The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-25

l.
FOUNDER guns on the Brooklyn was bent
at an angle of 80 per cent by coming in
other. words the problem presented to me
at Clenfuegos, he said was on one that
- ARRIVAL OF M'cALLA
McCalla on May "a, bringing information
concerning the signals from the, Cuban
tain came aboard he asked: Have you
seen any signals?" I said: What do you
three lights and three horses in the day
time I said had seen the lights and he
with YOU expressed surprise and asked
who had made the arrangements Cap
asked Why they 1'i had mo not been commun
Gated to me. but he. did not know 1
shore which he did, reporting that the
Spanish fleet were not there. This in
6 o'clock the SQUADRON formed column and
made until the feef was was Il miles les from on,
age, TT was. a dirty night he said,
when / looked Out at the port hole %
feet above the spray came in freely. Of
sells but it was for the smaller ones
He defended his course in keeping the
ses for fe fne as
unit he said land / hold that to do
in changing base with a fleet. hold that
useful auxiliaries and supplies should new
est necessity
THE CoALING QUESTION.
it was absolutely impossible to coal on
May %. II watched the situation Closely
than any other man of judging the situa-
ton in that respect" On the 26th weather
He told also Of sending Commander
South nt away with the Eagle and
of coal. He said that Switzerland had
sisted sisted that he could coal @fe Tegpett b
the necessity, as I did, but it was i'm
have taken on a little coal in boats, but
he would have burnt it as fast as he took
it on
Referring to his course in leaving Glen
fuegos he said it was laid so as to give
iected,'' he said. would have carried me
to China if there had been islands in
acting upon his $50. own Responsibilities res
having to act. without having any private
he said, II had to do a good deal from
guess work Sometimes / was right and
Admiral schley then told of meeting the
dlspateh boats St Paul. Minneapolis and
Cook saying to him on the passage over
the Brooklyn and that some of the young
sters were seasick-
tinued the Witness. and i think my recol-
lection is almost vivid enough to describe
HAD ON RUBBER BOOTS.
II recollect distinctly that he had on
which we all wore more or less, a heavy
blouse suit. met him at the gangway.
course to see cen me- - The i rsf thing asked
Sigsbee when he came over the side, and
ment that I do not believe that Captain
Slgsbee would mistake anything for his
capable of stating what is not true. I
think in this instance his recollection is
here? He said: No, they are not here;
him: Have any of the other vessels seen
them, the Yale or the Minneapolis? He
sured me so,' and that was the assurance
to which 1 referred when I spoke of the
eli and sigs s eeh Now Now DO s not b believe
that any Of these men would misstate
baily with me, but I assume i e. with the
conversation with Sigsbee that he was
them. At the same time Nunez was
aboard and he and had a conversation
.Nunezz, what do you think Of the report
that these people are not hereT Well
here at all, because the channel is very
narrow, the, buoys have also. been re
quickly and the channel is very crooked.
# they had a tug or a most favorable
say that they might not get in, but I
do not believe they are there now.
or eighteen years. We subsequently found
he was very expert pilot and rendered
US valuable service.
TOOK ALL RESPONSIBILITY.
my habit of my life, not only in
principal command of a squadron, but also
sumo the responsibi ii and the danger Of
censure of any movement, but / was never
participant in glories that would not
divide That was the general tt princi PIE
not call my council of war The infor--
nation which these people. gave me led
was similar to that telegraphed from Ca
diz that the squadron had returned to
Cape Verde" Continuing. the admiral
said: IF any of us, any time, made any
mistakes during the campaign of Santiago
or elsewhere, it was in surprising that the
Spaniards would ever do right at the right
time"
At this point Admiral Schley described
the IN movements of his squadron ad aD9n5
wise IT would not have been wise to
minute of the day were known in Ha-
vana.
26th, the collier Merrimac. which had
been giving us good deal of trouble,
ageable collier was not a very preferable
thing. to have with the squadron. if we
send her to Key west with the Yale It
then occurred to me if | sent her to
Key West. and she was taken, would
be out a collier, and the Spanish. if they
were outside. would be in so much coal
So / determined therefore, on this move
ment to the westward, in the. meantime
inquiring to the coal supply of each
of these Ships
Continuing his discussion of the coaling
situation, Admiral Schley said that a lib
eral supply was necessary The enemy
would not come toward the Americans,
but would go in the other Edirection.
Spea king of the collier Merrimac'S break
ing down, he said this accident rendered
coaling out of the question: Il don't be-
lieve any prudent commander would have
attempted to send a ship alongside an
unmovable collier to take coal The risk
would be too great. The responsibility
was mine. and it was too great to take
the chance coaled at the earliest pos
Sible moment
With reference to the arrival of the