The age-herald., 1901-10-16
Witnesses Tell of Ad...,'haI Sch|eys Great Goodness and
 Bravery in War IN THE OPEN AT AL TIMES
Dispatch Sent by Schley Is Sought to Be Introduced In Evidence-Was Never Received By the
 Department.

Washington, October 15.-Only one new witness was heard in detail by the Schley court of inquiry today. This was Lieuten- ant Commander James H. Sears, who was Admiral Schley's flag lieutenant dur ing the Spanish war. He gave a detailed account of the entire Cuban campaign in cluding the brief siege of Cienfugos; the retrograde movement of the flying squad ron in search of coal, the blockade of Santiago, the reconnaissance of the San tiago shore batteries and the lombard ment of the Cristobol Colon, May 2, and the battle off Santiago July 8. when Ger vera's fleet was destroyed. He placed the distance of the blockade line at Cienfue- gos at from one to four miles, and at San tiago at from four to six miles. He ex- pressed the opinion that in the battle of July 8, 1t had been the Viscayas intention to ram the Brooklyn
 Mr. Rayner sought to secure the intro- duction of brief report of the battle of July B. which Commodore Schley prepared for transmission to the Secretary of the Navy. It was stated that Commander Sears had taken this report to be cabled to the secretary. but 1t had never reached that official The dispatch was ruled out, as 1t was not received as an official com munication. It was not read in the court room, but the following Is copy of it.
 schIey's Dispatch.
 ''The Secretary of Washington.
 Spanish squadron came out of Santia- 20 harbor this morning, July 3. at 9:30, and were all captured or destroyed in arunning fight, to the westward, of about three and a half hours. Very few casu- alties in our fleet; Ellis, chief yeoman, killed, and one man wounded on the Brooklyn Reports from the other ships not yet in. The commander in chief now experimenting transfer of prisoners from the Cristobal Colon, which surrendered to the Brooklyn, and Oregon, a. 1:5 p. m. About 1000 prisoners in all, including spanish admiral. Victory complete, de- 1Si,nedl "sCHLEY."
 Captain Cook was recalled during the day and in response to question py Captain Lemly made an additional state ment concerning the retrograde move ment of the flying squadron, May 26 to May M He also said in answer to question by the court that Commodore Schley, during the battle Of July 5, was cool brave and enthusiastic cannot im-
  ble.'' A Lieutenant Com mander Sears was the first witness. MT Rayner questioned nm, saving at the beginning of the examina- ton that he would ask him concerning the points of the precept and requesting that replies should be as concise as possi- ble.
 MT. Sears said that when the flying squadron arrived off Cienfuegos he knew nothing of a code of signals of communi- cation with the Cuban insurgents
 Questioned concerning the McCalla memoranda, he said that It nad been brought to Commodore Schley by the Hawk and by no other vessel to his knowledge
 Commander Sears gave detailed &C., count of the British steamer Adula-
 The witness in giving the details of the cruise from Cienfuegos to Santiago, said the weather was bosterous. with heavy sea. and that coaling at sea would not have been safe before May 27. when it was undertaken. He also said that on this voyage the squadron had been de- layed by the Eagle and other small boats. and that the ships had also been slowed up on one occasion when merchant ves- sel was sighted and so that the collier had to stop several times to make re- pairs to her machinery
 With reference to the blockade at San tiago, the witness said that it had been maintained at varying distances. from three to six miles, to suit the commander in-chief. In the thick weather and at night the distance was less than in fair weather and less in the day time.
 The witness described the engagement of July 8. After stating the preliminary incident he said:
 T was in my room when I heard the cry of the executive officer, Clear the ship for action I knew what that meant and ran to the quarter deck. I looked aloft to see if the prescribed signal 'enemy is escaping was up, and saw that 1t was. I met the commodore on the quarter deck. He directed the signal clear the ship for action followed by the signal to close in, all of which were made. From my position I had good view of the entrance. Our ship was head ing at the time, I should say, to the west ward of north. not on her regular head ing, which was about northeast by north. The engines had been started by the time I got on deck and she was gaining way and swinging toward the enemy The first vessel, which proved to be the flagship Maria Teresa, came out. She was directly on our bearing from the entrance to the port.
 Teresa Unsteady.
 "As the ship swung toward the Teresa she swung slowly around. To me the Te- resa appeared to not hold on an exactly
 
 was eased one way or the other to keep our ram pointing toward the Teresa. The Teresa shortly turned squarely to the westward, and as she did so got view of the next ship following in her wake 1t was my observation that the Brooklyn was then held up to meet the second ship approaching. Of course we ported helm
 "The second ship passed in the wake of the first one, and I said to the Com modore that 1t looked as if the second one was going to try and ram us. He. think, assented. At any rate the Brook lyn was held toward her and she ap- peared to me to be uncertain in her course. The Brooklyn was handled by the captain and quartermaster. She turned after she had passed to the south ward of the Teresa's wake and followed her. and it was then generally remarked on the lower bridge that they were all snins to try to escape to the westward.
 st about the time the Vixcaya