The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-05
SUMMON SAMPSON
sCHLEY's COUNSEL INSIST UPON
THIS REQUEST.
THE DEAR SCHLEY" LETTER.
LIEUT.. HODGSON, THE BRoOKLYN's
NAVIGATOR, TESTIFIEs.

tending It--Witness Was "skit-
Schley Did Say Damn the Texas"
Did Sampson Mean Cienfuesos
When He Wrote "Santiago"-Lem-
ly Says He Did Not, But Rayner In
sfsts That He Did.
Washington. Oct. Am the Schley
naval court of inquiry to-day, Mr..
Rayner, chief of counsel for Admiral
Schley, asked Judge Advocate Lemly to
summon Admiral Sampson as a witness
in the case. The request grew out of
difference in the construction of a
sentence in Admiral SIMPSONS letter
to Commodore Schley, while the Fly
ing Squadron lay off Cienfuegos. This
is known as the Dear Schley" letter,
and in it, as printed in the Navy De-
partment documents supplied to the
Senate, the admiral said, after express
ing his opinion that notwithstanding
the report that the Spanish squadron
was in Santiago. it were better to con-
tinue to blockade Cienfuegos and Ha-
vana, 1--WE shall continue to hold Ha-
vana and Santiago until we receive
more positive information"
During the examination of Com
mander Raymond P. Rodgers this dis
patch was under consideration when
Mr.. Rayner expressed the opinion that
the word Santiago had been inadvert-
emily used by the chief,
assuming that he meant to use the
| Cienfuegos, as better corresponding
with the context. AS the document was
printed there was a parenthetical note,
to which Admiral Schley's initials were
attached, saying that evidently the
wrong city had been mentioned. Mr.
Rayner asked Judge Advocate Lemiy
to make this concession, but the lat
ter declined to do so, saying that he
would produce the. original of Admiral
SIMPSONS dispatch to prove that ne
had said Santiago. Then Mr.. Rayner
said:
Must summon Sampson.
'I cannot take that word Santiago
to mean anything but Cienfuegos. 1t
is an imputation upon Commodore
Schley and / cannot permit it to rest
without summoning the author Of tisas
dispatch" to which Capt. Lerlly re-
sponded
Il have told you once before you can
summon any one you please"
Then" replied Mr.. Reyner, sum
mon Admiral Sampson"
This occurred only a short time be-
fore the adjournment of the court for
the day. and was the subject of more
or less conversation of an animated
| character after the days work was
| oxy
that he would insist upon the Admiral
being summoned unless the correction
| was conceded.
Was Very Shy on Coal.
Lieut.. Dyson, when court opened
gave information as to how long the
supply of coal on hand. May 26, would
have held out under forced draft. II
showed that on May 26, the Brooklvn's
supply of coal was 952 tons; the Iowa S
| 7S4 tons. the Texas 408 tons, and the
Marblehead 122 tons.
Mr.. Rayner brought out information
concerning the time the coal on each
of the vessels would have lasted on
forced draft, in chasing the enemy's S
vessels, taking the amount of coal on
each on May 26, and leaving sufficient
coal to return to Key West. Mr.. Rayner
read the information from Mr. Dy-
sons tabulated statement, showing that
the Iowa would have consumed 243 tons
of coal a day, the Massachusetts $50
tons, the Texas 160 tons, and the Mar
blehead II tons. That estimate, ne
said, would give the Brooklyn 2.3 days
chase, the Iowa a chase of IL days,
the Massachusetts, 1.S days, the Texas
three-fourths of a day, the Marblehead
two-tenths of a day.
Had 1t From Sampson.
Commander Raymond P. Rodgers,
who was executive officer of the Iowa,
testified that before leaving Key West
on May 20 he had had a conference
with Admiral Sampson. He was told
by Admiral Sampson that he had re-
ceived information from the depart
ment at Washington that the Spanish
fleet under Cervera was probably in
the harbor of Santiago. He had, how
ever, not been informed of any secret
code for communication with the Gu
ban insurgents near Cienfuegos. Com
mander Rodgers thought the Iowa could
have coaled May 26.
Commander Rodgers related two or
three instances in which the ships of
the Flying Squadron were cleared for
action upon signal from the flagship
Brooklyn before May 81, when vessels
were discerned in the distance. In each
case the vessels proved TO be Ameri-
can ships. Each time the signal was
to clear for action and make speed of
twelve knots an hour. He also told
of the bombardment or reconnaissance
of the Cristobal Colon.
Describing Commodore Schleys
blockade of the harbor at Santiago,
! Capt. Rodgers said that the fleet main
tanned a position of or miles out,
with the Marblehead and the vixen IN
side the line.
The afternoon session of the court
began with Commander Rodgers still
on the stand. He stated in reply to
questions, that he was the senior men,
Der of the naval board of survey ap-
pointed by Admiral Sampson, to ex-
anime the wrecked Spanish vessels.
The Brool<Iyn's Workmanship.
The purpose of this line of examina-
ton was to bring out the witness
knowledge concerning the effect of the
Brooklyns gunnery in the battle of
Santiago. July 3.
Commander Rodgers stated that the
Brooklyn was the only vessel that fired
5-inch shells, and Mr.. Rayner said that
| a careful computation, based upon the
report of the board of survey, showed
| that twelve 5-inch shells had been
found on the four Spanish vessels.
Mr.. Rayner presented a statement
/ showing the number OF shells found
| on the vessels f'the Spanish fleet, and
/ thS witness was asked to state the
percentage Of 5-inch shells, assuming
| the statement 70 be correct. Capt.
| Rodgers replied that the total number
| OF hits was 80. and that therefore, the
5-inch shell hits constituted "a per cent