The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-31
SCHLEY CONCLUDES
AFTER BEING ON STAND NEARLY
THREE WHOLE DAYS.
ANSWERED MANY QUESTIONS.
MS FIRST REPORT OF BATTLE RE-
JECTED BY SAMPSON.

This Report Did Not Mention the
New York, and Requested That
Captains of ships Engaged Make
Reports of Battle to Schley-In Or
der to PIacate Sampson SchIey
wrote Another and Rather Differ
ent Report, Including the New
York as Present During the Battle.
The Court Asked Some Searching
Questions of the Admiral as to His
conduct in Several Matters.
Washington, Oct. 30.-The long ordeal
70 which Admiral Schley has been sub
iected since Monday morning ended
This afternoon when his cross -exami-
nation was concluded and he was al
loved to leave the witness stand.
When the judge advocate finished the
discrimination shortly after
o'clock, the court propounded to the
admiral a number of questions pre-
pared by the members of the court.
These questions touched many points
Of the campaign of the Flying Squad
ron but mainly centered about the
difficulties encountered in coaling and
the reasons for the retrograde move
ment. Not one of them related to the
battle of Santiago. The judge-advo-
Gates cross examination to-day COW
cred the petrograde movement, the re-
connoissance of May 81, the loop of the
Brooklyn and the alleged colloquy with
Lieut.. Hodgson about the Texas.
one of the most interesting features
Of the day was the development of the
fact that the report of the battle
written by Admiral Schley July 6, 1898,
was not the original report. The orig
inal report never has been published
and in accordance with previous de-
cision the court to-day declined to al
low it to go into the record. Admiral
Schley was allowed to explain, how
ever, that Admiral Sampson declined
to receive the first report because it
did not mention the presence of the
New York. II felt that the victory
at that time" said Admiral Schley. in
explaining the matter, was big enough
for all and I made this change out of
generosity and because I knew If the
New York had been present she would
have done as good work as anybody
else"
Many Witnesses in Rebutta1.
Capt. Thomas Borden of the Marine
Corps who was aboard the Brooklyn,
viii be the last witness called for Ad-
miral Schley. After he testifies to-
morrow, Capt. Lemly will put on the
stand the witnesses in rebuttal, OF
whom there are understood to be about
fifteen, and it is probable that Ad-
Schelys counsel will call several wit
nesses in sur-rebuttal
Among Capt Lemly's first questions
was one asking Admiral Schley's opin-
ion of the circular blockade. The ad-
miral replied that he thought circular
blockade where all the vessels charged
TO the center would produce confusion
and inevitably lead to a different ar
rangement according as the enemy
moved east or west. 1.-The outcome"
said he, could only be more or less
confusion, such as did actually occur
later"
number of questions were asked
regarding the reconnaissance of May
81 Capt. Lemly inquired:
In your report of June 1, to the de-
partment concerning the reconnois-
sance you did not mention any pur-
pose to sink or destroy the Colon?"
Il did not"
But in your telegraphic report you
dld say that your purpose was to de-
stroy the Colon?"
incidentally, yes"
The judge advocate then asked the
admiral to tell exactly what his pur-
pose was on that occasion and what
Instructions he had given.
Schley's story of Reconnaissance.
Admiral Schley replied that the sig
nal instructed the ships to use their
heaVy guns against the Colon. The
New Orleans, with her lighter battery,
was directed to fire at the shore bat
teries. II directed the ships to follow
the flag, to operate against the Colon
and fire at the forts to develop them
and | think the reconnaissance, so far
as 1t went, was eminently successful.
The batteries were developed and the
Iact was demonstrated that the enemy
was in port. With a squadron of only
AVe or six ships, l believed that only
tne strongest military necessity would
nave justified me in risking the loss
VI a vessel that might have reduced
our squadron to a numerical Inferior
I'y with the enemy If one or two of
our ships had been crippled the enemy
nnsht have come out and engaged us
win disastrous results. The develop
nent of the facts as to the batteries
anu ships was. in my opinion, suffi-
oiehI The enemy's ships could not get
away and they did not get away
80 apt. Lemly asked why the mouth
e santiago harbor had not been en-
@9iaued and all the ships used on May
admiral Schley replied that he had
W., Wv. zone so simply because the bate
SS would have been safe, while the
aiips used thus would have been plac-
IN, 5n greater danger.
l ny did you not steam more slow.
4s you passed the mouth of the
,Aunliral Schley replied in dellber-
r,," en-, that is a technical error that
oaNl nave been remedied II some
M, use mad been in command Possi-
eg.tp we nrlng would have been more
a. i've II we had gone in closer but
H. had and had steamed slowly
r11 would have been no gain as the,
,te would have been narrower IL
h. case OF tweedledee on the one
a-"' ana OF tweedledum on the 9th
u, Il Lemly at this point passed 10
or, 'tle OF July 3, stopping 70 ask
b. Two Incidental questions about
JIy Ieunstances OF the evening OF
r July ? when the suspicious move
rr. were seen IN the harbor OF
4tl me admiral said he talked
H., ,Apl Cook about the advisable
l..a oupung up the engines. III was
eH.r H'i 10 90 70. He supposed the
always ready for a fOrfle
'hiFt on HrauIsI.s.f. 4.a..