The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-10-05
SCHEY COURT OF INQUIRY
THE TEXAS AND BROOKLYN IN
THE FIGHT.
officers of the Former Tell of the
Famous Loop" and its Effect on
Their Vessel.

Famous Loop" and its Effect on
Their Vessel.
WASHINGTON, September 23.-At
| this mornings opening of the Schley
court the deck log books of the Brook
| lyn, Texas, Iowa, Castine, Marblehead
/ Massachusetts,, Minneapolis, New Or
! leans, Oregon, St Paul, Scorpion Yale
! Vixen, Eagle, Dupont, Hawk and Merri-
! max were presented, Captain Lemly
having selected such logs as he consid-
! cred essential and promised to have
| the pertinent points printed.
! Commodore Schroeder, recalled, sup-
piled an omission from his previous
| evidence stating that he had no infor-
| nation regarding the coal supply of the
Massachusetts and was asked to read
the log to secure the information. OBJ
jections made by Admiral Schley's
| counsel were overruled and upon read
ing from the log Commander Schroeder
said that it showed that the Massachu-
setts had over 400 tons of coal aboard
when 1t arrived at Santiago.
Commonder Schroeder was questioned
at some length along this line, the pur-
pose of the questioning being to bring
out the amount of coal daily consumed
| by the Massachusetts while on the
blockade line.
This he placed at from 25 to 80 tons a
! day adding that he thought $50 to IT'S
tons would have sufficed to go to Key
| West.
Lieutenant Commander L. c. Heilner
navigator of the Texas during the Span
| sh war, was next called. He said he
| had heard no guns fired when the squa-
dron approached Cienfuegos. To his
knowledge no effort was made to ascer-
| tain whether the Spanish fleet was in
the harbor at that point. He told how
the fleet had proceeded from Cienfuegos
to within twenty miles of Santiago.
Under good weather fresh wind and
a sea that was moderate to rough"
Asked to describe the battle of July
3rd, he stated that the Texas had been
heading about east when the enemy
was seen coming out of Santiago and
described how he reported to the cap
tain how nicely the Brooklyn was stand
ing up to fight. After the Texas had
sheered to the westward she slowed
and stopped when the witness exclalm-
ed my Lord Captain, we are out of the
fight" The captain replied Look at
the Brooklyn!" Just then the gray
mass of the Brooklyn loomed out of the
smoke ahead apparently about 100 yards
away though Captain Phillips thought
it much closer. After that" continued
the witness,
Captain Lemly-"Perhaps I should
have asked you in the first place the
position of the Brooklyn relative to the
Texas just before going into battle"
"She was almost astern of us. That is
because we were headed almost east.
She should have borne west by north
west. She was heading for the land and
l thought she was stationed pretty
nearly on her north course. / did not
see at first any indications of turning
and l thought she was going right in"
"At what time during the battle of
l,, 1a, hot tINa
was in the greatest danger?" asked
Captain Lemly.
An objection was entered but over
ruled by the court who ordered the wit
ness to testify.
Looking back" responded the wit
ness, II know that the time of the
greatest danger of the Texas was
when the Brooklyn loomed up out of the
smoke right ahead of us"
In the afternoon session, there occur
ed a discrepancy in the statement of
the witness as to his estimate of the
distance between the Texas and the
Brooklyn when the latter was making
her famous loop and that laid down up
on the chart. Upon reference to the
latter the witness mended his statement
to one according more nearly with the
chart distance. This occurred during
a cross examination of the witness by
Raynor who was endeavoring to prove
s
SIMPSONS and therefore not open to
censure. To that end he questioned the
witness at length concerning signal
lights at Cienfuegos.
Captain Lemly objected, not only to
the line of questions, but to the line OF
argument
Continuing Raynor said that Admiral
Schley wanted to prove three things.
These were:
First II is maintained that the
blockade as maintained by Commodore
Schley was the same, and so far as dis
tances We're concerned, as that MAIN
tanned by Admiral Sampson
Second The failure to engage the
Colon further on May 3lst was in the
line of SIMPSONS policy, as developed
after his arrival on June 1st, when the
Colon was still in sight.
Third. That the Brooklyn had heI
place in the line of blockade assigned
by Sampson, when the Spanish fleet
came out on July 3D.
Having made this presentation, Ray
nor at the suggestion of Judge wilson
withdrew the question. Judge wilson
said the subject would be brought up
when there was a witness on the stahu
who could testify to facts.
1--WE propose" he said, "to show that
Admiral Sampson was never in the fight
off Santiago at all and that on that ac-
count Admiral Schley had the RESPONSE
bility' of the command throughout
Commander Alexander b. Bates, VINO
was chief engineer on the Texas during
! the Santiago engagement on July ou'
| was then called. He testified concern
| ing the work of the engines on that
day and practically corroborated the
| evidence of the previous witness Ihe
court adjourned at four O'Clock
|