The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-25
Minutely

n Of Admiral Schley while the lat
ter was in command Of the flying squad
ron. occupied practically the entire
time of the Schley court of inquiry 20
day. On his direct examination he con-
tinued his narrative of the Cuban cam
paign.
Lieutenant Wells was under cross ex-
animation for about two and a half
hours. largely at the hands of Mr..
Hanna, whose questions were directed
mainly to the dispatches received and
sent by Admiral, then Commodore
Schley.
Lieutenant Wells was still on the
stand when the court adjourned for the
day and will continue his testimony to-
morrow.
Captain Cook. who commanded the
Brooklyn during the Spanish war, was
the first witness of the day. He made
the following statement:
In my testimony I stated that the
Oregon on the morning OF July 3rd, was
under all boilers, having shifted her
boilers from forward to aft. / stated
this from hearsay and presumed it to
be correct, as accounting for her extra
ordinary speed. 1 find that she had not
shifted boilers that morning, but she
had steam on all her boilers at all times
while in the Santiago blockade"
While Captain John L. annum was
on the stand for the purpose of cor
recting his testimony the court asked
him the following question::
How soon after you went IN board
the Merrimac was she able to use her
own power to make from five to seven
knots?"
SSba waS in condition IN MAKO five
knots when 1 vent on board. I did not
give her seven knots"
In reply to a question from Mr.. Ray
ner. the witness said it took from the
forenoon watch of the 27th until the
evening of the 2Sth, working day and
night to make the repairs on the Mer-
rimac. He did not knOw how long the
vessel had been totally disabled.
Lieutenant Thomas F. Carter. while
correcting his previous testimony, stat
ed hat he desired to change that por-
ton of his answer to a question by the
court in which he had said that the
two aft boilers of the Brooklyn had no
water in them when the battle began
on the morning of July 3rd. Ks cor
rected he desired the answer to read:
1.-The two aft boilers had little or no
water in them. Their fires were not
laid until after the battle calls were
sounded"
Ensign W. p. Cronan. while on the
stand for the purpose of correcting his
testimony stated that he had measured
the distance from the initial position
of the Brooklyn to Rio Tarquino on
JULY 3rd and found it to be t~hirty-nine
knots.
J. l.. Hunley, chief machinist on the
Texas. who last week testified than on
July 3rd he was at the throttle of the
port engine of the Texas, stated, in re-
ply to questions by Captain Lemly,
that C~laxton. who had testified that he
was at the port engine on that day and
that the engine was reversed. that
CIaxton was stationed at the air pumps
back of the engine. Hunley said he
kept his hand or the throttle OF the
engine most of the time and did not
think it possible tina the signal to stop
or back could have been given without
his knowledge.
LIEUTENANT WELLS RECALLED.
Lieutenant B. ". Wells, Jr., who was
on the stand when the court adjourned
Friday, was then recalled and testified
regarding the battle of July 3rd. He
said he did not remember the ranges al
which the Brooklyn fired, but thought
LOO yards was the shortest. When the
Viscaya ran ashore the Colon was
about 10000 yards ahead of the Brook
lyn and for a time firing ceased He
said that he had received orders to get
up a quantity Of rapid fire ammunition
Owing 10 the CnaTdCI6T Ol lHe SOdSI IL
was expected that the and
the Colon would come to close quarters
He was ordered to have this ammuni-
ton ready to close with the Colon and
give her a rapid fire when they go'
close together. He said he had not seer
the Texas when the Brooklyn made mel
turn. At one time during the battle
he said. the Brooklyn seemed to be
alone, engaging three ships.
A number of dispatches were showr
to the witness n he was asked as tC
their receipt by Commodore Schley
One from Secretary Long to the amer
lean consul at Kingston, dated WASH
ington. May 18th, saying that it mus
he delivered to Schley at once. and in
fOrminS his (Schley) that unless UNSAFE
for his squadron, h department wish
ed him to remain off Santiago, and ask
ing if he could not take possession o
Guantanamo as a coallng station; ais
q dispatch from Secretary Long to Cap
tain Cotton. of the Harvard, dateC
washington, May 29th, enclosing a dis
match to Commodore Schley, telling hin
TO hold on at all hazards; that he New
York, Oregon and New orleans Wer
on the way; also two dispatches iron
Secretary Long to the dispatch boa
Havard dated Washington May 30th
ono Informing him that the command
er-ir-chief had started to join him an
the other telling him that SaSua, TWEEN
ty-fVe miles east OF SdnliaSo q 20
reDorted as q good place TO lana 1ror
which it would be easy to reach tn
heights in the real Of Santiago, tn
witness said had been received on Ma;
31st.
The cablegram from Secretary Lone
do+ed Washington May 9th, to tn
cable office at Mole ST. Nicholas, Hyt
directing that it be delivered to Tn
next American war vessel to arrive an
Informing Commodore Schley that Tn
most absolutely urgent thins nov
- Enow positively whether the SPANS
division is in Santiago ETC., was snow
the witness. He stated that it had pee
received by Commodore Schley on Ma
Goth. The Colon had been olscoveIe
in the harbor of Santiago by COMING
dore schley on the morning OF May Zst
Mr.. Rayner at this point exhibited
chart upon which there were notation
regarding the strength OF the batterie
at Santiago, this peii
Given a G of date of Anrll D. 1898.