The age-herald., 1901-10-05

Spanish fleet under Cervera was probably | in the harbor at Santiago. He had, how ever, not been informed of any secret | code of communication with the Cuban insurgents near Cienfuegos. He had. hs said taken dispatches for Commodore | Schley, and while not certain that therd was more than one package, he was un- der the impression there was more than that number. One of the dispatches car ried at this time was, the witness thought, that signed by Secretary Long and dated Washington, 12:30 o'clock, May 20. and beginning:
 ''The report of the Spanish fleet being at Santiago de Cuba might very well be correct. so the department strongly ads vises that you send word immediately by the Iowa to Schley to proceed off Santi- ago with his whole command. leaving one small vessel off Cienfuegos."
 coaling of Squadron.
 Captain Rodgers was examined at length concerning the coaling of the fiy- ing squadron.
 Could you have coaled the Iowa on the afternoon of the 26th?' MT. Hanna asked.
 Tn the late afternoon, the time I speak of the weather being fine and smooth, 1 think would have been no trouble at all," replied the witness.
 When the collier can deliver coal, can batteship like the Iowa take it?''
 
 broadside guns the danger in coaling at sea is entirely to the collier" 'Is there any more danger to a col- Her with a battleship on either side?" There would be very great danger to collier in coaling battleships with battleship either side.' Captain Rodgers related two or three, instances in which the ships of the fly ing squadron were cleared for action on signal from the flagship Brooklyn before oI- r4 fraf ftA distance. In each case the vessels proved to be American ships Each time the sig nal was to clear for action. He also told of the bombardment and of the recon noissance of the Cristobal Colon on May 31 in which the Iowa participated. He said the vessels were all in form ation and following the flagship. which in that instance was the Massachusetts. Shots Fell Far Short.
 The range was at first given at 1000 wards for this engagement but the shots fell so far short that the range was ln- creased to II ,000 yards. These latter shots fell into the channel in which the Colon lay. Some of them must have fallen within 25OO yards of the Spanish ship. Describing Commodore Schley's block ade of the harbor of Santiago, Captain Rodgers said that the fleet maintained position of seven or eight miles out with the Marblehead and the Vixen inside the line. He remembered that the Marble head was on the inside from the fact that some of the vessels in the squadron had fired at her. He could not say whether the fleet was further out in the day than at night or vice versa. He thought the Vixen and Marblehead could have been seen by moonlight, but not after the moon had set.
 Captain Rodgers had concluded his tes- timony when the court adjourned for luncheon.
 Examined Wrecked Ships.
 The afternoon session of the Schley court began with Captain Rodgers still on the stand. He stated in reply to quee- tions that he was the senior member of the naval board of survey appointed by Admiral Sampson to examine the wrecked Spanish vessels.
 The purpose of this line of examine tion was to bring out the knowledge con- cerning the effect of the Brooklyn's gum nery in the battle of Santiago July a Captain Rodgers stated that the Brooklyn was the only vessel that fired 5-fnch shells, and MT. Rayner said that a care full computation based upon the report of the board of survey showed that twelve f1ve-inch shells had been found on the Spanish vessels.
 MT. Rayner presented statement. showing the number of shells found on the vessels of the Spanish fleet. and the witness was asked to state the percen- tage of 6-inch shells. assuming the stste- ment to be correct. Captain Rodgers re- piled that the total number of hits was 35. and that therefore the 5-inch shells hits constituted 34 per cent of all the
 fContfnued on second paw~a