The age-herald., 1901-10-26

. my instructions If we had lost one or two of our six or seven vessels, the loss would have been great disadvantage, and It might have invited attack with disas- trous results. thought 1t a better policy to save the ships for wider and better use, and subsequent events Justified the decision.''
 Here the witness abruptly turned from the bombardment of the Colon to a dis cussion of the coaling question. He said that his idea had been to coal on every possible occasion. He then quoted and put in evidence a number of dispatches to the department. giving the instances on this question. He related in this con nection the receipt of a number of dis patches from the department which he said had been brought by Captain Cot ton. He was sure that the dispatches could not have been received before May 31
 When he received these dispatches the admiral testified that he had already dis covered the Spanish fleet. He had also surmounted the difficulties about coaling, and had so informed the department In this connection he narrated the instance of the capture by the St. Paul of the Restormel, the English collier bound for Santiago. Captain Sigsbee had reported that the collier had been captured May 26 off Santiago. Sigsbee's letter mentioned the fact that the Restormel had touched at Porto Rico and Curacoa, and that he had sent her to Key West, adding: There is absolutely no news of the Spanish fleet here.''
 Sampson Conaratulates Him.
 On the 31st he received. he thought by way of press tug from Port Antonio, the dispatch from Admiral Sampson dated May 30, congratulating him upon the location of the Spanish fleet.
 In reply to questions by his counsel Admiral Schley explained that Cape Cruz was an exposed place 109 miles from Sam tiago, and he did not regard it as an available place for coaling Some of the smaller ships might have been sent there, but with a squadron such as he had practically of the same size as the Span- ish feet-he had never considered the question of separating the ships of his fleet. He regarded 1t as of prime import ance that the fleet be kept together. His attention was called to Lieutenant liar bor's testimony likening the situation south of Cuba to that of Dry Tortugas, where ships had coaled. The admiral said the two places were not comparable. The sea to the south of Cuba was exposed for hundreds of miles, Dry Tortugas was surrounded by reefs in which a sea could rarely enter. From information he re- ceived from Captain Cotton, he thought he received the impression that only small ships could be coaled at Mole St. Nicholas on Gonivas channel.
 The witness stated he had not gone Into foreign waters for coal because he wanted to avoid international eomplica- tions and especially wanted to avoid the charge of taking advantage of the weaker nations like Hayti and others.
 After this Aggression the admiral re- turned to the reconnaissance of May 31 That some of the younger officers who AA6 f( 1.-A taken, he said, was proven by the fact that there were today on the deck of the Indianapolis plate showing where an S-inch shell from the land fortifications entered July 4 and wrecked her ward room. The officers referred to had testi- fled that there were no guns of over inches in the Santiago land batteries. The admiral said the shell which wrecked the ward room of the Indiana might possibly have been fired from mortar of which there were several, but that the range of the batteries was beyond the ships as they went in for the recon nofsance, was evident from the fact that there were one or two shells which went over the American ships. There were, he sand. many more, perhaps fifty. In fact. he said, 'it was very lively for few minutes"
 Ordered to Sink Collier.
 Again leaving the question of the May reconnaissance, the witness related the particulars of the New Orleans on May 30 with Captain Folger in command and conveying the collier Sterling Captain Folger had. the admiral said, brought in- structions to sink the collier in the chan nel to Santiago. the details of which per formance were to be left largely to Ad- miral Schley's discretion.
 'T did not" he said, understand that this passage was to be blockaded up ex- cept in case we should be compelled to abandon the port in which event that ex- pedient would be resorted to-
 He then proceeded to detail his conver- sation with Captain Folger concerning which Captain Folger also testified as witness for the department. While satis- fled that Captain Folger had not meant to do any injustice to him (the admiraD, he felt that the Captain had failed to give all the details of the conversation. He did not want to explain to this court, said the witness, just what the conversation had been, for I had condemned the circular form of blockade and had advocated the form which I had established as being more mobile and more facile for a small fleet, such as ours was. in case of at- tack of the enemy, as more easily ma nipulated and handled under signal.
 'The captain spoke of advising me to keep in closer,'' continued Admiral
 
 signalled that the enemy would fire on us at the then range. We had not changed our position"
 Admiral Schley took occasion to speak of the Instructions to him to examine Guantanamo as a coaling base. To do this he said was not practicable, for at least 1000 marines would have been neces- sary to guard that point and these could not be spared. If we had gone there we should have invited attack, he said. These" he added, were among the mat ters I had to consider" This brought Admiral Schley to the time of the arrival of Admiral Sampson, commander-in-chief of the North Atlantic squadron. In speak ing of this event and the change in com mand which 1t involved ..e ventured upon ground which Captain Lemly considered som ewhat questionable.
 Admiral Sampson Arrives.
 Coming to this point the witness said: ''On June Admiral Sampson arrived He brought with him the New York, Oregon and the Mayfiower, and steamed down to the westward, a little to the inside of the blockade. He found us at that time just in, making the turn, and was invited on board. He was very cordial, very glad to see me, and. explained to him the situation and the fact of the reconnois- sance. He seemed very glad to find out the situation there and pointed out to him the Colon lying in the entrance.
 Captain Lemly: If the court pleases. we are getting beyond the courts juris- diction of the scope of precept"
 Admiral Dewey: "As I understand, he Ia turning fhe command over fo fha oov,,