all but two of these dispatches
were addressed to himself admiral OF
tom but that they contained Information
which he thought should ne in Admiral
SchlcYs possession. one of tE, Sc was a
copy of "A despatch from Admiral Samp
son which had not been printed in the
Official records, stating that the Spanish
fleet was at Santiago. He also said that
coal could have been taken from the M,r-
rimac on the 9TH of May, the day ON which
the retrogradc movement to Key ", st
was begun for the purpose of codlng.
Captain Wise testified that on the 27th
of May he had Signailed Capt. Phip #
the Texas his opinion that Ceryera was
outside the harbor at Santiago but the
testimony was ruled ont.
During the day Admiral Schley dunounc-
ed that he had selected Mr. Rayner as his
chief counsel to succeed Judge Wilson
In his testimony Admiral Cotton said
he had the original translttions of the
cipher dispatches addressed to the Iar-
ward The despatch of May % was then
read to him as follows:
| Proceed at once and inform SchlcY and
also senior officer present of Santiago AS
follows: All department : information in
dcates Spanish division is still at SAINT
iago. Department looks to you to ascer-
tain facts. and that enemy, it therein,
does not leave without decisive action
Cubans familiar with Santiago say that
th"rc are landing places five or six nautical
miles west from the mouth of the harhor,
and that here Insurgents probably
will be found and not Spanish. From sur
rounding heights can sec every vessel in
/ port. As soon as asCertaiued, notify de-
partmcnt whether enemy is there. Could
not squadron and also Harvard coal from
Merrmac lceward of Cape Griz, Coma
2ivos channel or mole? The department
will send coal Immediately to mole with
out delay.
! CSigncdl "LONG.'
Admiral Schcys reply to the despatch
es, in which he said he could not obey the
orders of the department was then read
and MIR. IraYner pointed out various
changes in the language OF me despatch
as printed in the original report.
In the cross examination Admiral Cot
admiral Schcy) with his squadron 1T
that time approach Santiago?
He did not. | VIII quality that to this
extent: The vessels oi courS" were not At
anchor; they wore moving about and there
were no directions for moving toward
the harbor Of Santiago"
"Rcferriug to that phrase IT, the dos