Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-10-15

lieutenant, E l. Bennett Lieut.
Theodore Dewey, nephe" OF
Admiral Dewey, who served on the
Massachusetts Lieut. Adelbert Alt,
hose, also of the Massachusetts ana
Lieut. Francis BOUCHER, who served on
tbe Marblehead, we're The otaer new
witnesses of the day.
1 Lieut. Althose said that on the DAY
of the bombardment of the Crlstobal
Colon had been in charge OF the eIght
| inch turret 10 the Massachusetts.
He said the ship had not exceeded
three minutes in passing the entrance 10
the harbor 10 the first passage ana only
| two shots were then fired. The lnstruc-
tions were to make the Bange 1000 yards
but the shots tell shorl and the range
increased on the return trip to s,ooo,
then to 10000 yards. lie said MS orders
had been to sink the Colon and to direct
his fire at that vessel.
Lieut. Dewey placed the distance OF
the blockading line under Commodore
Scbley from the mouth of Santiago har-
Dor at from five to eight miles, the dis.
lance being about the same day and
NIGHT, He said because of the distance
from shore and the darkness it would
have been impossible 10 see the Spanish
fleet had il attempted to escape at night.
Lieut. Francis Boughter declared that,
despite the presence Of his vessel as Il
picket, he believed the Spanish ships
could have escaped from the harbor at
night without being seen. he main
tanned that the Marblehead ss picket
boat was too far off shore. The position
of the Marblehead he said, was by "
ders from Schley.
Lieut. Marsh, now OF tie hagshlp
Kearsage. showed that. according TO
an entry in the official journal
kept by Admiral Sampson. the
Dupont carried the Dear Schley'
letter from Sampson and delivered it to
Scbley Mt Cienfuegos The Dupont ar
rived at Cieufuegos on May %. Ad-
miral Scflpv says that be did net get
the .'De ar Schley' letter until May %,
and it confused his understanding OF the
orders from sampson, received Cd Inc
Odd, to go to Santiago.
Lieutenant Commander Sidney A
Staunton related Saturday the particu-
lars of his securing information OF the |
presence of Cervera's fleet at Santiago.
1t was secured from telegraph EN-
ploye at Havana and great secrecy had
to be observed, only the commander in
chief and his staff to be Informed.
After TINS had been confirmed, be said.
the admiral had called up the Hawk !
and forwarded his dispatches to Com |
.nodore Schley. The Hawk left al dusk
May II. Between this time and May rs |
~ hen the despatch was sent from the |
Bahama channel, there was no commun-
ication between Sampson and Schley.
Mr. Rayner then quoted Admiral Samp-
aon's despatch OF May u as the
first positive knowledge conveyed to
Commodore Schlev of the presence of
rr tret at Santiago. This dispatch was
: follows:
Every report and particularly daily
con tidential reports received at Key
West from Havana state Spanish squad
ron has been in Santiago de Cuba from
he 18th to the 25th being the date of
he last report received. You will
please proceed with all possible dis
patch to Santiago to blockade that port.
II on arrival there you receive PCS tive
Information of the Spanish ships having
eft you will follow them in pursuit.
This dispatch Schley received June 10.