The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-25

Admiral Tells of His Meeting With
Captain Chester.

Admiral Tells of His Meeting With
Captain Chester.
Relating the particulars of his meet
ing with Captain Chester of the Cincin-
natl, he said that the captain was
anxious to join the flying squadron
The admiral said that was not feasible.
The captain had suggested one or two
banks on the Cuban coast, at which he
thought coaling would be possible sun
it was problematical at it would depend
upon the weather and the sea-
After Chester left the admiral the
squadron had continued its voyage
toward Cienfuegos, where it arrived on
the night of May FL
Towards shutdown that evening I was
standing on the bridge when we were
thirty or forty miles out, heard six or
seven guns fired with the cadence of a
salute. The report was so distinct that
the officer on deck spoke of it
The next day in the early morning
the fleet had steamed in and looked into
the harbor. but it had been impossible
to see in.
Il never saw any smokestack there"
er from or s o'clock in the morning
until II or 1 o'clock at night. Very few
circumstances escaped me-"
Toward o'clock of the 22d, he said
the Dupont brought to him the now
celebrated Dear Sch1ey" letter In
obedience to this dispatch he had sent
the Scorpion east to communicate with
the scout boats about the Spaniards,
''as I was very doubtful of their being
at Santiago, as I think the admiral
was" He recalled the arrival of the
Iowa, but he did not recollect that it
brought anything to him in the way of
dispatches. He did recall, however, that
he had gotten letters. among others one
from his wife. Speaking of the blockade
or four miles out 1T was closer at
night than in the day time he said,
land that was the rule always, both at
| Cienfuegos and Santiago
hall at hat Soid "a
| the sound of the firing and the CONVEX
| sation had with Admiral Sampson that
! that squadron was in Cienfuegos. The
| line of formation was kept ready for
| any emergency and was never abandon
| ed. During the day we feigned little
| disorder in hopes we might invite those
people out. We knew there would be
| difficulty in getting in, as the flagship
| was of great draught, as were most OF
| the other ships. The channel was very
| crooked and our only wish was that
| they might come out The movements
| of the squadron were rather an invita-
| ton for them to do so. That was what
| 1 felt during all the period of this block
| ade
HAS LITTLE IMAGINATION.
| Lieutenant Wood has testified to a
| conversation which he said he had had
| with me in relation to the delivery OF
| dispatches, which for the life of me, l
| cannot recall. and I have a good deal
| of recollection. I am glad to say, very
| little imagination Lieutenant Wood,
| Frustrated His condition to me was
| pitiable. Not from fear, but from the
| exhaustion of torpedo boat service. and
| / told him when he came over the side
| that if 1 were king, I would promote
| every torpedo officer five grades II l
| could.
He handed me the dispatch. I think
| he did injustice when he spoke
| of my speaking unexpectedly of Ad-
miral Sampson. / used no such terms
| There was no reason why should have
-, l. <1f lii 9
! Admiral Sampson, and do not recall
| one word of the conversation he recites;
| not one word. and 1 recollect good
many things very WELL
| The admiral told, then, of the arrival
| of the Hawk on the morning of May
| %, bringing dispatch No. s. This is the
| dispatch from Admiral Sampson, which
| had brought the informa ton that the
| Spanish fleet probably at Santiago
| and in which Commodore Schley had
| been told that if satisfied they were
not at Cienfuegos to proceed with al
| dispatch to Santiago" In this dispatch
| was enclosed the McCalla memoranda,
| saying that good landing place could
| be secured thirteen and a half miles
west of CienfuegoS
With regard to Commander Hoods
| testimony concerning the delivery of
| these dispatches, the admiral said he
! did not remember, "and,' he went on,
| Il think I can show you by a memo
| randum in the official government re-
| port that if he had any verbal orders
| he forgot to report them. This memo
| randa had run to the effect that Hood
| had said there are a good many off,
| GERS here who do not believe the Span
| iardS are there.
That" said the admiral, "goes to
show that Hood was not very certain,
| or that if he had the information he
| did not deliver 1t to the commanderin-
| chief, which was an fndiscretion. He
| seems to have remembered good deal
| that was said by me, but to have for
1 gotten
done"
| The witness also told of the arrival OF
| the British ship Adula, and of his hav-
| ing that vessel boarded and his allow
| ing it to proceed inside. He also told
| of the report which the AduIa brought
| to the effect that the Spanish fleet had
arrived at and later had left Santiago
which, he said, lent color to his own be-
| lief at that time"
SAW SIGNAL COLORS.
| The witness stated that he had seen
| the signal colors on the shore and ex-
! planned his experience in this respect.
He said the surf was dangerous there
! in the daytime. Continuing Admiral
Schley said:
Not knowing whether or not there
were any insurgents to the west of this
| place. having communicated to me any
| idea that there were any system of
signals arranged with them. though I
| asked the question, the withdrawal of
| the squadron of Capt. McCa1Ia and the
| failure of Lieut.. Sutherland to give me
! that information, was directly respon-
| sible for the delay in communicating.
| To risk boat through surf, or a coast
| believed to be occupied by the enemy,
| might have repeated Capt. McCalla's
experiment He found the coast was
| pretty we'll occupied. I saw cavalry on
| the coast once or twice. They appeared
/ for moment and then got out of sight.
I thought to waste ammunition on a
solitary man was like wasting big guns
on sparrows. 1 wanted to save all the
ammunition we had for use against the
enemy's squadron I did everything
that was possible during the time that
we We're there to maintain a block
ade as contemplated. I did all the
coaling that was practicable or