The age-herald., 1901-10-30
Would Have Plated Ships PO- sitiOns Had He Thought
 Them So Important
REASONS FOR GOING ID WEST
LemIy Seeks to Show Admiral Violated Departments Order Saying It's Information Was That Span
 ish Were at Santiago.

Washington, October 29.-The cross-ex- animation of Admiral Schley was contin- ued throughout the session of the court of inquiry today. The progress made was exceedingly slow Practically the whole day was consumed in questioning the ad- miral on the cruise from Cienfuegos to that governed him in turning back after his squadron had arrived in the vicinity of the latter port This latter branch of the cross-examination had not been con- cluded when the court adjourned. The blockade at Santiago, the reconnaissance of May 31 and the battle of July still to be covered
 The judge advocates questions called for comparison of statements Admiral Schley had made either in his direct tes- timony, in his communication to the Sem ate or in his dispatches to Admiral Sanp- son or the Navy Department, with the testimony of witnesses who have pre- ceded him and the logs and signal books of the other vessels of the fleet. The questions were not asked in chronological order, but Jumped from one subject to another and from one stage of the cam paign to another. Throughout the strain to which the witness was naturally sub jected while under examination the ad- miral retained his customary composure At one point when he was being search ingly interrogated as to his distances from shore at Cienfuegos and as to whether the distances were matter of record, he responded rather tartly:
 "Oh, no. I did not know they ever would become a matter of such great im- portance or I should have pi ,tted them and made a memorandum, as l should of many other things"
 The main points to which the cross-ex- animation was directed today were the ability of the ships to coal off Cienfuegos and the reasons for what Is known as the "retrograde movement"
 The latter point was dwelt upon with much emphasis and detail, and had not been disposed of fully when the court adjourned The admiral gave three req sons for turning back: First, the state ment of Captain Sigsbee, who command ed the scout ship St. Paul, that the en- emy was not in Santiago; second, the opinion of Nunez the pilot, that the en- trance was too narrow and shallow for tho Spanish ships to enter; and third. the ambiguity of the departments .tele- gram. In the course of the cross-exam- ination the admiral said he regarded the departments dispatch rather as sug- gestion than as an explicit order. a sug- gestion which he carried out after the sea had abated and the coal supply of the ships had been replenished.
 Follow the Flag.
 Regarding the blockade a. Cienfuegos, Judge Advocate Lemly asked:
 Had Cervera's fleet appeared during the nights you were at Cienfuegos, either coming out or coming in, from seaward, what, under your instructions would your fleet have done?'
 "Knocked them out" GA stir in court.)
 "What were your instructions?"
 ITO follow the flag instructions given at Hampton Roads"
 What were your instructions
 There were none. I don't consider that the regulations or customs required writ ten instructions.'
 'Is it not the unwritten law at sea in the navy that vessels in squadrons shall follow the f1ag?"
 ''Yes, except under certain circum- stances"
 What circumstances?"
 ''WCf, a vessel might see one of the enemy ships drop out and follow to att tack he. That might be one of the cir cumstances."
 But the rule is to follow the fiag?"
 Ut is.''
 In response to other questions Admiral Schley said there were three or four boats stretched across the harbor at Cienfuegos.
 Captain Lemly called the attention of the witness to the fact that in his former testimony he had said that Lieutenant Wood had reported him speaking disre- spectfully of Admiral Sampson, calling him captain. The admiral replied that he might have gotten Wood confused with Hood, and upon referring to the court it was found true that Hood had not so testified.
 Captain Lemly then questioned the wit ness regarding the wind off Cienfuegos, while the flying squadron was there. Ad- miral Schley had testified in his testi- mony in chief that the wind was fresh. Captain Lemly called the attention of the witness to the log of the Brooklyn for May 23 and A. The log showed the state of the wind at different points on that day varying from twelve to four- teen.
 Why did you, on the day the Iowa coaled from the Merrimac, May 23, in- form Sampson that coaling off Santiago was very uncertain?'
 Simply on account of the weather"
 You coaled one of the battleships?'
 Yes"
 Did you in the same dispatch inform Admiral Sampson that one of the bat tleships had been coaled on that day?'
 T reported that fact to him on May 30."
 Signals as to Coal.
 The admiral was then proceeding to read the signals from the Iowa, Massa- chusetts and Texas to the flagship rela- tive to the coal, when Captain Lemly in- terrupted to say that the admiral had all ready referred to those signals in his testimony, whereupon Captain Parker protested that 1t was unfair to witness to ask for signals and then stop him as soon as he had begun to comply. Captain Lemly disclaimed any desire to be unfair What he wanted was signals indicating solicitude for coal. Thereupon Admiral Schley proceeded with the reading of the signals. After he had read about twent, | he looked up.
 Do you want any more?" he inquired