The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-26

order to supply his ships with coal.
Having that question in view he was
apprehensive especially as to one ship,
the Texas. He did not even know at
that moment whether she had on board
sufficient coal to enable her to return
to Key West. During my visit he gave
an order to make signal. a general sig
nal, as / remember it. not limited to
the flying squadron alone, to report
whether the ships had sufficient coal
to reach Key West. The signal was
made, or at least, l assume it was
made. AT all events during my pres
erce with Commodore Schley he receiv-
ed a report to the effect that all the
ships, including the Texas, had suffi-
cient coal to return to Key West.
The Key West Return order.
II think the commodore was very
much relieved when he received this
information, Shortly afterward, |
should say within a few minutes, he
directed signal to be made prepara-
tory for the ships to return to Key
West The order was given in a gem
eral way. l cannot give the words of
the order. but what l have stated was
their purport. While l was still there
he received a report tu the effect that
the signals were read. Before 1 left
ship he ordered signals to be made for
ships to form preparatory for steaming
to Key West. To go back bit, / had
informed Commodore Schley that it
was utterly impossible for the Harvard
to get anywhere except to Kingston.
l had not sufficient coal to get to Key
West. and he verbally authorized me
to proceed at once to Kingston to re-
ceive such amount of coal as l could
get there sufficient to enable me to re-
n fhQ TTnifad Gto
1 left the Brooklyn about noon, possi-
bly, a few minutes before. Immediate
ly after my departure the Brooklyn
commenced steaming ahead, and no
ticed that many of the ships at that
moment under Commodore Schley S
command were in motion, presumably
preparatory to taking their stations in
steaming order to return to Key West
AS soon as l returned to my own ship
after my boat was hoisted. l steered
to the southwest for Kingston"
The Dispatch of May 25.
In response to further questions Ad-
miral Cotton said that he had the orig
inal translations of the cipher dis
patches addressed to the Harvard
The dispatch of May 25 was then read
to him as follows:
Washington, May 25. 1898. Harvard
st. Nicholas Mole, Haiti. Proceed al
once and inform Schley and also the
senior officer present off Santiago as
follows: All departments information
indicates Spanish division is still al
Santiago. The department looks tC
you to ascertain facts and that. the
enemy, if therein, does not leave with
out a decisive action. Cubans famil-
| lar with Santiago say that there arr
| landing places five or six nautical miles
west from the mouth of harbor anC
that there insurgents probably will be
found, and not the Spanish. From the
| surrounding heights can see every yes
| sci in port. AS soon as ascertained
notify the department whether enemy
| is there. Could not squadron and alst
the Harvard coal from Merrimac lee
| ward of Cape Cruz,t Gonaives Channe
| or Mole, Haiti?, The, department will
send coal Immediately to Mole. Re
port without delay situation at Santi
ago, de Cuba.
| "IOnR"