The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-10-12
Commander Knew
Nothing of the Code
With the Cubans
Nephew of Dewey
Takes a Part in the
interesting Session

rival of the Spanfsh squadron at Santiago Will
you kindly give us the Information ana lrolli
whom II came =? -.
..Tbs first intnation we had was by tele-
gram from the Navy Department mentioning
Next day Lieutenant Commander Stauntoh was
in Key West and saw Captain Allen, VINO salu
that the evening before he had received eoh1-
munication from Havana that the spanish
squadron had gone into Santiago, and ne was
only waiting until the evening OF the zUtn 70
have it corroborated, as the operator WHO s s9
the information put himself in communication
with our office In Key West only once Jay
about o'clock in the evening. Staunton came
evening to wait a second telegram Whicn coI
roborated the first and which caused Admiral
SAMPSON 10 believe that the Spanish fleet was
in Santiago and also caused him to write the
second dispatch directing the movement toward
Mr. Raynor-Is this the telegram you refer
to: 1.-The report sof the Spanish fleet being az
Santiago de Cuba might very well ne e9rT tSa1
So that the department strongly advised that
you send word Immediately by the Iowa 70
Sehley to proceed off Santiago de Cuba with
his whole command, etc2'
THAT is the telegram 1 refer to-"
did 1 understand you to say that that
caused the belief that the Spanish fleet was
in Santiago?"
Questions over kilograms.
mo, sir. What caused the belief was the
information received from Captain Allen OF
the signal S9rps who was IN charge Gr 6es
Lieutenant staunton, who was in Key West;
come overnight from Havana.
could l interrupt you just minute? Was
number 7. the dispatch referred to (the Dear
Schley' dispatch). being sent in answer to this
yes. that was sent after receiving this dis
patch
THE admiral then telegraphed the depart
ment PRACTICALLY a paraphrase of this letter
This dispatch and the telegram to the de-
partment paraphrasing it were prepared on
the night OF the 18th and were sent that night,
think At noon of the 10th Lieutenant Staun-
ton saw Captain Allen in Key West and Staun-
ton was again sent to Key West and came
back with the assurance from Captain Allen
that the Spanish fleet was there. Then the
doubt in Admiral SIMPSONS mind was re-
moved, and he then wrote dispatch to be sent
by the Marblehead which we were expecting
to get off hourly She. however, was delayed
and the flagship got under way at clock in
the morning of the 21st and went over to Ha-
vana. From there. as there was more posi-
bility of delay in the Marblehead's departure
than expected he sent the Eagle and the
Hawk with copy of this dispatch and sup
also with verbal instructions to the command
ing officer of the Hawk to move at once to-
ward Santiago
On the 21st the following instructions
written at Key West for Commodore Schley
and sent at a.. m. to the Marblehead to be
delivered with all dispatch: Spanish squad
ron probably at Santiago. four ships and three
they are not at Cienfuegos proceed with ali
dispatch, but cautiously, TO Santiago de
Cuba. etc. Is that the dispatch that was sent
to Commodore schley after the doubt re-
moved in the mind of Admiral Sampson of
where the Spanish fleet was?''
Yes"
You have stated that he became certain
on this subject o.
He became assured or at least my i'm
preston is that he felt assured after the re-
eeipt of the second word from Captain Allen
in regard to the matter that was on the even
ing of the GOTH"
Was that an assurance nee may ask you. of
or whether it had gone into Santiago2''
AT Santiago
docs it state anything about having gone
in and come out?'
mo, that they there
At this point in Captain Chsdwick's testf-
mony the court adjourned for the day.