The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-26

49,.
position, with the picket boats always
irside. Every night, except " hen rain
squalls occurred, and they were usuaiiy
brief, the Admiral testified that ne could
see the pickets either with the naked eye
or with right glasses. He never Went ven. 70
bed without looking for them ana th e.
was not q. night when he couild not us
tinguish The land and the Ma1sro.
FACTS THAT SPEAK.
In concluding his description of the
blockade that had been maintained, 1ne
Admiral said: THAT it was sufficient IS
shown by the fact that during it's exist
ence no vessel entered or escaped from
the l.srhor."
Coming to the reconnaissance of May
21st, Admiral Schlcy said: ION the Slst.
while the Brooklyn ard the Marblehead
and the Texas were coaliag. I transferred
my flag to the Massachusetts, and" deter
mined that I would develop the fortifl-
cations because OF information. Which
we had on board from the hydrosraphlc
office, my impression now is, IL WIS ia'AA
er undetermined.
think one stated that the batteries
were old and another stated that hrupPS
were mounted. The general belief. now.
ever, was that all of the southern places
" ere very heavily fortified: In tact. we
knew very little about the erect OF
higher-powered artillery, either on shofe
or aboard ship, and feeling mat
ought to know something ABOUT liie
fortifications which defended that place.
i determined 10 90 in and take advan-
tage of what believed to be the longer
range of our guns and develop fully what
these defenses were and incidentally IL
we could get a shot, into the Colon. t1;tl
was lying exposed somewhat, 70 40 \.
I think we were lying in position, per
haps, four to five miles to the WESTWARD;
The, steaming III was at slow speed. l
transferred my flag, named t,Wo yaros
and went board the Massachusetts.
NOT EXCITED.
Once oil board, he had, he said, engaged
in a conversation with Captain (now Ad-
,niral Higginson). Il was not eNclteo'
he went on, nor nervous, for l need NOT
have undertaken the reconnaissance IL l
had not desired to do so. hau soiiic
regard for those standing on the lufrels'
thinking they were exposing til themselves
to danger from shock which was unhece'
sarv to them, though l was differently
,,ircpu,stanced. and L so expressed my
self. Commander. Potts is entirely IN
error in saying that / took advantage OF
cover. That did not, for was not con-
cerned about myself.
Speaking of the range of. 1000 yaros,
tie Admiral said that Commander Focts
had himself reported On that range dnu
that he admiral Schicy) had not known
Gov several DAYS that the range had been
altered.
"1ho moment we began firing, ne
went on. ..the shore batteries responded,
some Of them using smokeless po"oel.
There was quite a stream OF" proJectiies
and I was impressed With the loea LID
they must be from guns OF OF e-lil.if
calibre. The shot from the Socapa Bat
1,a
went over our ships, and one Went pc
yond and over the vixen WHICH, was -1".N
a mile distant.
WOULD HAVE BEEN FOLLY.
."rhe strength of the batteries being
established it would have been lnlila
follv to have rislsed the battieships iui-
Their to fire from these shore nattertes
under my instructions. IL we hsio VS.
ono or two OF our six or seven vessels
Tho ,oss would have been a very great dis
advantage and it might have inNalldeo
the attack on the Spanish SHIPS:
thought it better policy to save the sh1ps
for wider and better use, and Subsequent
events justified the decision
ADMIRAL Schlev told of the receipt OF d
number Of dispatches from the Depdi :.
nent. which had. he said, been proush.
by Captain Cotton he Was sl NC na1
the fispatc hes could not have been re-
cei,ed before May 31st. When ne re-
| csivcd these dispatches he had ALREADY
| discovered the Spanish fleet. He hao also
| c,,r,,ounted the difficulty. about coailns
! and had so informed the Department
| He narrated the incident of the capture
by the ST Paul, Of the Restor1ne1' NC
| English collier bound for. santiago. Cap
tain Sigsbee reported that the Restor-
/ nal had touched at Porto Rico ana Gu
! racna and that he had sent her 70 Key
/ West adding: Il have sen aosolu'eiS
nothing Of the Spanish fleet.
| ONGRATULATIONS OF SAMFSoN:
! on the 31st he received, he thought, oy
! wav of a press tug from Port Alito.i n''
the dispatch from Admiral oaiiPsoi.
dated Nav Seth congratulatlns MN upon
tha lnca1ion of the Spanish fleet IN
ren1v to questions by his counsel Az
! 1nira1 Schlev explained that with squao-
! ron such as he had. practically Oh .ns
| same size as the Spanish Teet' NC ii'lo
| never considered the advisablilty OIL seiiu
| mo ships away to coal. He Regarded -
| AS of prime Importance that the iieeI -
kept together ,o+ no,
The witness stated that he had not go
| info foreign waters for coal, because hs
| wanted to avoid international compilca
! tions. and especially wanted to AVOID tilt
| charge of taking. advantage Oh "eahc'
| nations like Hayti and others.
After this depression the Admiral re
| turned to the reconnaissance Oh May 'ise
That some of the younger officers wh'
testified regarding that occurrence wer'
mistaken, he said, was proven by the rae
that there was to-day on the deck OF IN
Indiana a plate showing where an elght
inch shell from the land fertilization
entered July 4th and wrecked her ward
room. The officers referred to mad testl
fed that there were no guns OF over SIX
| inches in the Santiago land batteries. In
Admiral said perhaps fifty shelis wen
| over the American ships.
WAS QUITE LIVELY.
"In fact, he said, sit was very l1vel
for few minutes.
The witness stated the particulars
the arrival of the New orleans on Ma
3Oth with Captain Folger in command
q and conveying the collier Sterling. CAP
tain Folger had, the Admiral sald brousf
instructions to sink the collier in tn
fair way to Santiago, the details OF whlc
performance were to be left largely I
Admiral Schley's discretion.
81 cid not" he said, understand tina
this passage was to be blocked up excer
in case we should be compelled to aban
don the port, in which event that eApe
dent was to be resorted to-.
FOLGER MISTAKEN.