The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-31

tlon from capt. Parker ne said he had
taken this dispatch to Admiral Samp-
son, who stated that he was very glad
had sent it and thought 1t was very
generous.
who was generous 2"
Il, of course"
The first of the courts questions re-
lated to the blockade of Cienfuegos
and was as follows
while off Cienfuegos could you see
the shore to the westward so distinct
ly as to form an idea of the feasibility
of making a landing there?"
The admiral answered this question
in the affirmative, and in reply to the
next question said he had seen no
fishermen or fishing boats on shore
with whom he could have communi-
Gated.
court he said he could not recollect at
all conversation between himself
and Lieut.. Hood, to which the latter
had testified.
Had Admiral Cervera's fleet left
Santiago and gone to the westward at
the same time that you left Cienfue-
COS could it not have passed between
seen by you?''
"At night it might possibly have
done so, but 1 think not in the day
time
why. on May 26, did you make your
stopping point twenty miles south of
Santiago instead of the mouth of the
harbor?"
81 laid my course for that point,
thinking that if the enemy should leave
Santiago he would go to the southwark
and that point would give me a wider
horizon for observing his movements"
Was it not possible to begin your
blockade of Santiago May 26 and main
tain it for few days and still have
coal enough left to enable you to reach
Key West?"
Yes; if had then known as I knew
subsequently that the Spanish fleet
was there
did not the order under which you
were acting require you to remain off
Santiago?"
Possibly, yes, but I do not think
that order given me was to deprive me
of all discretion in the matter if 1 heard
to the contrary"
WAS not the situation at Santiago
May 26 such as to warrant you in TAX
| ing considerable risk in coaling the
ships of your squadron"
II think that the risks would have
| been very great, too great, in my
| judgment. We might have lost col
| lier.'
did not Capt Cotton inform you
| that the Harvard had coaled at Mole
| St. Nicholas and that one large ship
! at time could coal there in ordinary
| weather."
Il do not recall that. His information
| to me referred mainly to small vessels,
as 1 recollect it,"
Nothing about coaling the Har-
vard?" broke in Capt. Ramsey.
"No, think not
did the report of the Merrimac's
injury lead you to believe that she was
hopelessly disabled?''
Practically so. Her intermediate
valve was broken
What was your object in seeking
to develop the batteries at Santiago?''
Il desired to know what was in front
of us in view Of the possibility OF our
being obliged to force the entrance"
Did you not risk the loss of ship
May 31?'
II thought such a possibility remote
in view of the range given"
How did you know the prevailing
winds at Cape Cruz were west and
southwest"
From the pilot
That Retrograde Movement.
"You stated that the movement
westward was based upon several mil
itary principles. Why then, did you go
back to Santiago?"
For the reason have stated. After
the coal supply was equalized, as we
were not far away, we would not lose
much time in going back and deter
mining definitely whether the enemy
was in port"
IF the scouts were independent why
did you worry about their coal sup
ply?"
"As senior officer when they joined
me, was, of course, responsible
why did the Brooklyn leave Key
West short of coal?"
Because of the order of the COM
mander-in- chief"
was there any shortage of coal at
Key West?"
Not to my knowledge"
"As you were ordered to Cienfuegos.
was II not your duty to communicate
direct with the senior officer leaving
there?"
"If he had important information.
think it was his duty to communicate
it to me-"
''Did the Flying Squadron ever steam
in at Cienfuegos between p. m. and
a. m.?"
I'VE tried to keep father in at night
than in the day"
what effort did you make at or
near Cienfuegos before the arrival of
the Adula to discover whether or not
Cervera's squadron was in that port?"
81 did not make any because / was
led TO infer that the coast was oc-
oupied McCalla, in his cable cutting
expedition, had lost quite a number
of men and I supposed that the coast
was occupied"
"Did any of your light vessels scout
between the Flying Squadron and the
south coast of Cuba with a view of
discovering the Spanish squadron in
the event of its having left Santiago
for Cienfuegos?"
mo"
Court's Searching Questions.
"Did you consider Capt. sigsbee's re-
port that he had not seen the Spanish
squadron and the pilot Nunez's state
ment that the Spanish ships were too
large 10 enter the harbor Of Santiago.
nroor that the information given to you
Nv Cant. McCalla on May "a, that the
Snanish force. under Cervera had been
reported authoritatively in Santiago on
NAV 10. and that they were still re-
ported there on the afternoon OF May
q. was erroneous
~ de not recOllect that he gave me
that Information"
"If you were. governed In. making
the retrograde movement by the mo-
tives you have stated why ola you
send 10 the department the dispatch
OF May 81, 1898. which you gave 20
Capt Cotton 20 send IN cipher from
That Is a very dlHleult question 10