The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-11

Washington, october 9.-In the Schley
naval court Of inquiry today Lieuten-
ant NJ. L. Bristol completed his testi-
mony. which was begun yesterday, and
three new witnesses, were introduced
They were Rear Admiral Henry c.
Taylor, who. as captain, commanded
the battleship Indiana during the war
with Spain: Lieutenant Commander T.
VI. Potts, who was navigator of the
batleship Massachusetts during that pc
riod and Lieutenant Edward f. Leiper.
who was on the New Orleans during
the war, the last named being still on
the stand when the court adjourned for
the day.
During Commander Potts examina-
tiOn Mr.. Raynor secured permission
from the court to introduce as evidence
the order of Secretary Long to Admiral
Sampson. dated April 9Th in which he
was admOnished against the exposure
of the American vessels to the fire of
strongly fortified ports. The paragraph
in that order which he especially wish
ed to have considered reads as fol-
lows:
The department does not wish the
vessels OF your squadron to be exposed
to the fire of the batteries at Havana,
Santiago, or other strongly fortified
ports in Cuba. unless the more formi-
dable Spanish vessels take refuge
within these harbOrs. Even in this
case the department would suggest that
a rigid blockade and employment of our
torpedo boats might accomplish the de-
sired object, viz: The destruction of the
enemy's vessels, without subjecting un-
necessarily our own men of war to the
fire of the land batteries
This dispatch also contains the fol-
lowing order:
The department further desires that
in case of war you will maintain a
strict blockade of Cuba, particularly at
at ports of Havana, Matanzas and, if
possible, Santiago, ManzanillO and
CienfuegOs."
BRISTOL UNDER ROSS-EXAN1INA-
TION
Lieutenant Bristol was questioned ~
Mr.. Rayner concerning the distance out
of the blOCkading ships at Cienfuegos.
but he declined to change his estimate
of yesterday that it was from eight to
ten miles distant from harbOr.
EIr. Rayner read Commodore Schley's
report as to the blockade off Cienfue-
gos IN which he said: "A line of block
ade was established about four miles
off shore u CienfuegOs, and asked:
THAT IS not a correct statement OF the
commodCre's is it,
THE statements | make are what L
thought were and what I believe to be
right. | do not question other peoples
words"
Speaking of the weather during the
cruise of the flying squadron from Clen-
fuegos to Santiago. the witness said
=, md "
a moderate sea. A small boat could, he
said have been lowered at any time
during the voyage.
Mr.. Rayner asked the witness Wheth-
er there had been any menace to any
of the American ships on July 3rd from
the shore batteries.
Lieutenant Bristol replied that there
was danger to the Gloucester because
that vessel was unarmored. He said
that he did not consider the New York
in danger.
At the request of Mr.. Rayner the wit
ness made measurements from ms
chart to show the distance the Brook
lyn was from the Spanish ships during
the fight off Santiago
TIE reply was: THE distance OF the
Oquendo from the Brooklyn. taken
from the chart. just before the turn
is 4,6OO yards, the Maria Teresa S,!Ot
yards. Taken from the chart when the
Maria Teresa and Oquendo We're apou'
to run ashore, which IS practically ths
nearest point, the OQuendo was 2'SOt
yards from the Brooklyn and the Maria
Teresa 5000 yards
Quoting Lieutenant Commander
Hodgson's statement that the shortest
range of the Brooklyn's guns in the bat
tle was 400 yards and her greatest p
500 wards. and referring to the fact that
a number of the Brooklyn's 5-incf
shells had struck the Spanish ships
Mr., Rayner asked a number OF Ques
tions for the purpose of showing tha'
if the distance was as great as the
chart shows and the guns were set fol
the range given, it would have peer
impossible for the shots to go to the
mark.
The iudge-advocate said: How tal
xvouId the Brooklyn have been from the
leading Spanish ships just emerging
from the harbor of Santiago, proVloet
she had Immediately started aheao
twelve knots. e,~,,,oe, =,
show that she would have been 5,00'
yards off at the first shot.
The court asked: Ibid you hear 1ir'
ing at or near Cienfuegos on the day
the flying squadron arrived OH ina
port?''
Rv the court: while on the passage
+o Santiago from Cienfuegos were any
signals made by either the Vixen or tn'
Eagle requesting the commanoer-ih
chief to decrease the speed OF tn;
squadron"
Not that / know OF"
Rv the court: do you know ina
anv orders were signalled to the flee
by the Brooklyn during the battle
July 3rd?"
From my own personal ooserVaIioa
do not know
ADMIRAL TAYLOR TESIIf1ES.
Rear Admiral Taylor in reply to
question from the judge advocate as Z
whether he had observed the positioi