River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-10-31

| agraph was No. 267. and requires the COM
| mandeT in chief when preparing his fleet
or squadron to meet the enemy TO commu-
| nicate his general orders, instructions, pri-
vate signals and such other information as
| will enable each SO far as possible to un-
derstand his duty wheE in action and at all
| other times.
Il think / compiled with that replied
the witness.
How and in what manner" asked Capt
Lemly.
by Issuing general orders for the or
ganization of the squadron. their instruc-
tions and their private signals"
Not Complied with.
The next article was as follows:
ARTICLE 269-He shall, If possible, before
going into action, communicate to the
juniors in command, his. chief of staff and
the captains his secret orders, private sig
nails and other information that will mate
rally assist them If called upon to exer-
else command"
THAT do not remember to have com
piled with, said the witness.
Had Plan of Battle.
Capt Lemly then read article 271, which
provides that the commander In chief
shall, If possible, before going into action,
supply every captain with plan Of battle,
showing thereon the position eacn shall oc-
cupy
YES" replied the witness, in reply to
Capt. Lemly's question if he had complied
with that article. II do not understand
that that is necessarily written. l think
that that order Is sufficiently carried out
when a commander In chief decides TO
place his crews in the order Of battle and
inform each what he proposes to do"
do you think admiral, that you can
supply every captain with plan of battle,
do hot ffpea2t ra8
Capt. Lemly.
II do not think that II Is absolutely neces-
sary," replied the witness. There are in
stances where battles have been fought
without doing that. Any plan of battle
that might be originated is subject to
change. l have never known battle that
was ever fought on the plan originally
chosen"
The Judge advocate then asked the wit
ness whether between the dates to which
the court had restricted the examination
he had according TO article 271 Of the regu-
lations furnished each captain with a plan
of battle.
Verbally, yes"
But not in writing?'
Il did not think the regulations required
it,"
Ibid you communicate TO your captains
instructions from Admiral Sampson not to
expose your ships to land batteries before
the destruction Of the Spanish fieet?'
Il did not, because | regarded them as
confidential"
No Instructions Needed.
when at Gas a. m, May 20, you sighted
man-of-war. as shown by the Brooklyns
log. and cleared for action. what orders had
been issued in conformity with the pro-
visions of the regulations?"
Il thould not think any instructions
would be necessary for fleet meeting a
single vessel, except to smash her up
Capt. Lemly-Could you tell absolutely
there was only single vessel, although you
sighted but one?
"As ! only saw one smoke. / presumed,
of course, there was but one vessel Sub
sequently we raised the Vesuvlus, which
was very much lower in the water.
Capt Lemly-As a matter of fact, there
was more than one vessel?"
There Were two vessels, that was de-
veloped later"
"Others might have been developed in the
same way?"
IF they had. I should have pited them.
II they had been separated, they would
have permitted themselves TO be knocked
to pieces"
Rayner's Objection Sustained.
At this point Mr.. Rayner, addressing him
self to Capt. Lemly, said that he did not
want to object to this line of questioning,
but that there was no specification which
called for it, After some discussion the
court retired for consultation. Upon re-
turning Admiral Dewey stated their de-
cision as follows;
1.-The court decides that all questions to
be asked of the applicant shall be confined
to between May 10 and June /, relating to
the organization management and con-
troll of that squadron when he was actually
commander in chief"
gFAg tn a figstaf
~ regarding the orders Clear ship for ac-
ton, Admiral Schley explained that the
ships were practically cleared for action
all the time, but that there was always
certain amount of paraphernalla aboard
ships to prevent persons falling overheard,
or awnings which had to be removed, and
that that was what he had in mind when he
signaled to clear ship for action"
The BIockades.
(Which was the closer blockade, at
Cienfuegos or Santiago?"
Il think at Cienfuegos. There we were
from three to four miles off; at Santiago
we were from 3l2 to 5l2 miles; closer at
both places at night"
You stated in one of your reports that
while lying off Cienfuegos you feigned dis
order IN the squadron in the hope that the
Spanish fleet would come out Did YOU
inform the captains of the squadron of this.
ruse?"
mo, 1 think not. I talked with some
aboard the Brooklyn about it,
when did TIC Iowa arrive at Cienfue-
gos2' asked Capt, Lemly,
THE Iowa arrived at Cienfuegos on the
I'D some time in the afternoon, / think"
Capt. Lemly then stated that the Iowa
| left Key West at il o'clock a. m on May
20, and gained in her trip about 81 hours
on the squadron. He asked the witness
| how he accounted for this, particularly
! In view of the fact that the Iowa had or
| ders to show herself off Havana en- route
Lemly Forced to Correct Himself.
Before Admiral Schley could answer this
| question. Mr. Rayner asked Capt Lemly
| where he got his figures for 81 hours.
! short discussion then ensued as TO the
| time Of the arrival of the flying squadron
/ off Cienfuegos, and both sides finally set
/ tied on IA hours. instead of 81,
| Mr.. Lemly then repeated his question on
| a basis of IA hours.
THE only reason l can give" said the
| witness, is that she stood directly across
/ from Key West to Havana, also that in
| shore the current would not be as strong
| as 1t was of. Then probably she may have
steamed out of the current after she got
around"
Closing his testimony for the day Ad-