The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-30
DEWEY WANTS FACTS.
s'Ffghting Bob" Evans Testiles
Before SchIey Court.

Washington. Sept. 30.-When the
Schley court convened for the after
noon session Rear Admiral Robley D.
Evans, who as captain, com manded the
battleship Iowa. during the battle off
Santiago, was called to the witness
stand. He stated. that he had first join
ed the flying squadron off Cienfuegos
on May p. at p. m, when he took the
dispatches from Admiral Sampson to
Commodore Schley. These dispatches
he had sent to Commodore Schley by
his executive officer, Commander Rog
ers, he not seeing the commodore him.
self. As the dispatches were sealed, he
did not know their contents.
Judge Advocate: please state what
If anything was done while this squad
ron was off Cienfuegos toward develop
ing the fact as to whether the Spanish
squadron under Admiral CerVera was
or was not In the harbor of Cienfue-
gos?''
There was nothing done. so far az
know
What if anything. within your
knowledge, was done toward destroy
ing, or preventing the further compile
ton of the enemy's batteries in the vi
entity Of Cienfuegos?"
"On Sunday afternoon, am quite
sure it was, Comm odore Schley formed
to a range of about a mile and a half
from shore, made turn and stood out
again. That is the only thing 1 know"
WAS any attack made upon the enc
my, or by the enemy at that timer"
mo They AL got up and stood on
the breastworks and looked at US. We
steamed out again. There was no
firing on either side.''
Were you then within range of the
batteries in the vicinity of CienfuegOs
with the heavier guns of your ship?"
I did not see any batteries There
was work they were completing
there
Were you within range Of this?"
''Quite easy range, yes.
The battery Of the Iowa consisted Of
-Four 12-inch. eight s-inch and twelve,
Were these embryo batteries with
in range of your s-inch guns when you
steamed mp
They We're within easy range"
Were they within range Of the
4-inch guns -
Il should think SO. yes"
Did the Iowa coal ship while in
Cienfuegos. and If SO. how much did
she take .
1--WE took in 20 tons Of coal on the
2Srd. We begun about in the morn
ing and stopped at in the afternoon
We took coal from a collier alongside
the Merrimac, I think"
Admiral Evans said that he had coal
ed the Iowa from the Merrimac on May
20, while off CIenfuegos and that he
had no difficulty in doing SO.
Speaking of the report of the condi-
ton of the weather, made by the Iowa
on May "a and g. the witness said that
on the evening of the Path it was squat
~; that on the morning of the 18th the
sky was overcast and that the Wea Their
was again squallY. On the afternoon
it was worse. there being considerable
rain
After leaving Cienfuegos the vessel
had steamed to a point about 80 miles
south of Cienfuegos, arrived there on
the evening of the 18th and at that time
the squadron was heading to the east.
The weather. at that time, he said, was
not such as to prevent the coaling of
ships at that date. The Iowa at that
time had about S25 tons of coal aboard,
or sufficient for SteaIning 5000 miles
On blockade the ship used 80 or 40
tons Of coal day.
why was the retrogade movement
made asked Judge Advocate LemIy.
Il do not know was the reply
The witness said he could have coaled
at sea on the 9TH as the sea was smooth
Admiral Evans said that before leaving
Key West, on May %, to join the flying
had communicated to him the secret code
arranged by Capt. McCalla- He had not,
however, reported this code to Admiral
Schley upon his arrival, surprising that
the admiral knew about the code.
Admiral Evans said that he had not
gone in nearer to the olon on the occa-
sion of the bonbardment Of that vessel
because he was in formation following
the flagship"
During the examination of Ad-niral Ev-
ans the judge advocate asked the witness
concerning statement by a lieutenant Of
the Spanish navy, printed by the navy de-
paFtment, to the effect that at dark the
American ships withdrew to the south
ward disappearing. The introduction of
a. book was objected to, and Admiral
Dewey said: THE witness has not told
what distance was maintained by the
feet. We don't care for that kind of in
formation. Admiral Evans was there and
can answer for himself. We want facts;
not newspaper articles