New-York tribune., 1901-09-27

1 could not see any harbor at ALL
You could see around the of Cay
Smith?"
We saw the masts of small vessel, but
could not distinguish what 1t was"
You sent no on shore to try to establish
communication"
Not at ALL"
us not the natural condition of the harbor
such that it is impossible to see considerably up
the harbor?"
You can only see short distance UP the
harbor"
And there nothing in sight whatever.
there?"
Nothing at ALL"
The witness had said that Captain Sigsbee
had taken the dispatch beginning Get in touch
with the enemy"
The court through Admiral Dewey, asked
Was it your duty that of Captain sigsbee
TO convey the information in the dispatch re-
ferred to to Commodore Schley?"
Il think it Captain Sigsbee's, as he went
Immediately on duty and / was intercepted by
orders from the Commodore to take the Merri-
mac in tow
Mr. Hanna-Did you receive any inquiry or
did the commanding officer of the Flying Squad
ron ask You for any information at any time?
Nothing"
Mr.. Rayner continued his questions devoting
Yale and the flagship. The witness said he was
sure that on May 26, when he hailed the Texas.
he had not passed within hailing distance OF the
Brooklyn being and half miles distant.
Mr.. Rayner read from report made on May
30 by Admiral Sampson. in which he stated
that Captain Wise had told him that he believed
Santiago Harbor be strongly fortified. lis
that true?" Mr.. Rayner asked
1t is" was the reply.
WISE MIGHT HAVE SIGNALLED
Captain Wise said in reply to questions by
Captain Parker that he would any time when
off Santiago. have been able to signal any in
formation he might have had in regard to the
situation. He had the masts of a vessel
and thought II to be a small military vessel.
He had gone near enough to observe the land
batteries.
In reply to an inquiry from the court the wit
ness said that the land batteries did not fire
upon the Yale while that vessel was reconnoiter-
ing the harbor. He also said that even though
he had been the senior officer while off San
tago, prior to the arrival of Captain Cotton.
he had not commanded Captain Slgsbee to give
Commodore Schley the information which he
CWise) had given to him (Sigsbee). The aues-
tons by the court and the replies to them were
follows:
Did the batteries at or near Santiago fire
Not ALL"
Who was the senior officer off Santiago prior
to the arrival of the Flying Squadron"
Il senior officer until Captain Cotton
came on the 23d. He was there until the oath.
and 1 was senior officer on the 25th. and the
squadron came there the 26th.''
Did you not direct Captain Sigsbee TO give
to Commodore Schey the information that you
had received from the Navy Department with
regard to the whereabouts Of the Spanish
squadron"
Il did not"
READ-ADMIRAL COTTON RECALLED.
At this point Captain Wise was excused and
Rear-Admiral Cotton recalled to make YER
bal corrections in the testimony previously
given by him. Admiral Cotton was questioned
concerning some points Of the Santiago cam
paign- He said that on the morning of May
81, after arriving from Kingston. he had gone
aboard the Brooklyn with dispatches for Rear
Admiral Schey. Asked by Captain Lemly TO
relate his conversation with Rear-Admral
Schley on the occasion of that visit he said
He informed me that it had been ascertained
that some. at least, of the ships of Admiral
Cervera's squadron within the harbor OF
Santiago; that they had been seen and were
in sight, and, matter of fact one of them
was then in sight at the entrance to the har-
bor In language as nearly as l can remember
ne said: After dinner l am going TO hoist my
flag board the Massachusetts and take her
and the Iowa and go in and have a pot shot
at those fellows"
Lemly-Anything further?
There was, Of course, some further conversa-
ton. l cannot recall the words. nor aside from
what have mentioned the particular subjects"
REVERSAL OF THE TEXAS's ENGINES.
William c. Gray, who was chief machinist on
the Texas during the battle of Santiago on July
B. testified that on that date he had been duty
at the throttle of the starboard engine Of the
battleship. He said that when he went to the
engine room the vessel going ahead. The
next signal" he said. was to stop. and min
ute afterward to reverse. The engines
then reversed"
The witness said that the reversal was very
brief, the revolutions not exceeding one hun
heard afterward that the reversal was because
they were passing the Brooklyn.
WOODS INTERVIEW WITH sCHLEY
Lieutenant Spencer s. Wood, who commanded
the dispatch boat Dupont during the Spanish
war was the next witness He related the par
ticulars of his mission dispatch carrier from
Rear Admiral Sampson, lying at Key West to
Rear Admiral Schley, who was off Cienfuegos
He had left Key West May 20 carrying dis
patches, of which the Iowa carried duplicates,
and had reached Cienfuegos several hours in ad-
vance of the Iowa.
"On my arrival" the witness said, Il went
aboard and personally delivered the dispatches
which carried from Rear Admiral Sampson to
Commodore Schley in his cabin at o'clock. He
asked me Rear Admiral SIMPSONS idea about
where the Spanish squadron was. / told him I
did not know. He asked me Of Rear admiral